"Jeff" wrote in message
...
R.W. Behan wrote:
Hey, Skip,

I bought our 2000 from Mayberry's, and we live way the hell out here on
the West Coast. Best price anywhere on the 'Net, and as I recall they
paid for the shipping. Might be mistaken about that, but whatever the
matrix of reasons, I felt Mayberry's was the way to go.

You won't be disappointed with the genset. But read carefully about
charging batteries on your boat. You can do it directly, by hooking the
Honda 12v. output straight to the batteries, but you'll be FAR better off
running 120v. from the Honda to your boat's shore power input, and thence
to the battery charger instead. Much faster charging that way.


So, I have to ask, what charge rate do you see? My charger (and
alternator) can push about 100 Amps into my 4 golf cart batteries. Could
this be supplied with the 2000? Could I come close with the 1000?

The last time this came up it was claimed that small gensets will not
necessarily live up to their ratings with this type of load.

No, you will not be able to run a 100 amp battery charger with a EU2000i.
The EU2000 is really a 1600 watt unit. Now 100 amps at 12 volts may look
like 1200 watts but the chargers are not 100% efficient. I think they draw
something like 30 or 40% more power than you would think. I've looked into
this a bit and it seems a 50 amp charger is about the biggest you could
comfortably run from an EU 2000. For example, an Iota 55 amp charger is
said to draw 13 amps at 108 volts and maximum charge rate. That's 1,404
watts. Now its only putting out 12 x 55 = 660 watts (they say 740 watts
maximum). I don't know why they say the "typical efficiency is 80%". It
sure doesn't look like it.