I used my Honda 2000 companion (with twist lock receptacle) to recharge three Vmax 8D’s. The charger is a Go Power 75 amp smart charger and yes it does bulk charge as normal. A Honda 2200 may be able to do a 90 amp but that’s pushing it. Keep your cords heavy or really short. The 2000 would also power a 16000 btu Marine Air heat pump but the trick was to turn off the Eco mode first, then once the AC is running you can turn on the Eco mode and it’ll slow down a bit. Also turn the stat down so the AC doesn’t cycle off because the AC would have to sit (equalize) for 30 minutes before the generator has enough grunt to restart. Keep in mind EVERYTHING else is running on the inverter batteries at that point. It’s called energy management. Do buy some 10 year Carbon monoxide detectors and distribute them throughout the boat or RV. Yes, I’ve had one go off when the wind changed a few times and all I had to do is aim the generator exhaust elsewhere. In the near future I will be switching to lithium’s. I’ve built my own but for those that can’t, get Battle Born batteries and Powermax PM3 55 amp charger and follow instructions for lithium adjustment. Or this be the time to buy one of those intelligent inverter/chargers that do energy management and have provisions for lithium charging profiles.
On Keuka lake, one of NYS's finger lakes, at night sitting at the camp fire, you can hear conversations from across the lake, 3/4 of a mile! You can't hear what they're saying, but you can hear them talking, and it's only at night with no wind. Just affirming your comment about sound on the water:) I had a transient neighbor on a new to him trawler. It had massive Caterpillar 2 stroke diesels and he'd run them during the day when I was working on my boat, it was choking me out so bad, unbelievable how nasty it was. Then he'd run his generator all night. What a newb!
I have that Honda. The way I have used it is to limit draw at the inverter/charger to about half the capacity, then when I need to run loads with the genset, I'm also charging batteries at a nice low rate and not taxing the genset by running it full out . Over time it will top off my battery bank. This method works well for me, since I use the genset to power large draw loads like a vacuum, and some modern inverter/chargers will actually ADD to the genset's output to power larger loads than either the inverter or the genset can cover alone. Charging at a lower amperage than the batteries can handle treats them gently, which is good, as long as you can fully charge the pack on a regular basis. This is what has worked for me, there are other ways to do it, obviously, depending on loads and habits, specs, etc. Keep the keel side down. :)
Hey Tao, thanks for sharing. BTW, lots of boaters out there use honda generators or similar to do exactly what you do and it works. It's worth noting, rarely is there a perfect and only one way of solving a problem. We all tackle and solve problems for what works for our boat, our needs, and our budgets.
@@PacificYachtSystems The tiny gensets are a handy option for those of us that don't run a genset often enough to justify the outlay for a dedicated diesel. I have been happy with my little Honda; really just a backup, but I run it once a week to mitigate heavier loads and keep it from gumming up. Not to type a tome here, but running these small engines, check your oil every time you start it, change it every 50 hours (runtime meters are CHEAP insurance) and don't run ethanol gas without an additive. Mine has never seen ethanol, ever.
@@tao4409 Interesting I'v looked everywhere for ethanol free but nothing, what's the alternative ? I even put an hour meter on My 3000 Honda for the oil changes
@@linwoodhardy8169 Excellent on the hour meter. These small gensets will run a long time with regular oil changes and an occasional spark plug; easy to forget the oil. One place you can always find pure gasoline is small airports. Aviation fuel is not allowed to be tainted with alcohol for reliability reasons. There are also still some gas stations that sell real gas, but as you know, they are few and hard to find. If you are forced to run ethanol mixes, it is a good idea to use a stabilizer; I use one by Amsoil in any ethanol gas I store (I keep a couple Jerry cans around for my cars). My brother has had good luck with some stuff called Star Tron. Officially, E10 has a one month shelf life, untreated. My rule is this: Anything fuel injected gets the ethanol junk; anything with a carb gets pure gas. Also, it depends on how often you run your genset. On shutdown always run the bowl dry if it is going to sit more than a couple days. I'm sure you know most of this. If there is an airstrip near you, give them a call and ask about buying some gas. :)
Awesome channel! Just FYI - I was able to run a PowerMax PM4 100A 12V 4 Stage Smart Battery Charger with a 2015 Yamaha EF2000i suitcase generator... barely. I was charging six Rolls 6V deep cycle batteries in a 12V bank with a total of 675 amp hours. If the 50ft shore power cable was in the sun, it would occasionally trip the overload breaker on the generator. I also tried a Honda 2000 several times, which seemed to handle the peak load better than the Yamaha. Apparently Honda programmed slightly more overload capability in their 2000 to suit RV camper air conditioner startup demands. I used the Yamaha generator about 30 times to charge the bank over the course of three years. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased an 80 amp charger, which in my experience would not trip the generator overload circuit.
As a delivery skipper i ran into an interesting solution of an owner - He had the Genny ( Italian make i believe) Mounted on the boarding platform , soundproofed? . permanently connected to the shore power outlet & it had a Wi-Fi set up , Its own separate fuel source so he could turn it on from down below , Worked well. He did have a another shore power plug so either iether .
Jeff......thanks for politely addressing the noise issue that emanates from generators whilst at anchor......IMHO I see no need for a generator in this day and age....too many other options, wind, solar, better battery capacity....
As a Honda mechanic I test the Hondas ALL THE TIME. I can pull 25 AMPS peak but I do not leave it there long (LOAD BANK) If fact ALL hondas can pull easy 8 amp over rated of 13.7 amp rating.
I run a Honda i2000 on a pro Mariner 40 battery charger, charging a 450 amp hour lead acid battery Bank with no problems at all. The charger stays in 14.6 volt bulk charge for 1 hour and then goes to float so I turn it off.
@markthornemarmaduke I have a similar set up (2,000W genset feeding directly into the shore power connector) driving a 40A Marine Pro smart charger. Works well.
