How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I'm looking at generators, I will be charging 1 10s pack at a time, so can I get away with the 800-1000 watt size generator ?

Thanks
Randy

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

The short answer is yes.
The cellpro 10SX is rated at 250 watts with a 12 volt input so you still could use two chargers if you wish. If you go with an inverter generator they start to get a bit heavy and bulky in the larger sizes. The 1000 watt size is a nice fit if it needs to be portable. I notice Costco has a Duracell 1000 watt inverter generator on sale for $200 and weighs 28 pounds which is much cheaper than the Honda. I don't know if it's any good but the Costco policy on returns always allows you to return it.

John

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Thanks, the California carb. model is out of stock, never to return.

Good info. on the capability of two chargers being used at the same time...that's the info. I was looking for.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Randy, be careful of 2 stroke generators as they may not have the frequency stability required for our power supply/charger set up. I'd make sure someone would verify that the generator you select will work with your power supply and charger.

Jim O

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Randy.
I don't have a generator. All batteries are charged at home before I leave home.
Are you still need it?

Tak

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Hi Tak

I like to get to the field on Friday before a contest and get in a few practice flights. I will have 4 sets of batteries so I'll need to charge. I bought the generator from Costco, I'll find out if it will work for me, if not, I'll return it and get one with a four stroke engine.

Randy

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Here's one with 2000 watts, 4 stroke motor, and it's cheap. It's not a Honda, but it's a lot less money.
I bought one a couple years ago and it runs 2 CellPro 10S chargers with no problems so far.

http://www.homedepot.com/Outdoors-Ou...atalogId=10053

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Thanks, it seems the best generator for our needs is an inverter gererator, and besides, that one can't be sold in California.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Jim, doesn't the inverter take care of the frequency stability problem? Isn't that why we only use inverter-generators setups? What am I missing?

John

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Inverter gensets use square wave so in essence its the cleanest power available. It will even run computers and monitors with no issues

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Apparently the Duracell has trouble running a WFCO converter. Seems to be a load factor and  variable load issue.  Since this WFCO converter  appears to be nothing more than a DC power supply for RVs, it seems unlikely that this generator will work well with our power supplies.

John

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

well, crap

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

You can find the Honda generators for $600.

I don't have much extra cash, but in my life long interest in working on machines and equipment, and my recent interest in pattern flying, the reliability and QUIETNESS of the Honda generators is well worth the money. I will hold out until I can afford the Honda, until then, have enough packs and resources to get me through a flying day.

Put one behind a van, you can hardly even tell it's running. Other generators are loud, draw attention, and stop working properly after a year or two.

1000W Honda is enough to charge a pair of 10S packs, is light and portable. Some guys have the 2000W at contests and can charge their packs plus their neighbors.

I haven't had much of a need to charge more than 2 sets of 10S packs and maybe a set of Rx batteries at the same time; 1000W should handle it.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

10s pro charger can use a 12v DC source directly. So why need an inverter solution?

I saw people run 10s chargers with car batteries.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I bought a Honeywell 1000W Generator at COSTCO a year ago and paid less than $300. They are much less expensive than the Honda's and run very well. However they are a little heavier...32# instead of 28# and a bit louder but still fairly quiet.

I can't find the 1000W version but they seen to have a new line including 800W and 1600W models that are lighter than the original versions. I think they are better value than the Hondas. See this link below.


http://www.honeywellstore.com/store/...generators.htm


Colin.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

A good deep cycle marine battery will give you 5+ charges of 10S-5000 packs and is an option for under $100 at most stores. Get the larger group 29HM battery. Problem is the weight and you need a charger to charge the deep cycle at home after flying.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Currently I use a deep cycle and I charge it with my power supply...

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Wire the battery into your charge circut on your vehicle , so when the battery charge is low just start up the truck for 15 min. and your good to go, most all cars and trucks now have at least a 60 amp alternator and I know my truck has 120 amp.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Following this advice will ruin your battery for you...Lead Acid batteries do not last long when deeply discharged... Do you really think you can recharge a big battery in 15 minutes? If you are going to use a Lead or gel battery as a power supply, you need to properly re-charge the battery with a battery charger before flying each day. It can be done, but not by hooking to the auto's 12volt system for brief periods of time.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

F16man 15 minutes at idle will not charge your battery.

most all car/truck alternators do not produce rated power till above 3000 or so car rpm.

you can buy some aftermarket alternators from monster power but they are about 400 dollars and up but they are designed to generate 80-90% rated power at idle-1100 rpm.

