Suitcase generator for charging

[cmedsailor]

A thought for the future in order to have more charging options while away from shore power and after the sunset (already have solar) is the use of a suitcase generator (like Honda, Kipor etc).

If I run a suitcase generator and connect my usual shore power cable from the generator to the deck plug will this charge the batteries based on what my 60 amp charger can do or what the generator can deliver?

In case I ever decide to buy a suitcase generator what is the minimum size to be able to run my air-condition (16.000 btu, inverter)? Not a priority but good to have just in case…

 

[ctva]

That's exactly what I did. I have a Honda EU1.0i generator and just wired up a lead to the shore power connector. It will deliver up to 900w or there about. You'd need the larger one for a 60A charger probably. Can't help with the air con question.

 

[[2574]]

Your 60A charger will demand about 850W or so, a Honda EU1.0 will struggle to supply that. Generally it’s best to assume that a generator will supply about 80% of stated capacity so at 850W I suspect the battery charger would stall a 1kw generator due to excessive demand. You would either need to go for a larger genny, say the Honda 2.2kw, or have some method of limiting demand from the charger to stay within capacity of the smaller generator.

No idea on your air con requirement - what is the KW demand from the aircon unit?

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Well, 16,000 btu per hour = 4.6 kW. So a suitcase generator won't come anywhere near running it. I've no idea what the efficiency of an air conditioner is, but you're looking at a seriously large generator to run it - perhaps 10kW.

 

[Laminar Flow]

In our first setup we used a 1kw suitcase gen to keep our batteries charged. We had two 100A house batteries providing 100 usable amp hours and a 40A mains battery charger. We have no option other than to run our fridge, not because of an uncontrolled addiction to cold Chablis, but let's say for medical reasons.

Frankly, that doesn't ever get you very far and limits the time you can stay in a secluded, peaceful anchorage. Then, you have to dig out the generator, lug it to the foredeck, place it on a vibration absorbent pad and enjoy it screaming away for hours on end. Even suitcase gens are not quiet, not in any relationship to the peaceful serenity of a quiet evening. And, generators do not make for good neighbours.

Now we have 460A of house batteries and 300W of solar on an MPPT charger. In 5 years and weeks away at a time from utilities, we have not once ran the genset which has since led a lonely life in it's wheelhouse locker as movable ballast. The only time it sees the light of day is when I do the annual oil change on it. It will be moving off the boat next.

Even a 60A charger can only charge your lead/acids with 10% of their capacity. To charge a 100A at 50% max depletion will require you to run your genny for 5hrs. This explains why it makes more sense to increase overall battery capacity, as to raise the absorption rate and speed of recharge, and, secondly, to expand solar input.

It worked for us, we haven't looked back. The genset didn't.

 

[Bouba]

I tried a suitcase, Honda 2 eui, works fine but is soul destroyingly noisy. Tried most internet fixes, even built it a house out of insulated triangles. Nothing worked. It just wasn’t fair to other boaters. We installed a 6kva Onan, very expensive but it’s solved all our power needs. Kettle goes on whenever anyone fancies a cuppa

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I tried a suitcase, Honda 2 eui, works fine but is soul destroyingly noisy. Tried most internet fixes, even built it a house out of insulated triangles. Nothing worked. It just wasn’t fair to other boaters. We installed a 6kva Onan, very expensive but it’s solved all our power needs. Kettle goes on whenever anyone fancies a cuppa

No comment about the generators, but the name of the company suggests that they didn't do any research to select a suitable name. Look up Onan in the Old Testament!

 

[Bouba]

No comment about the generators, but the name of the company suggests that they didn't do any research to select a suitable name. Look up Onan in the Old Testament!

Yes, I knew of that but until now never made the connection ! Perhaps it’s deliberately named for marine generators and lonely sailors ????

 

[Frogmogman]

No comment about the generators, but the name of the company suggests that they didn't do any research to select a suitable name. Look up Onan in the Old Testament!

I knew someone who had a budgie named Onan, so called because he scattered his seed on the ground.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

I knew someone who had a budgie named Onan, so called because he scattered his seed on the ground.

GROAN! That's very clever, but…

 

[Daverw]

Well, 16,000 btu per hour = 4.6 kW. So a suitcase generator won't come anywhere near running it. I've no idea what the efficiency of an air conditioner is, but you're looking at a seriously large generator to run it - perhaps 10kW.

