One or two generators?

The only problem with using the Power Dome is that it takes 12 hours to charge on DC and 36 hours on AC.

Otherwise just plug directly into it- using the 120v receptacles.

pianotuna wrote:
Hi,

The wire to the cigarette lighter is probably not very beefy. If it is #10 then it can carry enough to do about 300 watts demand from the inverter. If it is #14 or #16 the inverter will be starving and will squeal at you.

Since you have the "power dome" get a dual cigarette lighter adapter. Plug one of the outlets into the inverter, and use the other with a "male to male" cigarette lighter cord to the 12 volt outlet in the RV.

There are other solutions as well.

OK, so you are saying I should plug the inverter into one of the Power Dome's 12v receptacles, and, using a power cord with a male 12v plug on each end, plug one into the other Power Dome receptacle, and the other into the RV 12v supply.

What would this do? I assume that power could flow into the power dome this way from the RV. It's not suppose to charge this way, I don't think, as it has a recharging port that the 12v charger plugs into, as well as one with a 110 house plug.

Hi,

The wire to the cigarette lighter is probably not very beefy. If it is #10 then it can carry enough to do about 300 watts demand from the inverter. If it is #14 or #16 the inverter will be starving and will squeal at you.

Since you have the "power dome" get a dual cigarette lighter adapter. Plug one of the outlets into the inverter, and use the other with a "male to male" cigarette lighter cord to the 12 volt outlet in the RV.

There are other solutions as well.

Rmack1 wrote:
Would this make any difference? could I get away with plugging the inverter in by the TV? I only want to be able to watch a couple hours of TV at night.

I could also plug one of my four necessary components for watching TV into my 'Power Dome' emergency power supply with the inverter turned on. This should increase the time I could run off of my two 12 volt trailer batteries.

Happy Prospector wrote:

Rmack1 wrote:
I have two Yamaha EF2000iS generators, and they work together through the connecting cable.

My question is; is it always necessary or desirable to have both generators running? I know I need them both for the AC, but what If I'm just watching HD satellite TV?
Anyone know?

How about installing a small inverter for the TV and Satellite Box? I'm sure your RV'ing neighbors would sure appreciate having a quite night instead of listening to your generators drone on and on and on......

I've done a little more research, and this looks like what I need to do.

Being basically lazy, and not very well versed in electrical subjects in general, what I would like to do is buy a small inverter, say a 400 watt one, that has a 12v cigarette lighter-type plug and use the 12v receptacle near my TV. The problem is; that is three quarters of the way down my 22' trailer away from the front hitch where the batteries are.

I could plug the inverter into another 12v receptacle nearer the front, and use a short extension cord, but that would still be, say, a third of the way back from the batteries.

Would this make any difference? could I get away with plugging the inverter in by the TV? I only want to be able to watch a couple hours of TV at night.

I could also plug one of my four necessary components for watching TV into my 'Power Dome' emergency power supply with the inverter turned on. This should increase the time I could run off of my two 12 volt trailer batteries.

Rmack1 wrote:
I have two Yamaha EF2000iS generators, and they work together through the connecting cable.

My question is; is it always necessary or desirable to have both generators running? I know I need them both for the AC, but what If I'm just watching HD satellite TV?
Anyone know?

How about installing a small inverter for the TV and Satellite Box? I'm sure your RV'ing neighbors would sure appreciate having a quite night instead of listening to your generators drone on and on and on......

lane hog wrote:

Rmack1 wrote:

You lost me.

I think I follow that the gen's receptacles have a circuit breaker in line, and the cable that connects the two gens to the RV power cable doesn't, right? At least I'm guessing what 'banana cables' are.

My Yamahas have a black adapter thingie that plugs into both gens, and gives me a place to plug in my 30 amp cable. It doesn't have any fuses as far as I know. Don't see where they could be.

I've been using that even if only one gen is running.

The Yamaha may have a different setup from the Honda.

On the Honda, there are two 120V outputs -- the receptacles which are protected by a breaker, and the 4mm banana plug outputs, which are not protected.

The commercial kits for running in parallel of the banana plugs have a breaker on the 30A circuit, and the instructions for a home built should also include inclusion of a breaker.

Yeah, that's what's disturbing me. My parallel gear doesn't have a breaker or a fuse.

Rmack1 wrote:

You lost me.

I think I follow that the gen's receptacles have a circuit breaker in line, and the cable that connects the two gens to the RV power cable doesn't, right? At least I'm guessing what 'banana cables' are.

My Yamahas have a black adapter thingie that plugs into both gens, and gives me a place to plug in my 30 amp cable. It doesn't have any fuses as far as I know. Don't see where they could be.

I've been using that even if only one gen is running.

The Yamaha may have a different setup from the Honda.

On the Honda, there are two 120V outputs -- the receptacles which are protected by a breaker, and the 4mm banana plug outputs, which are not protected.

The commercial kits for running in parallel of the banana plugs have a breaker on the 30A circuit, and the instructions for a home built should also include inclusion of a breaker.

The frequency sensing capability works on both outputs. When firing up Gen2, if it senses power from Gen1 across the bus before Gen2's inverter comes online, Gen2 will match the frequency already present (and be a slave to Gen1).

If you power down Gen1, at some point Gen2 figures it out and becomes the master. IF Gen1 is restarted later, the same sensing process works in reverse; when Gen1 senses power from Gen2, it becomes a slave to Gen2.

At least that's my understanding from the last eight years of owning my twins...

If you do have a plug going off the receptacles, be sure that the polarity is correct.

wa8yxm wrote:
Is it necessary to have both generators running... NO. if all you are doing is watching TV and charging batteries,, NO. if you need an Air Conditioner, then yes (or microwave or water heater or any other big ticket load)

You might wish to drop the parallel cables from the running genny though.

Why would it be desirable to remove the parallel cables if I have only one generator running? I haven't been doing that. I hope it hasn't damaged anything.

lane hog wrote:
I've had one of my two Hondas EU2000i's run out of gas while paired together, and it didn't cause a problem for the other or interrupt the feed to the trailer. When they need to re synch, they do just fine.

Just be aware that you're a bit limited when going thru the receptacles, since those run via the gen's breakers, whereas the banana plugs skip the breaker (which is why safety requires one on the 30a plug circuit).

You lost me.

I think I follow that the gen's receptacles have a circuit breaker in line, and the cable that connects the two gens to the RV power cable doesn't, right? At least I'm guessing what 'banana cables' are.

My Yamahas have a black adapter thingie that plugs into both gens, and gives me a place to plug in my 30 amp cable. It doesn't have any fuses as far as I know. Don't see where they could be.

I've been using that even if only one gen is running.

I've had one of my two Hondas EU2000i's run out of gas while paired together, and it didn't cause a problem for the other or interrupt the feed to the trailer. When they need to re synch, they do just fine.

Just be aware that you're a bit limited when going thru the receptacles, since those run via the gen's breakers, whereas the banana plugs skip the breaker (which is why safety requires one on the 30a plug circuit).