Harbor frieght has a small 800 watt generator for 130 dollars. plug it into a 30-40 dollar car battery charger and then hook that up to your deep cycle battery and have a great field charging set up for around 200-250 dollars.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

The Honda's are more expensive I won't deny that. I got one to charge 5S packs at 10C via an IOTA 25amp power supply, and I haven't looked back. They do a great job supplying clean power, quiet, lots of run time on a gallon, easy to start, easy to maintain, and best of all.. they hold their resale value! And it can be used for a lot more than just charging RC batteries. If you can find a good one, you won't be disappointed.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

On the contrary, 2 stroke generators have exceptional governor controlled output (60 hz).Tthey generally have a carburetor with a float and bowl and a mechanical governor controlling the throttle, and the 2 strokes accelerate very fast and stable when more load is added.

The biggest problem with two stroke generators I have seen is many of them say they are to be used with 50:1 or 60:1 two stroke mix. IMHO this is not a suitable mix for a 2 stroke engine that runs under constant heavy load (generator).

Here is some inside information, the little Harbor Freight 800 watt 2 stroke gererator is a pretty descent little generator for the money, quite a few of them come back, IMO mostly due to the 50:1 recommended mix ratio, if you only use it lightly it will be fine, but put the full 800 watts on it, and even the very best of 2 stroke oils is a questionable mix at 50:1, up the mix to 32:1 and it will generally run for a long long time at full load (yes this is from personal experience).

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

A couple of our members use the Honda generators. I've walked past and didn't realize they were running til someone pointed it out. Very, very quiet, and they hold up.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I used one of the cheap 2 stroke generators, it hat 1000 Watts and worked ok. But I would never run a computer or expensive charger to this.
Even if it puts a out a real nice sinus wave (which it doesn't) then you are still dealing with power spikes when the load changes.
The carb got gummed up fast, was hard to start and the engine seized after a year of no use.  Used good quality 2 stroke oil, 1:25.
My opinion - get a good size car or truck battery, charge it at home and you'll have enough power to fly all day. Yes, it's heavy and bulky, but so is the generator.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

You need a big one ... a really big one! About the size of a refrigerator.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

How is it that an actual wound generator dosen't put out a true sine wave? wound improperly or something?

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

2nd the use of a Harbor Freight 800W generator, Used one all weekend at a contest and it did just fine. No issues with my power supply or charger. In my opinion after using that and a deep cycle battery I would choose the generator every time. They were on sale for 89. recently too.

maustin

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I was considering this one:

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...25&R=100660525

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

An alternative approach would be getting 6 packs of battery and charge them at home.

Some advantages of this approach:

1. less usage on each pack
2. have quality number of flights at the field
3. have enough number of packs to go in a day in a contest
4. one less piece of equipment (the generator) to maintain and to carry to the field

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=74036

if you own a scope, you can find out yourself when running under different loads....you'd be surprised how your wave will look.
Some electronics are 'forgiving' and handle these impuritys, some don't.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Ditto,
Found out the hard way. Lost a laptop and a printer power supply. I will not trust expensive electronics to these generators ever again. It worked fine for a month, then BAM. Of course it happened at the worst possible time.

Live and Learn...

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I have a Kipor 2000 and we have easily run 4 guys charging 1 set of batteries at a time on it. I would say a 1000 would be plenty for you. Look into the Kipor brand. You will not be sorry. Same as Honda.. Great generator..

Chris

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

4 battery packs does me fine - can make the 4 flights on a saturday (charge a pack or two off the truck if I want practice or late flying) and recharge in the hotel room. I have a 5th set - really only use all 5 sets for a full day of practice. Used to fly 10-12 flights when I started the hobby a few years ago, but now 4-5 good practice flights is about all I'm good for. Now have a foamy and another small plane for flying around later or between practice flights.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

A slight different question.

On rare occasion, the batteries are charged but I can not go to the field for whatever reasons. These full-charged packs should be discharged to around 50% for longevity. How do you discharge these packs? I was not able to find a means to do so nicely.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Some of the chargers out there have a discharge feature which works very well. Not all have them, but many do.

