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ADMPRTR · 23-09-2011, 10:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Would the 1000w work for you to save some money?

Yes, the 1000W currently has a list price of $999. If I went with a 40A charger it may work but the EU1000iKC2 is only rated at a maximum of 7.5AMP/120Vac versus the 7.8A/120Vac that the Xantrex would require so it may not be a good match. However the 1K is slightly quieter, smaller and is much (7.8KG) lighter.

It is a trade off but I think going with the 2K is a better choice, however.

http://powerequipment.honda.ca/compa...000ic,eu2000ic

S/V Alchemy · 23-09-2011, 10:34

I have had a Honda 2000 for about four years. I truck it from boat to house as I use it in the garage (doors open, of course) and in the yard. It's such a nice thing to have, I am considering buying a second one and the "twinning" kit, which would give me more than enough starting amps to kick off my A/C unit at anchor, and of course would give me a spare for running power tools and vacuum cleaners I don't want to run (wastefully) through the inverter.

I have solar and wind and plans for a bigger battery bank (as yet unpurchased), and the Honda is the 'fourth leg' of the amp-making trinity of alternators, panels and wind genny. Basically, it gives me not only emergency charging and both AC and DC, but it gives me the aforementioned portability to charge a battery forward for anchor windlass purposes, to run a soldering iron, a grinder or a compressor (I have a steel boat), saving the inverter to run PC charging, a microwave and other, "light duty" electricals.

That price is nuts. I bought mine for $1,100 from a dealer in Markham, ON as a boat show price, and that was when the Canuck buck was at 88 cents, not near par as it is now.

Find someone with an American dollar credit card, pay them to order it, and have it shipped here at the cheap rate.

S/V Alchemy · 23-09-2011, 10:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADMPRTR

Yes, the 1000W currently has a list price of $999. If I went with a 40A charger it may work but the EU1000iKC2 is only rated at a maximum of 7.5AMP/120Vac versus the 7.8A/120Vac that the Xantrex would require so it may not be a good match. However the 1K is slightly quieter, smaller and is much (7.8KG) lighter.

It is a trade off but I think going with the 2K is a better choice, however.

http://powerequipment.honda.ca/compa...000ic,eu2000ic

I wouldn't bother with the 1000...too small. Can't really run a circular saw; my 2000 can.

You might also consider buying a used one to "try out the concept".

Oh, the other thing I do here in Canada? I bring it to the boat yard a few times during the winter and lay on a charge on my batteries. Not lowering and raising batteries from a cradled boat into the snow? Priceless!

Vasco · 23-09-2011, 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADMPRTR

On another tack, I looked up the maximum input current requirement on a Xantrex TrueCharge. The 40AMP is rated at 9.0A load at 104Vac which is 936 watts (7.8A/120Vac) and the 60AMP is rated at 13.5A/104Vac which is 1404W (11.7A/120Vac).

http://www.xantrex.com/documents/Bat...-01_Rev-B).pdf

I read that to mean depending on the size of charger I purchase, I may be able to down size the gennie. What, if any, is the drawback of maximizing the load on a generator?

If you intend to cruise, get the biggest battery charger you can. It will cut your genny run time down significantly. I have a Zantrex/Freedom/Heart, whatever 2000 watt inverter/charger that can put out 100 amps. When I use the Honda EU2000i the charger puts out over 90 amps and the Honda runs w.f.o. It does not seem to bother the Honda, only drawback is that it's a bit louder.

A small charger is useless if you live on the hook. A few years ago a buddy in the Bahamas complained that his fridge was shot, always cutting out. He ran the Honda a few hours every day. When we checked, it was his batteries that were low. He had a 20 amp charger and that could not top up his batteries in a few hours. He would have had to run the Honda all day to charge the batteries up.

So if you want to get the most out of a 2000 watt genny get a 100 amp smart charger or at least a 60.

ADMPRTR · 23-09-2011, 10:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

That price is nuts. I bought mine for $1,100 from a dealer in Markham, ON as a boat show price, and that was when the Canuck buck was at 88 cents, not near par as it is now.

Ya, it is. It is the list price so I suspect I may be able to get it for less if I shop around. Thanks for your comments.

