Guest Mrs J Johnson Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 CAn anyone tell me what the difference is between portable generators advertised in mmm for £200 and around £500. I do not want to make an expensive mistake or buy cheap rubbish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 The question begs the answer £300. But you generally get what you pay for. Have you really asked yourself why you want a portable generator? We carried a nice one around for 5 years and only used it once (to prove we had it) So sold it and got a big solar panel. If you are sure then HONDA are quality and probably the quietest per watt. Yamaha have some new units that generate DC internally then convert this to AC using an electronic inverter. Think hard and look long before you part with any money. I am one of those people who "tut" when some inconsiderate person starts a generator up within 100 yards of me. I don,t think I am alone. Do you want to be tutted at? Summer is comming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest phil Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 buy one from Mackro £50 + vat. we used ours at the York show last year and it was as quiet as far more expensive one's.used with consideration no one tuts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 What wattage output is the one from Mackro? If you want to run a microwave (the main reason I can think of for wanting one) you ned an absolute minimum of 1500 Watts. As for noise, I think this is probably a matter of using it at sensible times, e.g. check before 6pm to see if your leisure battery is going to need charging. Beyond that, I think a generator is mainly useful if you plan to wild-camp. If you're on a site it's cheaper and easier to use the hookup. But if you're going to spend every night on a site, it would be cheaper and more comfortable to get a trailer caravan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RonB Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 They don't just tut! I witnessed a set-to at Disneyland last year when a gentleman couldn't stand the noise from his own generator on the car park late at night and kindly moved it so far from his van that it finished up nearer his neighours. Said generator suddenly turned into a football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Oh dear, Tut Tut! Any photo's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 A Further thought. For those occasions when a bit of meaty AC is required, microwave oven as cited, then why doesn,t someone offer an alternator that can be driven off the fan belt of the main engine. It would not be a problem running the engine for 15 minutes or so on those occasions when the microwave is required? OR Just get a stonking 2 KW inverter. Run it off the starter battery AFTER starting the engine and run the engine for at least twice as long as you use the microwave? BUT As we are supposed to be relaxing in holiday mood take your time and use a conventional gas fired oven. This is where we eventually got to with our own thought process. So I get shunted outside to cook on the griddle!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bob Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 bought a 2kw honda gen runs on propane great for those cheap no electric CL's and on beach parking. A 800watt microwave pulls about 1200w and you need a gen with a pure sine wave and it also runs computer and delicate electronic equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest phil Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 mackro generator is 850 watts. used only for lights and telivision.we often use a site up in the lake district with no hook ups. we always talk to nearby vans and campers b4 we start generator to agree times.Being polite has always worked for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest David Powell Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 You are not alone Clive...To add to the infernal noise...if one is up wind of us, the exhaust fumes get up our LPG vents and sets off our Gas alarm, the combined racket is like nothing on earth, and I don't mean Heavenly. Oh for the beautiful, relaxing, peacefulness of a generator free countryside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest petej Posted January 30, 2005 Share Posted January 30, 2005 Generators, tutt, tutt, the scourge of the earth. Why not spend a few quid on an extra battery in tandem to give you loads of 12v power, its surprising how long leisure batteries last, and its far cheaper than gennies or solar panels. Unless of course you must have microwaves and colour tv's etc etc.... Anyone who needs a generator to go m/homing ain't doing it right! (IMHO) pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Derek Uzzell Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 I went right off generators the evening we were parked on a France Passion site in North Brittany - 3 UK motorhomes tight next to each other on a 2-motorhome-sized secluded corner of a field. At around 7pm our neighbour asked whether we minded them running their generator to power their satellite-TV system as "they just wanted to catch up with the UK News". 2 hours later the thing was still humming merrily away (By the way, this was a 'silent' Honda generator covered by a bag.) I find generator noise so exasperating. Like having a fly buzzing around in the 'van at night, it's not the amount of noise made it's the intrusiveness of it. Rather like my attitude to smoking, I don't mind motorcaravanners having generators or using them, I just wish they wouldn't do it anywhere near me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PeteC Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 Hi we have been looking at genies for some time, but cannot decide how much time we would be away from a hook up to make it worth while As ar as noise: We worked on the markets for several years; next to a tea van, he had a 2kVA, or 2kW, genny in a soundproofed box and the noise wasnt too annoying. However the thought of carrying a box with sound insulation in side doesnt appeal to us What about solar panels Weight, output, Cost and connecting to the van electrics or free standing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Posted January 31, 2005 Share Posted January 31, 2005 The main problem with Clive's suggestion of "a stonking 2 KW inverter" is that they cost an arm and a leg. I like his idea of driving an alternator off the fan belt. I have often wondered why more manufacturers don't take up the LandRover idea of providing a power take-off from the gearbox. Another thought is this: If you've ever bought a petrol mower you'll know they cost a good deal more than the electric equivalent, i.e. petrol motors cost more than electric motors. Couldn't the generator manufacturers make a version which used a 12v DC motor to drive the alternator (either replacing the petrol motor completely, or as an alternative to it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Clive Posted February 16, 2005 Share Posted February 16, 2005 Thats called a rotary converter. They used these in WW2 to generate high voltages for valve based radio sets. Today a 12v to mains converter is solid state and is call an Inverter. Back to square (or sine) 1 ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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