Taking One for the Team (Honda generators)

[prh77]

I have a Honda 1000 watt gen that runs my Truecharge 20 + with discharged batts with no problem. Will not fit in cockpit lockers, but perfect fit in anchor locker. A thought....

[Tony Benoit]

Steve - This is where we're deficient in the US. No Canadian Tire or Tim Horton's. You can take back all your geese though.

Craig

Wait a minute--We do have Tim Horton's in the US.  That chain bought up all the Bess Eaton's in the northeast when Bess Eaton went belly up.   I have one less than a mile from where I sit here in Norwich, Connecticut, US of A. 

Tony
Helen C/#903
Std/Wing

[waterdog]

Just an update. 

Inexplicably, the cheap generator fell overboard. 

I shall quietly buy a Honda...

[Ray & Sandy Erps]

Doh!  I hate it when that happens.  Can we get a report on how well it worked before it went overboard?

[tonywright]

Maybe it's just the way I read it, but somehow I think it's the way it worked that caused its fall...

[Craig Illman]

Sounds like another trip for the CrabCam!

[Stu Jackson]

Don't ask, don't telll

[waterdog]

Uh.  So we have to know the details.   Can't just leave it at its poetic aquatic metaphoric ending?

Alright.   Technically it's in my garage.  It will go back to Canadian Tire.  I wanted to throw it overboard, but Tracey wouldn't let me.  She said she would take it back to the store. 

It runs great.  It starts easy.  It's quiet.   It worked well on my test run.   So I threw out the packaging. 

Somehow it knew I would do this.   

One day, we had deeply depleted the battery bank.  (As newly measured with my Xantrex Link battery monitor - rated as my second best upgrade this summer, just narrowly behind the cockpit shower).   We fired up the generator, plugged into it, and turned on the charger.  Overload. 

Much fussing.  Tricked it by turning on engine then firing it up and shutting the engine off.  Worked!  Charger would put out 30A+.   Ran out the small amount of gas.  Could not repeat.  Overload.   

Much more fussing on many days.  Overload.  Now I just start the thing with nothing plugged in and it's overloaded. 

I have given enough of my life to this generator.  I want our relationship to end.  I am prepared to do so in an abrupt and brutal manner.  Tracey is trying to mediate and make it amicable for both parties. 

[pjcomeau]

Let me know if you are successfull in returning it.

I had the same overload problem and the "all of a sudden it stopped" scenario (with plenty of fuel left). I was getting ready to take it back for warranty repair (i.e. make it work as advertised, maybe with some replacement parts they can make it work properly), but maybe I should just look at getting my money back...

Thanks,

Pierre

[Steve McGill]

The following is from the Xantrex FAQs.

This may be the same issue

I have the Trucharge 40 and thought of buying the Honda EU1000, after reading the following I may need to rethink and possible purchase the Honda EU2000.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Using Truecharge with a Generator

You have an 850 W generator which can surge to 1000 W and try to power Truecharge 40, but the charger never reaches the 40 A charge current level despite the batteries being heavily discharged. What's happening?

The Truecharge 40 is being starved of AC power during bulk mode.

Calculate:

(43 Amps x 13.5 Volts)
------------------------------------- = 1150 VA
(0.80 efficiency x 0.63 power factor)

1150 VA is the power required by Truecharge during bulk charge.

Although Truecharge will still operate down to 90 VAC input, the drawbacks to an undersized generator are:

- The TRUECHARGE cannot provide the full bulk current of 43A, therefore it will take longer to charge deeply discharged batteries.
- If the generator operates at it's maximum output for a prolonged period it may overheat the generator before the TRUECHARGE goes into the lower power absorption charge.
- We recommend you use at least an 1200W continuous duty generator, and we recommend a 12A AC source in the manual. An alternate solution would be to use the lower power TRUECHARGE 20.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve

[Stu Jackson]

Power share:  http://c34.org/bbs/index.php?topic=1474.0

Don't know if it applies, but perhaps the Link will do it for you.

[waterdog]

Very interesting.  0.63 Power Factor?  Yikes.  What happened to unity? 

I would completely dismiss the Xantrex argument for a larger generator on the basis of efficiency, charge speed, and potential to overheat for a moderately sized bank.   You're not going to stick at 43A output for very long even with a very robust AC input.   However the argument is very relevant for peak size issue.   If your generator won't turn on because it has overload protection, you may be doomed. 

In the case of the green thing.  It's dead.  The store confirmed that it's dead.  They fired it up and it will not serve any load of any size.   They have also informed us that they do not accept returns of gasoline powered devices.   However, it is covered by warranty!   Great.   4 years of untrustworthy performance guaranteed!   It will never go back on my boat.  Tracey is going back to see the manager tomorrow.  I'm glad she has the patience.  I would have created an unpleasant scene...

 

[waterdog]

Tracey had to work her way up through 3 levels of management with sweetness and reason.   Today, they finally gave her a refund for the green generator.   Bad products backed by exceptionally bad service. 

And I had a chat with my friend at Xantrex today and told him to go ahead and cash the cheque for the inverter and battery monitor which are performing brilliantly.   I told him about my generator woes.   He has actually toured the plant where they are built and said if I'd asked him in advance, I never would have bought one.  Cheap generators are just that.  Cheap generators.  They are not better value.  He says I should buy a Honda...

Based on the title of this thread, I think I knew the outcome before I even started.   So why did I bother?   

FYI:  Xantrex is being acquired by Schneider.     

[kevMar]

Where do you store these generators when not in use and when in use, in cockpit where????

[Ken Juul]

When not in use I keep mine on the cockpit floor just ahead of the pedestal.  Some folks manage to squeeze it into the cockpit locker, I don't have the room and don't think gas should be stored in an enclosed locker with possible venting to the bildge.

I have a walk thru transom so in use I have 2 choices, either behind the wheel with the exhaust pointed aft using the short 115vAC pigtail or if we are going to be in the cockpit, on the foredeck using the 115vAC pigtail and the shore power cord.

I have to Honda 2000 unit.