4.6kw cooling would be about 1.2kw input, you can run most domestic ac units from 13amp socket, as long as it’s an inverter drive unit

 

[Bouba]

4.6kw cooling would be about 1.2kw input, you can run most domestic ac units from 13amp socket, as long as it’s an inverter drive unit

If that is right then a Honda 2000 suitcase would be sufficient. But, the op would need to check the draw on start up. But he may not be able to charge the batteries and run the air con at the same time. So we are close to 24 hour running in the summer. Not a pleasant way to spend summer.
These Hondas are whisper quiet, until they are under load, then they are as noisy as hell. In your garden, away from your house using an extension cable, it’s all doable. But a fiberglass boat will be a lot noisier and a lot closer. My advice to cmedsailor remains.......don’t do it??

 

[cmedsailor]

My air-condition mentions "maximum input power 980W", but in any case running all night the noisy monster for the air-condition is a big NO for me. That's the reason I said it's not a priority. I hate when nearby boats do this therefore I don't want to do the same. Probably run the air-condition for a couple of hours just to cool down the boat a little bit but not more than this.
Main concern is how many amps a generator will feed the batteries. If the noisy beast will need hours to produce something useful then I would prefer to increase my solar panel capacity (I can easily add another 100W panel to the 160W existing one as my 20amp controller can accept it) or probably add one more battery. Many thanks to all for the replies.

 

[[2574]]

My air-condition mentions "maximum input power 980W", but in any case running all night the noisy monster for the air-condition is a big NO for me. That's the reason I said it's not a priority. I hate when nearby boats do this therefore I don't want to do the same. Probably run the air-condition for a couple of hours just to cool down the boat a little bit but not more than this.
Main concern is how many amps a generator will feed the batteries. If the noisy beast will need hours to produce something useful then I would prefer to increase my solar panel capacity (I can easily add another 100W panel to the 160W existing one as my 20amp controller can accept it) or probably add one more battery. Many thanks to all for the replies.

More solar has to make most sense, especially with your location. Generators are generally unpleasant things to be around regardless of the installation - for you and your anchored neighbours.....

 

[Blueboatman]

Have seen suitcase generator sitting in inflatable dinghy , that was a bit quieter

 

[Mistroma]

Air-con is a heat pump and therefore uses a lot less than you'd think if just looking at BTU. I imagine the start up current might be an issue (plus combined noise of air-con, generator and neighbours in dinghies banging on the hull in the evening.)

We sometimes use our Honda 20Eui to charge batteries and it isn't too noisy. I can barely hear it if I take it to the bows but usually just leave it in the cockpit. A bit annoying if you are sitting beside it but not too bad. My charger is 40A and probably draws 600W when batteries are fairly low. The generator isn't anywhere near full load. completely different if you boil a kettle, heat a water tank etc. annoyingly loud as Bouba said. I think that a 60A charger would make the generator too noisy unless the batteries were already at a decent state of charge. It would certainly be at the limit for the smaller EU1.0i Honda and my 1.6KVA model would be fairly noisy.

We usually manage on solar but need the generator early and late season if we stay in the same anchorage for a few days. I try to run it in the morning before solar really kicks in. The generator pushes in 40A for an hour and a bit and solar tops it up for the rest of the day. I charge laptops and phones late in the day and use their batteries in the evening (they have better charge efficiency than lead acid).

 

[Richard10002]

That's exactly what I did. I have a Honda EU1.0i generator and just wired up a lead to the shore power connector. It will deliver up to 900w or there about. You'd need the larger one for a 60A charger probably. Can't help with the air con question.

My Honda EU10i “just about” powers my 60A Sterling Pro Charge Ultra.

It has to be started on full power setting, not variable, then it sets off delivering about 27A for a second, then it dies down as though it’s going to cut out, then it ramps up to 60A. Once it’s delivering 60A it can be changed to the variable power setting.

The charger can be set to draw 75%, 50%, 25% power so, if the genny hadn’t been able to manage 60A, I would have changed the charger setting to 75%/45A, which the genny supply’s with no issue whatsoever.

If I hadn’t had the comfort of varying the charger power, I would have bought a more powerful genny.