You do state that you are talking about lead acid batteries and that in his specific application this is undercharging. I think it would be good to point out that LiFePO4 batteries are not subject to this minimum charge rate therefor regardless of the size of the battery bank, if you were using lithium batteries, you can charge with even a 1000W generator as I do.
I have flooded D8's in parallel on solar and on cloudy day on high usage my DLS-45 w 0:29 ith eq dongle will charge and top off with a little champion 2500 watt running on propane in 2hrs
Jeff, in the end you say it’s under charging the batteries? 60 amp charger and 720 amp hour batteries. Wouldn’t it just take longer? At one C a 72 amp charger would take one hour to charge those batteries with no load. So his 60 amp charger would just take more time to charge to full capacity? Assuming there was no load. Correct?
We used one of these Honda generators to power our electric boat with a dead battery bank during a slip change across town. We plugged it into the 120v charger. It drew about 900watts. It's a small engine.
I do not think you can do 240 volts. But 4000 watts could be done. It would be more than that. As the new Hondas are now rated 2200. Instead of 2000. I think you also need at least one of the Honda 2200 companion generators. To hook two together. Not two regular Honda 2200 generators.
I am a BC resident that has been sailing globally for the past 6 years, 23,000 Nm and I am going to say that I disagree with this video on a couple of points. We have 900A of gel batteries with a Victron Multiplus 3000W inverter and 1300W of solar on a 47' catamaran. We also carry aboard a Honda 2000i portable genset. When we have very cloudy weeks at anchor (e.g. Vanuatu in South Pacific) or when we crossed the Atlantic in 2016 which was very cloudy and squally), the genset absolutely kept our batteries up when we needed a charge...we also make water, charge portable devices and often do laundry if we run the Honda genset off the transom directly connected to our shore power inlet as mentioned. Our batteries turn 7 years old this year, so there has been no issues thus far related to chronic undercharging...but I will also chock that up to our solar capabilities and the installation of a hydro charger for multi-day passages. Sailing at night with all electronics running and refrigeration is our heaviest power draw.....With this charging combination, we rarely have used the genset the past couple of years in Sunny Australia and the dry season of SE Asia. I personally am also very cognizant of engines or gensets running in a quiet anchorage - I hate it personally, and while the Honda seems very loud on board (which I only run after 10am until max 5pm), it amazes me how quickly the sound dissipates away from the boat...often boats around us will not hear us - but in all fairness that is often in gentle trade wind conditions and not in peaceful windless Gulf Island anchorages stern tied to the shore...The Honda genset has been very reliable for us and easy to maintain. Fair winds!
Hi Sailing Catamarn Element, thanks for sharing your extensive experience with everyone. Solving problems differently and sharing this info is what makes the boating community so great. We all listen, weigh in options, and make a decision that works for us.
@@joaquing7003 We charge mostly with solar...1300W of panels and a 400W hydrocharger for multiday passages. We have found for the times when it has been cloudy for multiple days, it was simple and sufficient to put the Honda 2000W genset on deck with an adapter to plugin directly to our shore supply inlet and send power directly to our 3000W multiplus, just as if we were connected to shore power....has worked great when needed for 7 years...
So, I am dealing with this now "in theory" and am having trouble wrapping my head around it. So I have a boat with 30 amp shore power. I have a 2000 watt generator with continuous at 1600 watts. I have thought I could just use a normal plug from the generator to the 30 amp shore power port - occasionally to top things up. I have a xantrex rue charge 2 - 40 amps. so why wont this work? and why would solar (with 240 watts of solar) work and not this?
I'm going to make an assumption. If he has 3 240ah 12v house lead-acid batteries in parallel, he has 720ah at 12vdc. At C/20, his max charge is 36 amps. How is his Xantrex 40 amp charger "underpowered"? A Xantrex Trucharge TC4012 consumes 7.7 amps at 120vac, well within the ability of a honda EU2000i generator (13amp).
Hi Steve, perhaps we are using the numbers differently. To me, C20 is a measure of calculating battery capacity and a value/unit provided in amp-hours. The CAR (charge acceptance rate) is measured in amps and is about 0.1 or 10% of capacity. A 720 amp-hours lead acid bank can take easily take 72 amps and probably 100 amps during bulk charging. Does my explanation make sense, or did i miss something.
@@PacificYachtSystems c/20 is the charge discharge rate at which the battery capacity listed is measured. So a 100ah battery is rated at 100ah of charging or discharging at 5 amps. If you discharge at more than 5 amps, you get less capacity than 100ah. If you discharge at less than 5 amps, you get more than 100ah. Peukert. If you charge at higher than c/20, you decrease cycle life.
Thanks for all of your valuable input. I recently purchased a 2200 Generac with the intentions to use on my S2 8.0. Is it possible to run the generator inside the engine compartment with the exhaust vented out through the stern?
@@PacificYachtSystems I would go so far as to say no you must not for 3 reasons. Firstly its a petrol engine and the risks of petrol fumes are for me too high, others may differ but its certainly a very real risk. Secondly that generator was designed to work with lots of ventilation, but and engine space particularly if closed won't have that so its going to get hot real quick. Finally, if something goes wrong with that exhaust and its a dry exhaust, so also going to get hot, the fumes are lethal. There was an accident 4 years ago in the UK when a faulty exhaust leaked CO2 into the cabin. The wife and child died the father survived just. His occupation? heating engineer. Inconclusion then please don't. Stick it in the dinghy off the back of the boat or on the dock. Your fellow boat owners won't like it but you won't kill anyone. Some UK marines allow engine and generator charging each morning but must stop at 1200 o'clock for a bit of peace.
I use a eu2000i in my truck and frequently charge diesel truck batteries with 80 amps using a transformer based charger. Thats maxed out. 60 amp continuous is a good recommendation.
I have a cheap $350 800Watt genny powering a 600 watt 20A battery charger (Projector 21) and it works - doesnt trip the cb. I can see 20A charge rate through my battery monitor ($80 off ebay) . I am a sparky from Australia.