Arch

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

My chargers (iCharger1010) have a storage (discharge) feature - it's incredibly slow, maybe 5-8hrs, to discharge a full pack to storage.

However, they do have 'regenerative discharge' - if hooked up to a battery instead of a power supply, they will discharge faster. Haven't tried it yet though, but plan on buying a small 12V tractor battery for discharging purposes to see.

Storage is about 3.8v/cell.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Yes I own an oscilliscope, I checked my 220V backup generator when I bought it a few years ago, the sine wave is quite good. I live in a neighborhood that has old utility systems in it, power outages are frequent, I am comfortable running any electronics I own off of it, (I plug it right into the main box when the need arises via a transfer switch). My little generator, (HF 800w) I haven't checked the wave but it is rock solid at 60HZ, about all I use it for is running a 25 amp DC power supply and some outdoor work lighting sometimes.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I've got one of those that I carry with me to boat races (yeah, I'm one of those guys) and have used it at home during the many power outages that I have here. It's enough to power up my fidge without breaking into a sweat but also when I'm mobile I keep a deep-cycle battery and 2 power inverters in the trailer.
His main problem seems ot be that he lives in California which doesn't like most of anything 2-stroke powered. It seems like Harbor Freight does have one though that is 50-state legal. It's the best $90.00 that I've spent when you can catch them on sale for that price. Easy starting and fairly quiet. Under normal load a tank of gas will last over 4 hours.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

I have the Sportsman generator listed earlier (got mine at Tractor Supply for $150 on sale) and have no problems with it. It is fairly quiet, but not as quiet as a Honda inverter model. I use it to run my 12V 20A power supply for field charging, as well as for my camper when I don't need to run the air conditioner. It also has a 10A 12V output (for charging a 12v battery ONLY) that can be used to keep a deep cycle battery topped off. Don't try using this output to power your lipo charger, though, as it is unfiltered DC.

[link]http://www.tractorsupply.com/sportsman-trade-2000-watt-portable-gasoline-generator-4458506[/link]

You can't charge a deep cycle battery in 15min from you car alternator, or any other charge source for that matter. Not going to happen. It has to do with how fast the battery can accept a charge. At the very minimum it will take 4 hours to go from about 50% charge to 85% charge. (AGM batteries can charge faster than the common flooded wet-cell batteries). The last 15% charge may take 12-24 hours to accomplish. When I camp, I try to keep my 12v house battery between 50% and 80% charge. Going below 50% charge shortens the battery life.

I don't recommend using the car alternator to charge a depleted battery. Don't ask me how I know. [:o] I know it sounds stupid, but the instructions that come with some (most?) alternators say they are not designed to charge a fully depleted battery. There are special alternators made for things like ambulance duty, but they are not common and are more expensive.

[link]http://econtent.autozone.com:24999/znetcs/psb/en_US/2/00/86/546-3tb.pdf[/link]

As to why non-inverter generators have noisy outputs, it has to do with how the voltage regulation is done. Some generators use a capacitor circuit to regulate voltage, others use an electronic AVR to do it. Both will have some distortion, but the electronic regulators generally have a cleaner waveform. I won't hesitate to use my Champion generator with my camper or to run anything. Most electronic power supplies are designed to handle distortion and transient surges (to a certain degree) without damage. The most likely way that a generator will damage electronics is if the generator's regulation circuit fails and drives the output high. The normal waveform distortion should not damage anything.

I have a WFCO converter in my camper, and I tried using one of the small inverter generators (ETQ) to run it. Did not work. The capacitor filter on the input drew too much current (inrush) when first connecting that it always tripped the output of the generator. I could use the ETQ to run my 12v 20A DC supply for my field chargers, but sometimes that would trip it as well. Once connected and running, it never tripped, it only ever tripped when first turning on the converter. I've never had that problem with my non-inverter generators. Other brand inverter generators may or may not have this problem.

Hope this helps.

Bob R.

RE: How big of a generator do I need ?
 

Like I said, I'm a big fan of the Hondas.

If I were wanting a less expensive model, the reviews for the Champion generators are very good:
http://www.amazon.com/Champion-Equip...3982870&sr=8-9
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...mpion+generato