Honda generator

marcot said:
Can I supply power to the boat 220v system using a 2kw Honda portable generator? Any experience?
Click to expand...

Yes indeed. I made up a short cable with a 3 pin plug on one end and a caravan/shore power socket on the other. You just need to remember to limit the load to the capacity of the generator which I believe is 2kVA I.e. about 1.8 kW.

Ours will do the immersion heater or the sockets (hairdryer and so on) but not both. It will also run the battery charger.

Oh, and you will at once become the target of outrage from most boaty people within earshot, including both those who happily run their main engines all day to charge their batteries and those who b****r off ashore as soon as they have intimidated you into shutting down your generator.
 
Last edited:
marcot said:
Can I supply power to the boat 220v system using a 2kw Honda portable generator? Any experience?
Click to expand...
I assume you are talking about the honda EU20i in which case max load is 1.6kw and voltage is 230v. Do be sure to ground the generator before running it onboard.
 
marcot said:
Can I supply power to the boat 220v system using a 2kw Honda portable generator? Any experience?
Click to expand...
I was watching that TV programme "Fake Britain" and they were showing a Fake Honda Generator and it looked the real thing until they opened it up and the revealed the inferior components used to make it. The box and outer case looked the bees knees.
Certainly if I was buying one now I would be very careful as to the source of supply.
 
do be careful where you put it - those tragic deaths in the Lake District a few months ago were down to exhaust from a poorly located generator entering the living space.
 
maby said:
do be careful where you put it - those tragic deaths in the Lake District a few months ago were down to exhaust from a poorly located generator entering the living space.
Click to expand...

Not so much badly located but very poorly installed. It had been installed in the engine bay but the exhaust system was lash up of soft soldered plumbing fittings, which had come apart, and a hose which was clearly not properly secured to the outlet skin fitting.

Take a look at the MAIB Safety Bulletin which has been issued.

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/SB2_13.pdf ... Unbelievable
 
Last edited:
Grumpybear said:
Oh, and you will at once become the target of outrage from most boaty people within earshot, including both those who happily run their main engines all day to charge their batteries and those who b****r off ashore as soon as they have intimidated you into shutting down your generator.
Click to expand...

Haha, slight digression, we had some bloke anchor next to us in a fair sized speedy boat type and he proceeded to start his generator. 10 minutes later we saw "smoke" coming from what looked to be the gennie - turned out to be steam from his kettle :p
Poor chap had obviously never heard of a flask!
 
Tarka1 said:
Haha, slight digression, we had some bloke anchor next to us in a fair sized speedy boat type and he proceeded to start his generator. 10 minutes later we saw "smoke" coming from what looked to be the gennie - turned out to be steam from his kettle :p
Poor chap had obviously never heard of a flask!
Click to expand...

How true. Some years ago a Mobo came round to the Yealm for the night from Plymouth. Next morning a generator was fired up. The owner calmly explained that his wife needed to do the hoovering.....
 
Grumpybear said:
How true. Some years ago a Mobo came round to the Yealm for the night from Plymouth. Next morning a generator was fired up. The owner calmly explained that his wife needed to do the hoovering.....
Click to expand...

I fire up the genny when I need to do a bit of hoovering, amongst other things - not sure why it would seem so unusual as to need an explanation.
 
Laundryman said:
Come on Cliff, having added the caveat "make sure you ground it first", Tell us how. The best way in simple terms please. Or of course anyone else can add their wisdom.
Thanks Alan
Click to expand...

Earthing in amains system can be complicated. It is intended as a safety measure. I think fairly simply the body of the generator should be connected to the earth wire of the mains system. It may be so via the socket. The body should also be connected to the ships negative DC which is usually connected to the sea via prop shaft etc or directly to a metal plate in the sea. This is ok for short term generator operation but for long term and mains connection to ships negative you need a galvanic isolator to stop stray currents causing electrolysis of underwater gear. good luck olewill
 
Do you need 2kw? We have the smaller 1kw Honda generator. It'll charge the batteries and elecrical stuff. It won't run the kettle. We use it occasionally, mainly on cloudy days when the solar panels aren't performing.
 
Laundryman said:
Come on Cliff, having added the caveat "make sure you ground it first", Tell us how. The best way in simple terms please. Or of course anyone else can add their wisdom.
Thanks Alan
Click to expand...
On the genny you will find an earth connection. Connect this to your ground plate - you do have a ground plate don't you? - NO, oh dear, then connect it to a bit of copper rod and hang the rod over the side into the sea. Do not connect 12vdc- to the genny earth unless you also fit a galvanic isolator.
Simples.
 
Laundryman said:
Now thats what i like, a simple answer. Over the side it is then. Thanks Cliff
Click to expand...

I dont believe Cliffs advice is correct at all.

The generator earth will be connected via the connecting lead to the earth wiring in your shore power installation.

If the shorepower earth is bonded to the DC negative and anodes then they will be connected as well.

You may well already have a galvanic isolator but even if you do not one is not necessary. With the power source on board and no connection via an earth conductor to other boats or shore-side installations is will serve no useful purpose.


If you do feel tempted to connect to a ground plate or a "yellow metal" rod over side then you will be creating a galvanic cell with the anodes and stern gear etc if these are bonded to the shorepower earth. A GI will interrupt any current flow in this cell but is still not necessary for short periods of use.

The more important issue to investigate is the suggestion earlier, and discussed in Tony Buckley's link to http://www.caravantalk.co.uk/carava...ng/caravan-generators/earthing-your-generator , that the generator output is "floating" and that a neutral should be created by bonding the appropriate output conductor to the earth conductor.

The generator earth terminal is provided so that the generator can be earthed when used on land with equipment which requires an earth connection. This is mentioned briefly in the instruction manual. It is also used when operating two generators in parallel.
 
srah1953 said:
This shows complete ignorance on my part, for which I ought to apologise, I suppose. What are you trying to achieve by earthing the generator?
Click to expand...

I don't think there is any reason so earth the generator as such. The object of the exercise is to provide a safety earth system for the equipment being powered by it which, if it is connected to the shorepower system, means the whole shorepower system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

billyfish
Hyundai generator experience
Replies
4
Views
351
AndyDavies
A
geem
First 6 months with no gas onboard
2 3
Replies
41
Views
1K
Baggywrinkle
Baggywrinkle

Share this page

Top