Holy crap! I have the European equivalent, Honda EU20i, 2000w. At 240v that would mean the generator is putting out peak 8.3A! I have 6 x 150Ah batteries wired in series/parallel to give me 300Ah/24 volts that are part of my PV system. I looks like I could not charge this battery bank sufficiently with my Honda generator. I want to use the generator to top off the batteries when the sun is not adequate to charge them fully. Maybe I must charge each battery individually, but I would not like to do that. It requires undoing cables and such, which I don't think is a good idea.
hey like your channel, beginning boater , at anchor, ( don’t have a generator ) but I have a power station Dewalt 1800 watts, can I use the 15 amps entry on my boat to supply the fridge and lignts ?
Well it depends, a small 2000 watt generator can probably power a 60 amp 12 volt charger, in turn your trolling motor could take up to 60 amps of power at 12 volt.
It would work for many. Jeff runs a marine electrical service so he would not install a system not matched, hes speaking from a safe business practise model.
TLDR - it will work fine but not perfectly We run a Honda 2200i Companion (1.8kW / 15A AC cont.) feeding a Magna-Sine MS-2000 charging at 100A bulk with no issues. Yes, you are correct that it "would get there", but this is undersized for both our battery bank and for OP's bank of 720 AH. Lifeline and Firefly specify minimum / recommended bulk charge rates of 0.2C / 0.4C. For a 720 AH bank this corresponds to 144A / 288A bulk charge current. For large banks this means stacked or paralleled chargers or combis. In our case, we could stack another (2x total) MS-2000 and run another (2x total) 2200i in parallel to convert 30A AC into 200A DC. Will this improve cell life? Probably a little bit. Is it worth it to us? No - the bulk charging phase is short enough that another 10-20 minutes at low SoC will not measurably impact plate sulfation. Yes the increased currents may allow for increased plate temperatures and therefore physically remove sulfate crystals, but for us the 10% - 20% increase in cycle life is not worth the increased capital and maintenance expenses of another charger and generator.
In other videos, haven't you stated that using a generator like this is pretty dangerous and you don't recommend it? If I'm not crazy and you actually said that, could you give us the long version of why this is? (Also, any chance of getting the hoodie in navy blue and/or a non-zippered version? I'd wear both! Cheers from Michigan!
My thoughts exactly. Just had this pop up, and I've been advising people not to use them due to the risks of electrocution. Frankly, if Jeff has been giving us a Bum Steer with Safety issues, I'm seriously passed off. This needs clarification at least and maybe an apology, given he's used the bloody things on his own boat as well. 😡
The Honda 2000i is rated at 1600 Watt max continuous. Let's say 90% continuous = 1,440 Watts, just to be safe. Then let's say that the battery charger is rated at 90% efficiency like my Mastervolt. So we put in 1,440 Watts and at 90% could put out .9 x 1440 watts = 1,296 watts. Let's say, worst case that the output voltage is 14.4Volts DC. This gives a current of 1296/14.4 =90 amps. Jeff, did I get this wrong? So you jump from 60 Amps that works to 150 Amps not OK. Absolutely correct, but what about an 80 or 90 Amp charger. Regarding noise, the 2200i is rated at 57db, full load. Normal conversation starts at 60db and goes to 70db. The increase from 57db to 60db doubles the sound power or energy levels. The 3db rule. So the Honda 2200i will have half the noise compared to a normal conversation. And yes sound carries over water, so the generator will be half the sound of neighbors talking at a normal volume. So while I am definitely not a proponent of generators in general, (built in diesel generators are often more noisey, ) I think you have made some blanket statements which should be explained better.
Hi Kachoolie, thanks for contributing, your correct the efficiency of the charger will definitely affect the size of the charging amperage. From I've seen and read, 80 amps seems to be about the upper limit of DC charging with a Honda 2000.
@@PacificYachtSystems so wich charger do you suggest on boats, i Need to charge six lead acid trojan batteries and i had a Black and Decker smart charger for years but now Is dead.
I’ve had a Honda on my boat for years. I use it when I make water during the day. Usually plug the rainman in directly but I can use the inverter as well in a pinch. I also charge my batteries with a 40 amp pro mariner pro nautic charger and run my 1500 watt hot water heater for our nightly showers. Works great but you can’t run anything else or it blows the circuit on the generator.
if you have a 2000 or 2200w honda you could get a bigger battery charger like 80a and cut down your gen running time to charge batteries. (but you wouldn't be able to run anything else at the same time)
Thought about that but since the solar pretty much keeps the batteries full by noon probably not worth the added expense for a few days when it’s cloudy. I should mention our boat winters in the Bahamas.
My sailboat came with a 40amp charger that is not wired directly into the boat’s AC system. the chargers AC input is basically a cord with a plug on the end that is plugged into an outlet on the boat, so when on shore power it’s plugged in that way, but I can just unplug it, plug that cord into my little Honda 1000 and run the charger directly that way. the 1000 will run the 40amp charger but nothing else anyway. This gives me the option of at least having another charging source besides the 120amp engine driven alternator. for AC needs I then just use an inverter. I like the Honda 1000 because it’s small and only weighs 28 lbs!! Battery bank currently 630 amp hour lead acid.
What about us guys that only have 1 starter battery and 1 house ? Can i charge the single house battery by running an inverter from the starting battery ? House battery only running lights and a fishfinder. Just a small 19ft fishing boat
Running a generator is is rude as hell and bans are coming to most marine parks. The real reason to consider why "it doesn't work" is that asshat behavior inevitably ends up with the consequence of more regulation, and that impacts all boaters including the responsible ones, and the entire activity is made more difficult.
huhmmm : Would You perhaps have the answer to my wondering if the Honda EU10i can "jump-start" à (diesel 2L) campercar that say won't start after 48 hours parking at say 0 degrees C. ? With a 220 volt device (I dont find any jet) or strait from the EU10i 12volt output (or is that merely just ok for slow charging, and no "jump-start") ? Hmmm lol, in case the question interests You too :-)
Engine starting is done from a DC source, i.e. a battery. You'll want to recharge your engine battery with a battery charger connected to your Honda Generator. Some generators have a small DC output that could be connected to an engine battery for a short period of time to help recharge the battery. Remember don't trust the DC generator output to not overcharge your battery. Resultingly use this feature with care.
