Can I Use a Suitcase Generator to Go Fishing Overnight?

Alan sent us an email, "Jeff, I would like to go fishing overnight. I have live bait wells, radar, a 1,000 to 2,000W pure sine wave inverter, charger and transfer switch along with two start batteries and 2 house batteries, Group 27 or 31. I also have a microwave and a coffee maker so I often drain the batteries. Would a small Honda generator charge my batteries so I don't have to start the engines?"
Jeff answers Alan's question but also talks about his NUMBER ONE favourite products. PYS has installed thousands of them............
Read our Boating Tech Talk question, "s it Safe to Use a Honda Generator on the Dock to Charge my Batteries?", www.pysystems....
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[@BigPhatTuna]

Thank you for answering my question. You are a true gentleman.... Alan. Boat will be delivered 7/7/21. Battery info is on an app on phone... installer recommendation.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Glad to help.

[@warren6172]

Great topic. My buddy got a bad “Rebuilt” alternator. We got stuck 100 miles offshore. The 2kw generator plugged into shore power got us in 👍

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks for sharing

[@cooletti]

As a marine survey or here in the Pittsburgh area I often see people putting Honda generator’s on the swim platform on the back of the boat and my concern and how I understand it is that because of the shared neutral and ground on the generator, this could become a safety issue on the boat if there was a fault that developed in say the toaster or microwave while you were on the generator power. There would be no actual good ground for safety because of how the generator is wired. Maybe you can expand on that and let us all know if I am Correct. Thank you

[@billb48843]

Jeff is probably better - but my Honda EU2000i has "No Ground". It's there but is a floating ground that is not bonded to the neutral. I have "surge arrestors" and it trips on error because it doesn't see a ground there so I have a special plug (connects the ground and neutral) that I use to trick the safety. I also have this plug wrapped in green phasing tape (over green spray paint) and it has a green internal LED to show that it's powered.

[@ianmac86]

Thanks Jeff. Great video as always. Stay safe.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks 👍

[@mikenelson1387]

Wish I new some funny French language. Thank you Jeff for the great advice.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks Mike!

[@willinghamoutdoorservices8907]

We use a converter in similar situation to keep batteries charged.

[@willinghamoutdoorservices8907]

Might I add, this system is not in any way connected to starting battery, just house batteries.

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Thanks for contributing Willingham Outdoor Services!

[@javierbetancourt9388]

💯 as always

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Javier, thanks for tuning in, as always.

[@josephcarpio8313]

Some inverter have a power share mode that will drop AC draw

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Yep, good point, we've used those inverter/chargers before, Victron and Magnum have those models.

[@royblackburn1163]

Won't the noise and vibration scare the fish away ?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

Perhaps.

[@diogobz268]

Shouldn't 100 amps on 12 volts draw 1200W + losses? Say 1500W in total when bulk charging?
Why can't you run a 100A 12V charger from a 2kW generator?

[@PacificYachtSystems]

100 amp chargers run at about 17 - 18 amp at 120 VAC.