"Roger Long" wrote in
:

The Heartland America catalogue just arrived showing a 2 HP 1000
watt, 15" x 13" x 14" generator for $147.95 (including shipping and
handling after $20.00 rebate). This might be a toy but maybe just the
thing to lug out in the dinghy to recharge the batteries if they
should get so low that the engine won't start or to run some power
tools.

Is this price too low for this to be an item that can actually be
used?


I thought it was fantastic, but then started reading a little closer:

"The 2HP air cooled two-stroke engine"

A 2-stroke engine is NOT a good thing where FREQUENCY, i.e. stable RPM
over load, is an issue.

So, I got curious and called Heartland America, an importer of cheap
Chinese crap......

After considerable consultations with 2 people I assume were supervisors
when she left the phone line open, rather than putting me on hold...
(c;...NOONE at Heartland America could tell me the name of the
manufacturer of this generator! They made several phone calls in the
background I could hear faintly, but no answer except, "It's imported."

Many really cheap generators use high frequency (200-1000 Hz) coils, some
built right inside the flywheel like the stator coils on an outboard
motor. This requires little iron core at this frequency. Your outboard
motor's ignition and battery charging permanent magnet flywheel generator
is quite high frequency, but that doesn't matter as it's all just
rectified into HV DC for ignition or LV DC for charging. That's exactly
what I'd expect to find in this bargain....hooked straight to the AC
terminals. That little weedeater engine, and that's exactly what it is,
cannot hold its RPM. Try using a 2-stroke gas weedeater...AND...holding
its RPM up as you vary the load trimming the lawn. Same with a chainsaw.

Not a good thing hooked to a $800 electronic supercharger boat battery
charger computer? There, now you're thinking!

Here's a good little generator that puts out EXACTLY 60 Hz and EXACTLY
120VAC in a very nice modified sine wave at any load up to 1KW. It's 4-
stroke engine will run MORE than 150 hours the Chinese 2-stroker will run
before its engine is worn out:

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/M...elName=eu1000i

Mine must have 2000 hours on it. It'll run from 4-8 hours on .6 gallons
of regular gas in Economode. Its computer-controlled throttle runs on
electrical demand, not wide open all the time. Engine speed means
nothing because its AC output comes from a computer-controlled 120VAC 60
Hz electronic generator. 8A charges the batteries, but it's not even
voltage regulated, not much of an issue.

This is not my favorite. This is:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/M...lName=eu3000is
It powers my mobile shop, including two 8000 Btu Korean air conditioners
all summer. 3 gallons will cool and run my shop about 10 hours. You can
hardly hear it run 20 feet from the truck. Up to 1800 watts, in
economode, the engine's only running 1200 RPM, which should run a LONG
time.

Honda has made me drool over a new ELECTRONIC model:
http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/M...Name=eu6500isa
It's ACTUALLY two 18.8A inverters running off one motor. In series, you
get house power 120/240VAC, 60 Hz. In 120V, you get two 120V separate
outputs. I'm not sure if they can be paralleled, like the little
generators can, to get a full 6500 watts to one 120VAC load. Needs more
research. If it's as quiet as my EU3000is, trail it out in the dingy
50' behind the boat on its power cord and the DOCK would make more
noise...(c;

Small generators, here, are spelled H-O-N-D-A....just like small lawn
mowers.

Larry
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