@@PacificYachtSystems I'm looking at a EU2200i Honda owner's manual that contains an electrical schematic of the generator... the 12 volt output is rectified AC, not smoothed, not regulated, nothing. just rectified AC. In other words, you wouldn't want to hook it up to a battery except in an emergency to get the battery partly charged. You would want to avoid using it because it will over-charge your battery. It's not nice to feed such dirty electricity into a battery. I'm surprised a company that makes good stuff would provide such a poor quality 12 volt DC supply.
4:25 Undercharge? What do you mean? A small charger just takes longer to charge a big batterybank. BTW battery capacity is in Ah, not just A. So his batterybank is 720 Ah!!! The max chargerate for a battery might be in A, but not the capacity!
Jeff, in previous videos you came out against using portable gen set because of a ground issue. This video not only are you in favour of using portable gen set...what has changed to alter your opinion?
Hi Borys, the ground issue is real and this would be a showstopper for me. That said, many boaters still use those generators for plenty of good reasons. As much as possible, i always strive to leave multiple solutions to a problem and don't want to shut a door for everyone.
I was expecting you to talk about the grounding issue here. Maybe consider atleast directing people to your other video so they are aware of the issue.
You don't use a high current output battery charger to charge a battery. High current settings are for motor starting, not for battery charging. 4:17 / 5:30
This is funny....the manual I just read said it does 13.3 amps. It also says "specifacations subject to change with out notice",. I can just imagine all the people that buy generators (consumer goods) thinking that its just fine to run at the rated specs. There is only a very few engines of the world that are designed to run at a constant max spec. Most people dont know of duty cycle. Consumer products are rated for their max ouput, but the 25% rating is the actual max rating. Does anyone ever wonder why most equipments predominate fail is oil burning? Then some one runs the oil low but yet in the safe range on a hot summer day...kaputy... I say shoot for 25% load with a 50% load as for emergancy short term (duty cycle) use. But the manufactures dont want you to know that because then they dont sell new ones all the time. Look at the old Onan gensets, they are heavy duty, made to actually run at rated power all day long.. Just my opinion..
@@PacificYachtSystems Sharing is carrying, I think thats what you say. My point is about the small light wieght engines, they really are stressed to run at peak horsepower. Look at consumer push gas mower vs consumer department store pressure washer. Those engines on the pressure washers are constantly operating at near max HP, while push.gas lawnmowers don't see a near (WOT) wide open throttle condition their whole lives. The correct way to mow grass is to mow often to make sure the engine speed does not bog down. Keeping the blade sharp keeps the engine from bogging also,. Air cooled small engines need to work at something less then near or at WOT. If they do, then it's desirable to observe a duty cycle strategy. I'm seriously shopping for a dual fuel inverter generator to be used at or around 25;~35% duty to get longer service life. (26 foot sailboat electric driven) I realize some manufactures claim their small genset can run and start two 15k btu A/C units. In the field, a person might have two A/C unit's going all day, compressors never cycling for long periods. My sympathy to those little gensets being pushed like that.
Some generator manufacturers give run times at 25% load while others give run times at 50% load. Obviously, 25% load runs longer by a few hours - a selling point - not a restriction or limitation of the generator. They don't tell the fuel consumption rate per hour - it's something the consumer has to figure out (most can't). Most say not to run at more than 80% load for extended periods. What is an "extended period"? If you can afford one, a diesel genset is designed for l-o-n-g run times, in some cases days at a time.
I used my Honda 2000 companion (with twist lock receptacle) to recharge three Vmax 8D’s. The charger is a Go Power 75 amp smart charger and yes it does bulk charge as normal. A Honda 2200 may be able to do a 90 amp but that’s pushing it. Keep your cords heavy or really short. The 2000 would also power a 16000 btu Marine Air heat pump but the trick was to turn off the Eco mode first, then once the AC is running you can turn on the Eco mode and it’ll slow down a bit. Also turn the stat down so the AC doesn’t cycle off because the AC would have to sit (equalize) for 30 minutes before the generator has enough grunt to restart. Keep in mind EVERYTHING else is running on the inverter batteries at that point. It’s called energy management. Do buy some 10 year Carbon monoxide detectors and distribute them throughout the boat or RV. Yes, I’ve had one go off when the wind changed a few times and all I had to do is aim the generator exhaust elsewhere. In the near future I will be switching to lithium’s. I’ve built my own but for those that can’t, get Battle Born batteries and Powermax PM3 55 amp charger and follow instructions for lithium adjustment. Or this be the time to buy one of those intelligent inverter/chargers that do energy management and have provisions for lithium charging profiles.
Hi Karl, thanks for sharing your experience and also bringing up the importance of carbon monoxide detectors.
Excellent question AND comments......I'll keep checking back on this one.
Thanks David.
On Keuka lake, one of NYS's finger lakes, at night sitting at the camp fire, you can hear conversations from across the lake, 3/4 of a mile! You can't hear what they're saying, but you can hear them talking, and it's only at night with no wind. Just affirming your comment about sound on the water:) I had a transient neighbor on a new to him trawler. It had massive Caterpillar 2 stroke diesels and he'd run them during the day when I was working on my boat, it was choking me out so bad, unbelievable how nasty it was. Then he'd run his generator all night. What a newb!
