Found this generator at Home Depot. "deal of the day"

vermilye wrote:
... A trained ear can hear a 1db level difference, however most individuals require a larger increase to detect a change unless listening to a single frequency tone. ...

I am a retired Submariner... was deeply involved in Sonar and noise reduction for many years.

For the frequency spectrum emitted by a ship, the Recognition Differential for a human was considered to be 3 dB... I used to get an annual audiometer test with my men, and I never met a person that could discern a difference of only 1 dB between two broadband signals.

Just sayin'

Our whole Sonar world revolved around using the decibel - I'd respectfully suggest that there is some amount of confusion demonstrated in many of the posts in this thread.

Almot wrote:

camperkilgore wrote:
But how reliable is this generator going to be? How long will it last before breaking?

I hope it will break the next day and the seller will give a full refund because they don't carry this thing anymore :)

6db to 10db represents a sound "twice louder" for most people. This is subjective. The noise pitch, rattling and changes in both pitch and DB level can be annoying as well. I almost (almost) got used to my neighbor running his 3kW machine after a few hours, but then - boom - darn thing roars up louder, and/or changes the pitch, when he turns on and off whatever he's got in trailer, and it becomes annoying again. The guy didn't even run an A/C, it wasn't that hot, and there was 300W or 400W of solar on the roof. Still, when it got cloudy more than 50% of daytime, 3KW machine was running from dawn to dusk. Don't know why, don't ask me.

You just haven't lived until you have listen to someones Honda EU3000is 24/7. Like you I had no idea why it ran, I did talk to the guy the last day as I was packing up the solar. He had two new batteries and had the antenna up so they could listen to the radio.

Three MHs ran theirs three times daily, I know one had bad batteries but even he shut down over night. Between them and Honda man they had a family tenting surrounded, I felt bad for them.

That's the great thing about hearing aids and camping. I can adjust them all the way to surround sound or down to 'I can't hear jack or generators'.

NinerBikes wrote:
that makes a bigger noisy generator a mute point.

We like 'em that way.

camperkilgore wrote:
But how reliable is this generator going to be? How long will it last before breaking?

I hope it will break the next day and the seller will give a full refund because they don't carry this thing anymore :)

6db to 10db represents a sound "twice louder" for most people. This is subjective. The noise pitch, rattling and changes in both pitch and DB level can be annoying as well. I almost (almost) got used to my neighbor running his 3kW machine after a few hours, but then - boom - darn thing roars up louder, and/or changes the pitch, when he turns on and off whatever he's got in trailer, and it becomes annoying again. The guy didn't even run an A/C, it wasn't that hot, and there was 300W or 400W of solar on the roof. Still, when it got cloudy more than 50% of daytime, 3KW machine was running from dawn to dusk. Don't know why, don't ask me.

But how reliable is this generator going to be? How long will it last before breaking?

hotpepperkid wrote:

Only problem with the Honda 3k it doesn't put out 30 amps. It wont run a 15k AC, electric water heater, ref on electric and the coffee pot all at the same time. With my 4300 I don't have to think which appliance to turn off while my wife uses a hair dryer

doesn't sound like too much of a sacrifice to me. gosh, I'd have to switch the water heater to LP.
bumpy

It sure would be nice if we all could snap up the quietest generator or have solar provide silently. Those that can't but at least get the quietest they can afford should be appreciated, at least it's not a powermate.

hotpepperkid wrote:

bob_b wrote:
•63dB sound rating ensures low operational noise for peace and quiet


Peace and Quiet?! Compared to what? dropping a stack of dishes in a night-club?

I'll stick with my 49db Honda EU3000is.

Only problem with the Honda 3k it doesn't put out 30 amps. It wont run a 15k AC, electric water heater, ref on electric and the coffee pot all at the same time. With my 4300 I don't have to think which appliance to turn off while my wife uses a hair dryer

A paired set of Honda Eu2000I's would, though. That same pair of Eu2000i's purrs when running my 13.5k A/C. The 15k is only a hard draw when overcoming the compressor stall speed amp draw. And if you really want to, you can hook together 3 Eu2000i's. Run however gennies you need for the amount of load you're drawing.

You won't make many friends with 63db or whatever that thing runs at. It sounds contractor grade, not quiet camping grade.

Running electricity that you generate to heat water for coffee or the water heater is a poor use of the resource... propane is much more efficient, converting gas to mechanical energy to electricity to heat is exceedingly inefficient in the use of gasoline.

Get a french press coffee maker for $20 and use the propane to heat water for the shower. That makes a bigger noisy generator a mute point.

bob_b wrote:
•63dB sound rating ensures low operational noise for peace and quiet


Peace and Quiet?! Compared to what? dropping a stack of dishes in a night-club?

I'll stick with my 49db Honda EU3000is.

Only problem with the Honda 3k it doesn't put out 30 amps. It wont run a 15k AC, electric water heater, ref on electric and the coffee pot all at the same time. With my 4300 I don't have to think which appliance to turn off while my wife uses a hair dryer