generators Forums

dobermannman

hi i am new here can anybody please tell me what sort of generator i will need to run a tv please

DABurleigh

dobermannman,

Welcome to MHF. The received wisdom is that a generator is a last resort, albeit a valid one if justified and steps taken to be considerate to fellow campers.

Whether you need one depends on whether your leisure batteries are still in a good condition, the size of them, how long you stay on a site without electricity and not driving enough for the alternator to replenish them, how many hours a day you watch TV and what other significant electrical demands you put on your batteries. A solar panel can help, but not compensate for hours of TV a day.

Have you concluded you definitely need one? If so, a Honda EU10i is popular, but if fellow campers can hear it, evil thoughts will be transmitted in your direction Smile

Dave

dobermannman

thanks dave i want 1 just for back up

overthehill

I have a solar panel and have never run out of 12v, more often than not I am on a "green field" site with no facilities so I rely on it a fair bit. I do use a TV /video but more often run DVDs off my laptop, which has its own battery so saves draining the van supply. My radio is an ordinary battery one too. When I stay on showgrounds (dogshows) quite a few campers campers have generators but they have to switch them off at 10pm. By then my head is splitting and I am climbing up the walls! Notwithstanding the annoyance value to others, I imagine that if I had a generator the noise would irritate me as well so I have never bothered.
I had a wind generator on my boat, very effective but extremely noisy - on a par with a powered generator when it was windy! Shocked

If I lost the 12v supply I would make my own entertainment and go to bed when it got too dark to see properly!

Gill

GeorgeTelford

Hi Dobberman

Welcome, as Dave says many factors need to be considered.

Battery (s) and Invertor would certainly extend the TV Time (due to the anti-psocial nature of Gennnies you usually dont run in Evening)

TV's dont take that much power via invertor, but then all the other ,Questions Dave asked are very important to sort charging needed.

George

DABurleigh

[quote:d594a75f1f]If I lost the 12v supply I would make my own entertainment and go to bed[/quote:d594a75f1f]
Now if ever I've come across an argument for smaller batteries, that's it Smile

Dave

overthehill

hmmmm, should have been a comma after "entertainment" or maybe delete AND insert THEN.
Embarassed

Gill

Drummer

Always thought modern generators were very quiet. Am I wrong?
Understand the need to be socially acceptable but if it would seriously give you a headache with the noise, that sounds like a very unsocial thing to have.

peejay · Campsite DB Admin

Hi dobermanman and welcome to the site...

Sorry to harp on a bit here but in my humble opinion generators should be banned from campsites, cl's, cs's, aires, stelplatz, everywhere where there is a possibility that M/homes will be parking overnight in the vicinity of each other.
There is no good time to start a genny when you are camped next door or near to another camper, you might think that your genny is quiet but i can assure you it isn't to other campers.
IMHO people go camping (mainly) to get away from most of the trappings of everyday life and to relax in peaceful surroundings, it doesn't matter how decibally muted your genny is, its an intrusion to others, no matter how careful you are. If ever i owned one, the only time i would consider using it is when i was totally alone, no other vans on the horizon, but i can't think of an instance when i would ever have the need for so much power that a few batteries in tandem or even solar power couldn't supply me..
Surley if you consume so much power that it takes a genny to keep you going you're doing it (M/homing) wrong. Far better to consider extra batteries, solar or wind power, but if you need loads of current then use a site with hook up.

Talking to one of the site wardens at the NEC show today and he said they had been innundated with complaints about gennys running in the overnight parking area and were looking at banning them totally next year. We're talking here about people staying for 1 maybe 2 nights (with no mains electric god forbid!). Just goes to show how inconsiderate some folk can be.

Motorhomers are on the whole such a friendly and caring bunch, just look around this forum for proof, so i can't for the life of me understand why some deem it neccesary to partake in such an unsociable practice.

There, i've said it and i feel better for it........

pete.

ps, it took a while to decide to press the 'submit' button!