I have that Honda. The way I have used it is to limit draw at the inverter/charger to about half the capacity, then when I need to run loads with the genset, I'm also charging batteries at a nice low rate and not taxing the genset by running it full out . Over time it will top off my battery bank. This method works well for me, since I use the genset to power large draw loads like a vacuum, and some modern inverter/chargers will actually ADD to the genset's output to power larger loads than either the inverter or the genset can cover alone. Charging at a lower amperage than the batteries can handle treats them gently, which is good, as long as you can fully charge the pack on a regular basis. This is what has worked for me, there are other ways to do it, obviously, depending on loads and habits, specs, etc. Keep the keel side down. :)
Hey Tao, thanks for sharing. BTW, lots of boaters out there use honda generators or similar to do exactly what you do and it works.
It's worth noting, rarely is there a perfect and only one way of solving a problem. We all tackle and solve problems for what works for our boat, our needs, and our budgets.
@@PacificYachtSystems The tiny gensets are a handy option for those of us that don't run a genset often enough to justify the outlay for a dedicated diesel. I have been happy with my little Honda; really just a backup, but I run it once a week to mitigate heavier loads and keep it from gumming up. Not to type a tome here, but running these small engines, check your oil every time you start it, change it every 50 hours (runtime meters are CHEAP insurance) and don't run ethanol gas without an additive. Mine has never seen ethanol, ever.
@@tao4409 Interesting I'v looked everywhere for ethanol free but nothing, what's the alternative ? I even put an hour meter on My 3000 Honda for the oil changes
@@linwoodhardy8169 Excellent on the hour meter. These small gensets will run a long time with regular oil changes and an occasional spark plug; easy to forget the oil. One place you can always find pure gasoline is small airports. Aviation fuel is not allowed to be tainted with alcohol for reliability reasons. There are also still some gas stations that sell real gas, but as you know, they are few and hard to find. If you are forced to run ethanol mixes, it is a good idea to use a stabilizer; I use one by Amsoil in any ethanol gas I store (I keep a couple Jerry cans around for my cars). My brother has had good luck with some stuff called Star Tron. Officially, E10 has a one month shelf life, untreated. My rule is this: Anything fuel injected gets the ethanol junk; anything with a carb gets pure gas. Also, it depends on how often you run your genset. On shutdown always run the bowl dry if it is going to sit more than a couple days. I'm sure you know most of this. If there is an airstrip near you, give them a call and ask about buying some gas. :)
Awesome channel! Just FYI - I was able to run a PowerMax PM4 100A 12V 4 Stage Smart Battery Charger with a 2015 Yamaha EF2000i suitcase generator... barely. I was charging six Rolls 6V deep cycle batteries in a 12V bank with a total of 675 amp hours. If the 50ft shore power cable was in the sun, it would occasionally trip the overload breaker on the generator. I also tried a Honda 2000 several times, which seemed to handle the peak load better than the Yamaha. Apparently Honda programmed slightly more overload capability in their 2000 to suit RV camper air conditioner startup demands. I used the Yamaha generator about 30 times to charge the bank over the course of three years. In hindsight, I wish I had purchased an 80 amp charger, which in my experience would not trip the generator overload circuit.
Thanks for sharing, 100 amps of charging power by a suitcase generator is great.
Took me 2hrs to find this answer 🎉🎉🎉🎉 thanks for posting
As a delivery skipper i ran into an interesting solution of an owner - He had the Genny ( Italian make i believe) Mounted on the boarding platform , soundproofed? . permanently connected to the shore power outlet & it had a Wi-Fi set up , Its own separate fuel source so he could turn it on from down below , Worked well. He did have a another shore power plug so either iether .
Thanks for sharing Bill, be interested to see pictures.
Jeff......thanks for politely addressing the noise issue that emanates from generators whilst at anchor......IMHO I see no need for a generator in this day and age....too many other options, wind, solar, better battery capacity....
Certainly more and more options for charging a battery bank.
Thats just more junk on your boat that will break.
As a Honda mechanic I test the Hondas ALL THE TIME. I can pull 25 AMPS peak but I do not leave it there long (LOAD BANK) If fact ALL hondas can pull easy 8 amp over rated of 13.7 amp rating.
Thanks Bob for the knowledgeable input.
I run a Honda i2000 on a pro Mariner 40 battery charger, charging a 450 amp hour lead acid battery Bank with no problems at all. The charger stays in 14.6 volt bulk charge for 1 hour and then goes to float so I turn it off.
Hi John, yep based on numerous feedback, 40 amps charger at 12 volts seems to be a reasonable load for the 2000 W generator.
Good to know.. what charger are you using?
@markthornemarmaduke I have a similar set up (2,000W genset feeding directly into the shore power connector) driving a 40A Marine Pro smart charger. Works well.
Thank You ...
You do state that you are talking about lead acid batteries and that in his specific application this is undercharging. I think it would be good to point out that LiFePO4 batteries are not subject to this minimum charge rate therefor regardless of the size of the battery bank, if you were using lithium batteries, you can charge with even a 1000W generator as I do.
Hi Tim K, thanks for sharing and pointing out the benefits of Lithium for charging.
I have flooded D8's in parallel on solar and on cloudy day on high usage my DLS-45 w 0:29 ith eq dongle will charge and top off with a little champion 2500 watt running on propane in 2hrs
Jeff, in the end you say it’s under charging the batteries? 60 amp charger and 720 amp hour batteries.
Wouldn’t it just take longer?
At one C a 72 amp charger would take one hour to charge those batteries with no load. So his 60 amp charger would just take more time to charge to full capacity? Assuming there was no load. Correct?
We used one of these Honda generators to power our electric boat with a dead battery bank during a slip change across town. We plugged it into the 120v charger. It drew about 900watts. It's a small engine.
16 batteries in a 48v configuration.
interesting.
There so much bull on the internet. Claiming this genny will only do 900 watts is one of them.
Great info thanks. Can you put 2 of the Honda 2000s togather in parallel or series to give 4000 watts or 240 volts?