ADMPRTR · 23-09-2011, 10:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

I wouldn't bother with the 1000...too small. Can't really run a circular saw; my 2000 can.

Good point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

You might also consider buying a used one to "try out the concept".

That is a idea if I could find a good used one.

Quote:

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Oh, the other thing I do here in Canada? I bring it to the boat yard a few times during the winter and lay on a charge on my batteries. Not lowering and raising batteries from a cradled boat into the snow? Priceless!

Ya. And conversely, not having to run 100ft of extension cord to my boat and still not having enough to reach.

farotherside · 23-09-2011, 10:55

ADMPRTR: spend the extra money on the Honda generator and save your pennies on the Xantrex or ProMariner chargers. Get yourself an Iota DLS-55 charger - a third of the price of the Xantrex and pretty much bulletproof:

IOTA Engineering DLS-55 12VDC Battery Charger and Power Converter - 55 Amps

My rig is the Honda into the Iota DLS-55 with the IQ-4 intelligent charger option (IQ Smart Charger for DLS Series Battery Chargers from IOTA Engineering) and I'm *very* happy with the results, charging four Trojan T-105's and a starter battery at 55 amps. Some folks have reported that you can use the Iota DLS-75 charger, but that's absolutely maxing out the available current from the Honda and apparently that can shorten the lifespan of the generator... 55 amps is enough for me.

I "upgraded" to the Iota charger from a 40a ProMariner charger - more than three times the price of the Iota! - that died on me after a month of heavy use.

I have 280w of solar, two 140w panels, and I am a fulltime-at-anchor liveaboard with a bunch of electronics. On sunny summer days I fill up my batteries by early afternoon, but if it's cloudy I have to run the generator for a few hours every few days. I've been trying to add a wind generator to the mix, but now that we're cruising it's hard to get one delivered without having a steady mailing address.

I would say that if you're planning to install a bunch of solar panels, and just want the generator as a backup, you *might* get away with the Honda EU1000i - but honestly, having the extra juice available for powertools or emergency charging is rarely a bad thing.

ADMPRTR · 23-09-2011, 10:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasco

So if you want to get the most out of a 2000 watt genny get a 100 amp smart charger or at least a 60.

Excellent points. I was leaning toward the 60A but thought that 100A may be overkill. My guess is I will have a maximum of a 400Amp/Hour bank.

Arch Stanton · 23-09-2011, 11:01

You can almost always find those 1,000W and 2,000W Hondas on eBay for 50% of list price.

Vasco · 23-09-2011, 11:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADMPRTR

Excellent points. I was leaning toward the 60A but thought that 100A may be overkill. My guess is I will have a maximum of a 400Amp/Hour bank.

I used to have a 440 amp bank but a couple of years ago went to 4 Trojan T1275 batteries (these are 12v) which gave me 600 amps. Made the world of difference. If you have the room go larger, you'll never regret it.

billyehh · 23-09-2011, 11:20

I have 520 watts of solar power. It usually takes care of a 7 cu ft refridgerator, a 2 cu. ft. freezer and all of my electronics incluing a laptop. The battery bank is 660 amps so I can last 2 or 3 days with cloudy weather. I have 2 130 amp alternators which will throw over 200 amps at the battery bank if necessary and AGM's which will take that much or more.

It has been over 2 years since I have been in a marina. I can't remember the last time I used the battery charger which is a Freedom 1500 with a 75 amp charger. I use the invertor all the time and it will run most power tools including my Skill Saw.

I love the sound of silence. This setup was expensive, but since I spend about 6 months aboard is well worth it.

spostamento nobile · 23-09-2011, 11:39

Honda 2k. With the 1k you will find all new uses that it can't keep up with. The 2k = power tools on the hook. That alone is worth it.

ADMPRTR · 23-09-2011, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew23

ADMPRTR: spend the extra money on the Honda generator and save your pennies on the Xantrex or ProMariner chargers. Get yourself an Iota DLS-55 charger - a third of the price of the Xantrex and pretty much bulletproof

It sounds that a generator is still a good thing to have for those rainy days. That allows me to plan the overall upgrade: New batteries, charger and generator now and then the solar/wind when we are ready to cast off.

Thanks for your comments and information.