Laptop use on generator power question
..Pretty sure I know the answer to this, but here goes: Early last month, we tried for the first time, to let the kids use our laptop to watch DVD movies in the RV when on the road. Had the genera...
Forum Discussion
I too find myself off the power grid alot with my OFF-ROAD POPUP camper. What I did was install a PURE SINE WAVE 600WATT INVERTER setup to provide 120VAC for all of my so called emergency power connections for my must have items like CELL PHONE Chargers, Computer and Tablets charger, my WX RADIO setup, a couple of charger stations for my 10-fan 12VDC-120vac-D CELL fans, Home Entertainment setup, etc...
This 600WATT PSW Inverter has two 120VAC Drop Cord connections with one going to the Home Entertainment area and the other going to a table top location near the bed we sleep in. My 600WATT INVERTER is on 24/7 even when we are using shore power...
I have used my 2KW generator to run alot of 120VAC items within the capacity of the generator without any problems. Being the INVERTER TYPE Generator the sine wave produced from the 2KW Honda looks to be very good. Perhaps your larger generator has alot of spike being produced when making power..
My OFF-ROAD setup is run all the things we want to do when camping off the power grid to run off my battery banks. The only reason I run my 2KW Honda Generator is to provide power to the trailer to operate the on-board converter/charger unit when allowed to run my generator for three hours each day which is about the time required to charge up my battery bank using smart mode charging. My battery bank setup is to run all the items we want to use in the one day/night run off the batteries and just be depleted down to their 50% charge state (around 12.0VDC) at 8AM each morning...
Been doing this method for several years now and know what to expect - its all second nature to us now. My batteries and power consumption upgrades were done in 2009 so the batteries are just now starting to fall off some on performance. Time to start a new battery upgrade. I am also going to look into solar panels this time around to help re-charge the batteries during the high sun day which should drop back my generator usage to around one hour each.
This will work great for if I can get over 20AMPS DC current charging source from my 480WATT planned solar setup. Getting alot of DC CURRENT from solar panels would require many panels installed based on the typical 120WATT Panel will only produce around 5-6AMPS when in the high sun. My battery banks wants to see around 55AMPS DC Charge current when I first start re-charging each day from the on-board converter charger. If the solar panels would keep my batteries topped off this would be great. I still expect to run my generator for the first hour each day when I start charging in the mornings and then let the solar panels continue the top off the batteries until the high sun goes away...
I also do a few other thing when the generator is running like make my grind and brew bean coffee for the day. Wife might use some high wattage items cooking up something. etc...
We don't worry abut things like the air conditioner or high wattage microwave etc... when camping off the power grid.
Its all in the planning
Roy Ken
This 600WATT PSW Inverter has two 120VAC Drop Cord connections with one going to the Home Entertainment area and the other going to a table top location near the bed we sleep in. My 600WATT INVERTER is on 24/7 even when we are using shore power...
I have used my 2KW generator to run alot of 120VAC items within the capacity of the generator without any problems. Being the INVERTER TYPE Generator the sine wave produced from the 2KW Honda looks to be very good. Perhaps your larger generator has alot of spike being produced when making power..
My OFF-ROAD setup is run all the things we want to do when camping off the power grid to run off my battery banks. The only reason I run my 2KW Honda Generator is to provide power to the trailer to operate the on-board converter/charger unit when allowed to run my generator for three hours each day which is about the time required to charge up my battery bank using smart mode charging. My battery bank setup is to run all the items we want to use in the one day/night run off the batteries and just be depleted down to their 50% charge state (around 12.0VDC) at 8AM each morning...
Been doing this method for several years now and know what to expect - its all second nature to us now. My batteries and power consumption upgrades were done in 2009 so the batteries are just now starting to fall off some on performance. Time to start a new battery upgrade. I am also going to look into solar panels this time around to help re-charge the batteries during the high sun day which should drop back my generator usage to around one hour each.
This will work great for if I can get over 20AMPS DC current charging source from my 480WATT planned solar setup. Getting alot of DC CURRENT from solar panels would require many panels installed based on the typical 120WATT Panel will only produce around 5-6AMPS when in the high sun. My battery banks wants to see around 55AMPS DC Charge current when I first start re-charging each day from the on-board converter charger. If the solar panels would keep my batteries topped off this would be great. I still expect to run my generator for the first hour each day when I start charging in the mornings and then let the solar panels continue the top off the batteries until the high sun goes away...
I also do a few other thing when the generator is running like make my grind and brew bean coffee for the day. Wife might use some high wattage items cooking up something. etc...
We don't worry abut things like the air conditioner or high wattage microwave etc... when camping off the power grid.
Its all in the planning
Roy Ken