I do not think you can do 240 volts. But 4000 watts could be done. It would be more than that. As the new Hondas are now rated 2200. Instead of 2000. I think you also need at least one of the Honda 2200 companion generators. To hook two together. Not two regular Honda 2200 generators.
I am a BC resident that has been sailing globally for the past 6 years, 23,000 Nm and I am going to say that I disagree with this video on a couple of points. We have 900A of gel batteries with a Victron Multiplus 3000W inverter and 1300W of solar on a 47' catamaran. We also carry aboard a Honda 2000i portable genset. When we have very cloudy weeks at anchor (e.g. Vanuatu in South Pacific) or when we crossed the Atlantic in 2016 which was very cloudy and squally), the genset absolutely kept our batteries up when we needed a charge...we also make water, charge portable devices and often do laundry if we run the Honda genset off the transom directly connected to our shore power inlet as mentioned. Our batteries turn 7 years old this year, so there has been no issues thus far related to chronic undercharging...but I will also chock that up to our solar capabilities and the installation of a hydro charger for multi-day passages. Sailing at night with all electronics running and refrigeration is our heaviest power draw.....With this charging combination, we rarely have used the genset the past couple of years in Sunny Australia and the dry season of SE Asia. I personally am also very cognizant of engines or gensets running in a quiet anchorage - I hate it personally, and while the Honda seems very loud on board (which I only run after 10am until max 5pm), it amazes me how quickly the sound dissipates away from the boat...often boats around us will not hear us - but in all fairness that is often in gentle trade wind conditions and not in peaceful windless Gulf Island anchorages stern tied to the shore...The Honda genset has been very reliable for us and easy to maintain. Fair winds!
Hi Sailing Catamarn Element, thanks for sharing your extensive experience with everyone. Solving problems differently and sharing this info is what makes the boating community so great. We all listen, weigh in options, and make a decision that works for us.
What kind of charging system would you recommend? From generator to battery
@@joaquing7003 We charge mostly with solar...1300W of panels and a 400W hydrocharger for multiday passages. We have found for the times when it has been cloudy for multiple days, it was simple and sufficient to put the Honda 2000W genset on deck with an adapter to plugin directly to our shore supply inlet and send power directly to our 3000W multiplus, just as if we were connected to shore power....has worked great when needed for 7 years...
So, I am dealing with this now "in theory" and am having trouble wrapping my head around it. So I have a boat with 30 amp shore power. I have a 2000 watt generator with continuous at 1600 watts. I have thought I could just use a normal plug from the generator to the 30 amp shore power port - occasionally to top things up. I have a xantrex rue charge 2 - 40 amps. so why wont this work? and why would solar (with 240 watts of solar) work and not this?
I'm going to make an assumption. If he has 3 240ah 12v house lead-acid batteries in parallel, he has 720ah at 12vdc. At C/20, his max charge is 36 amps. How is his Xantrex 40 amp charger "underpowered"? A Xantrex Trucharge TC4012 consumes 7.7 amps at 120vac, well within the ability of a honda EU2000i generator (13amp).
Hi Steve, perhaps we are using the numbers differently. To me, C20 is a measure of calculating battery capacity and a value/unit provided in amp-hours. The CAR (charge acceptance rate) is measured in amps and is about 0.1 or 10% of capacity. A 720 amp-hours lead acid bank can take easily take 72 amps and probably 100 amps during bulk charging. Does my explanation make sense, or did i miss something.
@@PacificYachtSystems c/20 is the charge discharge rate at which the battery capacity listed is measured. So a 100ah battery is rated at 100ah of charging or discharging at 5 amps. If you discharge at more than 5 amps, you get less capacity than 100ah. If you discharge at less than 5 amps, you get more than 100ah. Peukert. If you charge at higher than c/20, you decrease cycle life.
2000 watt generator plugged into shore power. 40 amp xantrex. 3x 105 AH AGM. will that work?
Thanks for all of your valuable input. I recently purchased a 2200 Generac with the intentions to use on my S2 8.0. Is it possible to run the generator inside the engine compartment with the exhaust vented out through the stern?
Hmmm, don't think so. Anyone can comment?
@@PacificYachtSystems I would go so far as to say no you must not for 3 reasons. Firstly its a petrol engine and the risks of petrol fumes are for me too high, others may differ but its certainly a very real risk. Secondly that generator was designed to work with lots of ventilation, but and engine space particularly if closed won't have that so its going to get hot real quick. Finally, if something goes wrong with that exhaust and its a dry exhaust, so also going to get hot, the fumes are lethal. There was an accident 4 years ago in the UK when a faulty exhaust leaked CO2 into the cabin. The wife and child died the father survived just. His occupation? heating engineer. Inconclusion then please don't. Stick it in the dinghy off the back of the boat or on the dock. Your fellow boat owners won't like it but you won't kill anyone. Some UK marines allow engine and generator charging each morning but must stop at 1200 o'clock for a bit of peace.
I use a eu2000i in my truck and frequently charge diesel truck batteries with 80 amps using a transformer based charger. Thats maxed out. 60 amp continuous is a good recommendation.
I have a cheap $350 800Watt genny powering a 600 watt 20A battery charger (Projector 21) and it works - doesnt trip the cb. I can see 20A charge rate through my battery monitor ($80 off ebay) .
I am a sparky from Australia.
Thanks for sharing Mitcha4163
Is it safe to use a portable generator? I would think not having a ground for the AC output would be a risk.
Holy crap! I have the European equivalent, Honda EU20i, 2000w. At 240v that would mean the generator is putting out peak 8.3A! I have 6 x 150Ah batteries wired in series/parallel to give me 300Ah/24 volts that are part of my PV system. I looks like I could not charge this battery bank sufficiently with my Honda generator. I want to use the generator to top off the batteries when the sun is not adequate to charge them fully. Maybe I must charge each battery individually, but I would not like to do that. It requires undoing cables and such, which I don't think is a good idea.
