Emergency power system for one perosn: Generator or battery system?

[ransley]

An inverter I would be scared to use more than 5-10 minutes and not even full load. At idle it wont do anything to help.

[hallerb]

well gee, check the amp specs of a modern vehicles alternator, likely over 200 amps.

alternators must be designed to charge a dead battery to full charge, so they must be rugged, espically when you drive around on a bad battery for weeks before it finally dies

a 1000 watt inverter isnt a big load. lots RVers use them constantly. they arent dangerous

[hallerb]

at idle the alternator acts like a load and the engine automatically increases power, its not rocket scence, and just like your cars engine speeds up when the AC kicks in

[clare]

That is where you are wrong. The alternator is NOT designed to charge a dead battery. It should be

- but in most cases it is not.

The bad battery you speak of does not usually TAKE a full charge anyway. The 135 amp unit used on virtually every GM truck, as well an most cars from '88 to '95 (and possibly other years as well) was well known for oveheating when asked to produce more than about 65 amps - to the point there was a large aftermarket business installing modified "cool case" conversions. The alternator is NOT built to produce anywhere near full output on a steady basis..

[clare]

Alternator load does NOT increase the engine speed. The idle speed compensating devise (idle air control, or whatever) keeps the idle at specified idle speed when load increases or decreases - but idle speed is NOT enough to produce full output - nor is it high enough to cool the alternator at the maximum power it is able to produce at idle - in MOST cases.

[hallerb]

todays alternators are usually rated around 200 amps

[clare]

Perhaps - but I'll look directly at your lantern. I will NOT look directly at the LED lamp. The lantern may light SPACE better, but the led throws a mean beam.

[Jim Yanik]

[e-mail] wrote in news: [e-mail]:

I use lanterns for room lighting and flashlights(LED) for spot lighting. and I don't look AT my lantern,I look at what it's illuminating. [like a book 8-) ]

[Stormin Mormon]

One perosn may choose totally different than another perosn. Not that either is more right than the other, just having different needs. In a temperate climate, a person may not need a furnace or AC. On the other hand, in the deep south or the north of US, a perosn may wish for some generator power for the furnace or AC.

As your fluorescent, it's likely brighter than the LED lantern.

[The Daring Dufas]

Wut iz uh "perosn"?

TDD

[Twayne]

I did that once and only once! Had just bought the generator fortunately, but ... wouldn't you know, we were without power for 6 days that January? Determined to get the stupid switch installed after that, I'll tell ya what! . Of course, we haven't had another one that bad since 1998, but ... now at least I can just plug in the house & flip the right breakers. It'll run the well pump when we need it but not much else, but that's OK; at least it's just switches on the txfr switch.

[Twayne]

Yeah, if you can only find a way around the stupid anti-siphon crap! I don't like pulling a gas line & running the fuel pump to get gas out of it. Did it once, but ... still don't like it.

[clare]

On MOST EFI cars there is a simple solution. Just get a hose that threads onto the schrader valve on the injection log (the fitting for testing fuel pressure). put the hose on and into your gas can, and start the car. It will idle, but you won't rev it very high -The fuel pump will fill your can.

[ransley]

An Rv gen is not a car gen, its heavy duty vs my economy thing. Drive a car there is airflow keeping things under control, to get power he will need alot more than idle, maybe 12-1500 rpm, in a car that has no air flow it will stress things to be overheated possibly. Alternators can charge a battery but every mechanic I talk to says you shorten their life, ruin it if you abuse them. An alternator costs alot more than a cheap chinese gen and will leave you stranded, if its 5 minutes running I would do it, with a junk car ok, maybe a truck with a big gen, but not a driver unless I knew with the right equipment that I wasnt damaging anything. A new alternator for me is im sure over 300, Northern Tool has a cheap chinese 1000w gen that has a very good review at alt.energy.homepower for only 100 dollars. Be stranded when you abuse your car alternator now in winter, or get a cheap 100$ chinese gen. I take the genertor route for 100$

[ransley]

And you dont know what you are talking about at all. the idle increase you see is from an AC idle speed circuit, and NO a car does not increase speed automaticly with a heavy alternator load. Unless things have changed recently.

[ransley]

Ratings, how about size and no cooling. I have little RC motors that take 30a but will fry an egg and ment the windings. Have you looked at the size of this stuff, wake up man output is windings, you make 1-200 a out of a gen that is 1/5 the size of old stuff that used to last

200000 miles, and it is just logic it runs real hot with no air or even air. Then aftermarket is there in alternators since these million watt stereos blow them out.

[hallerb]

nearly all electronics today are smaller, with higher output. I have used my 1000 watt inverter many times, without a problem.

[clare]

But what load were you running, and for how long? The 1000 watt inverter itself draws very little.. You could run it 'till the cows come home. Load it to 1000 watts, so it draws 80 amps and a 130 amp alternator (particularly the little GM job will be at it's limit. And it won't be putting out even 80 amps at idle.

The fact is, using the automotive alternator, running your car engine for emergency power is NOT an efficientor effective way to do things.

[clare]

They have in many ways, but not in THAT way.

There are two, and possibly 3 things that will cause the engine to speed up which are load related. AC is the most common. Power sterring pressure is another relatively common one. Turn the steering wheel on some vehicles and the idle speed will increase. The third is trans load. Putting SOME cars into drive causes the idle speed to increase. VERY few.

[hallerb]

s electrical

de quoted text -

its for EMERGENCIES, fuel is automatically stored onboard with no risk or expense, just keep tank full........ Inverters have limits but are dirt cheap.

RVers use inverters constantly