What size amp extension cord does one need from standard 110v electrical system to either a 20amp charger or to a 40amp charger? Thanks
a standard 14awg cord would be fine. a 40a 12v dc charger is only going to pull around 5-6a at 120v ac.
I use a short 12 gage for the 0:29 DLS 45...prolly about 600 watts
hey like your channel, beginning boater , at anchor, ( don’t have a generator ) but I have a power station Dewalt 1800 watts, can I use the 15 amps entry on my boat to supply the fridge and lignts ?
Hmmm, you should, but the real question, is for how long? Really depends how much you ask from your power station.
Is it possible to run a trolling motor with a small generator? Or a simple solution to give me more running time with the trolling motor.
Well it depends, a small 2000 watt generator can probably power a 60 amp 12 volt charger, in turn your trolling motor could take up to 60 amps of power at 12 volt.
Explain why it “ would not work”. That you kinda threw in right at the end. IMO. It may take longer to charge the bank. But would get there.
It would work for many. Jeff runs a marine electrical service so he would not install a system not matched, hes speaking from a safe business practise model.
Jeff wants to sell you a charger, not a Honda generator.
TLDR - it will work fine but not perfectly
We run a Honda 2200i Companion (1.8kW / 15A AC cont.) feeding a Magna-Sine MS-2000 charging at 100A bulk with no issues. Yes, you are correct that it "would get there", but this is undersized for both our battery bank and for OP's bank of 720 AH. Lifeline and Firefly specify minimum / recommended bulk charge rates of 0.2C / 0.4C. For a 720 AH bank this corresponds to 144A / 288A bulk charge current. For large banks this means stacked or paralleled chargers or combis. In our case, we could stack another (2x total) MS-2000 and run another (2x total) 2200i in parallel to convert 30A AC into 200A DC. Will this improve cell life? Probably a little bit. Is it worth it to us? No - the bulk charging phase is short enough that another 10-20 minutes at low SoC will not measurably impact plate sulfation. Yes the increased currents may allow for increased plate temperatures and therefore physically remove sulfate crystals, but for us the 10% - 20% increase in cycle life is not worth the increased capital and maintenance expenses of another charger and generator.
In other videos, haven't you stated that using a generator like this is pretty dangerous and you don't recommend it? If I'm not crazy and you actually said that, could you give us the long version of why this is? (Also, any chance of getting the hoodie in navy blue and/or a non-zippered version? I'd wear both! Cheers from Michigan!
Jeff sells batteries and chargers. Does not want you buying a Honda generator.
My thoughts exactly. Just had this pop up, and I've been advising people not to use them due to the risks of electrocution. Frankly, if Jeff has been giving us a Bum Steer with Safety issues, I'm seriously passed off. This needs clarification at least and maybe an apology, given he's used the bloody things on his own boat as well. 😡
The Honda 2000i is rated at 1600 Watt max continuous. Let's say 90% continuous = 1,440 Watts, just to be safe. Then let's say that the battery charger is rated at 90% efficiency like my Mastervolt. So we put in 1,440 Watts and at 90% could put out .9 x 1440 watts = 1,296 watts. Let's say, worst case that the output voltage is 14.4Volts DC. This gives a current of 1296/14.4 =90 amps. Jeff, did I get this wrong? So you jump from 60 Amps that works to 150 Amps not OK. Absolutely correct, but what about an 80 or 90 Amp charger.
Regarding noise, the 2200i is rated at 57db, full load. Normal conversation starts at 60db and goes to 70db. The increase from 57db to 60db doubles the sound power or energy levels. The 3db rule. So the Honda 2200i will have half the noise compared to a normal conversation. And yes sound carries over water, so the generator will be half the sound of neighbors talking at a normal volume. So while I am definitely not a proponent of generators in general, (built in diesel generators are often more noisey, ) I think you have made some blanket statements which should be explained better.
Hi Kachoolie, thanks for contributing, your correct the efficiency of the charger will definitely affect the size of the charging amperage. From I've seen and read, 80 amps seems to be about the upper limit of DC charging with a Honda 2000.
@@PacificYachtSystems so wich charger do you suggest on boats, i Need to charge six lead acid trojan batteries and i had a Black and Decker smart charger for years but now Is dead.
I’ve had a Honda on my boat for years. I use it when I make water during the day. Usually plug the rainman in directly but I can use the inverter as well in a pinch. I also charge my batteries with a 40 amp pro mariner pro nautic charger and run my 1500 watt hot water heater for our nightly showers. Works great but you can’t run anything else or it blows the circuit on the generator.
if you have a 2000 or 2200w honda you could get a bigger battery charger like 80a and cut down your gen running time to charge batteries. (but you wouldn't be able to run anything else at the same time)
Thought about that but since the solar pretty much keeps the batteries full by noon probably not worth the added expense for a few days when it’s cloudy. I should mention our boat winters in the Bahamas.
My sailboat came with a 40amp charger that is not wired directly into the boat’s AC system. the chargers AC input is basically a cord with a plug on the end that is plugged into an outlet on the boat, so when on shore power it’s plugged in that way, but I can just unplug it, plug that cord into my little Honda 1000 and run the charger directly that way. the 1000 will run the 40amp charger but nothing else anyway. This gives me the option of at least having another charging source besides the 120amp engine driven alternator. for AC needs I then just use an inverter. I like the Honda 1000 because it’s small and only weighs 28 lbs!!
Battery bank currently 630 amp hour lead acid.
Hi John, thanks for sharing.
Question! The neutral on a portable generator to charge batteries and to run the a/c on a boat should be bounded or floating?
When I plug mine in to the shore power plug I get a reverse polarity alert from my panel
Yep, that's a common problem with the suitcase generators.
Buy the Honda generator with the 30A outlet socket.
Dear all, anyone have idea how to solve reverse polarity situation, or to run it as it is?
@@seregachief2251 Buy the 30A version
You mist the opportunity to highlight that you can synchronised them if you have two units 😉
Good one, thanks for sharing.
Anyone hear me, I'm shouting from the shore in Norway
What about us guys that only have 1 starter battery and 1 house ? Can i charge the single house battery by running an inverter from the starting battery ? House battery only running lights and a fishfinder. Just a small 19ft fishing boat
Hi Andy, see the other post, replied to your question.
Ty sir
Glad to help.
Running a generator is is rude as hell and bans are coming to most marine parks. The real reason to consider why "it doesn't work" is that asshat behavior inevitably ends up with the consequence of more regulation, and that impacts all boaters including the responsible ones, and the entire activity is made more difficult.
Thanks for sharing StarPath.
huhmmm : Would You perhaps have the answer to my wondering if the Honda EU10i can "jump-start" à (diesel 2L) campercar that say won't start after 48 hours parking at say 0 degrees C. ? With a 220 volt device (I dont find any jet) or strait from the EU10i 12volt output (or is that merely just ok for slow charging, and no "jump-start") ?
Hmmm lol, in case the question interests You too :-)
Engine starting is done from a DC source, i.e. a battery. You'll want to recharge your engine battery with a battery charger connected to your Honda Generator. Some generators have a small DC output that could be connected to an engine battery for a short period of time to help recharge the battery. Remember don't trust the DC generator output to not overcharge your battery. Resultingly use this feature with care.
@@PacificYachtSystems I'm looking at a EU2200i Honda owner's manual that contains an electrical schematic of the generator... the 12 volt output is rectified AC, not smoothed, not regulated, nothing. just rectified AC. In other words, you wouldn't want to hook it up to a battery except in an emergency to get the battery partly charged. You would want to avoid using it because it will over-charge your battery. It's not nice to feed such dirty electricity into a battery. I'm surprised a company that makes good stuff would provide such a poor quality 12 volt DC supply.
Those Honda 2k generators are very quite................., until you start them up
Good one, so did I. Originally, i was like, wow, 50 - 60 decibels that's so quiet. Until i ran the unit on my boat.
4:25 Undercharge? What do you mean? A small charger just takes longer to charge a big batterybank.
BTW battery capacity is in Ah, not just A. So his batterybank is 720 Ah!!!
The max chargerate for a battery might be in A, but not the capacity!
Jeff, in previous videos you came out against using portable gen set because of a ground issue. This video not only are you in favour of using portable gen set...what has changed to alter your opinion?
Hi Borys, the ground issue is real and this would be a showstopper for me. That said, many boaters still use those generators for plenty of good reasons.
As much as possible, i always strive to leave multiple solutions to a problem and don't want to shut a door for everyone.
I was expecting you to talk about the grounding issue here. Maybe consider atleast directing people to your other video so they are aware of the issue.
You don't use a high current output battery charger to charge a battery. High current settings are for motor starting, not for battery charging. 4:17 / 5:30
This is funny....the manual I just read said it does 13.3 amps. It also says "specifacations subject to change with out notice",. I can just imagine all the people that buy generators (consumer goods) thinking that its just fine to run at the rated specs. There is only a very few engines of the world that are designed to run at a constant max spec. Most people dont know of duty cycle. Consumer products are rated for their max ouput, but the 25% rating is the actual max rating. Does anyone ever wonder why most equipments predominate fail is oil burning? Then some one runs the oil low but yet in the safe range on a hot summer day...kaputy...
I say shoot for 25% load with a 50% load as for emergancy short term (duty cycle) use. But the manufactures dont want you to know that because then they dont sell new ones all the time.
Look at the old Onan gensets, they are heavy duty, made to actually run at rated power all day long..
Just my opinion..
Thanks S J for sharing, really appreciate it!
@@PacificYachtSystems Sharing is carrying, I think thats what you say. My point is about the small light wieght engines, they really are stressed to run at peak horsepower. Look at consumer push gas mower vs consumer department store pressure washer. Those engines on the pressure washers are constantly operating at near max HP, while push.gas lawnmowers don't see a near (WOT) wide open throttle condition their whole lives. The correct way to mow grass is to mow often to make sure the engine speed does not bog down. Keeping the blade sharp keeps the engine from bogging also,. Air cooled small engines need to work at something less then near or at WOT. If they do, then it's desirable to observe a duty cycle strategy. I'm seriously shopping for a dual fuel inverter generator to be used at or around 25;~35% duty to get longer service life. (26 foot sailboat electric driven) I realize some manufactures claim their small genset can run and start two 15k btu A/C units. In the field, a person might have two A/C unit's going all day, compressors never cycling for long periods. My sympathy to those little gensets being pushed like that.
Some generator manufacturers give run times at 25% load while others give run times at 50% load. Obviously, 25% load runs longer by a few hours - a selling point - not a restriction or limitation of the generator. They don't tell the fuel consumption rate per hour - it's something the consumer has to figure out (most can't). Most say not to run at more than 80% load for extended periods. What is an "extended period"? If you can afford one, a diesel genset is designed for l-o-n-g run times, in some cases days at a time.
💯
Thanks Javier.
ABYC does not endorse using these portable gasoline generators.
Thanks for sharing Blue Skies.
But just about every cruiser and houseboat has one. The onboard generators are thirsty.
ABYC = OSHA Of The Ocean. Nobody cares.....
Might be better then to get a 150 amp alternator and run the engine to charge up the batteries.
Many of us are doing exactly that, high output alternators with external regulators.
Where would the fanbelt to drive the alternator attach on my 18hp outboard? ;-)
@@JimDory Of the prop of course . Brilliant 😀
burn mine with a 40 amps,charger,,
What do you mean "burn mine"?
Ted Cruz doesn’t know crap about boats.
Are you implying the my beard is not fuller then Ted Cruz... LOL.
Do a side to side comparison. Gotta me laughing this morning... thanks.