Solar and Lifeline

BFL13 wrote:

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Or go to Harbor Freight and buy their 2 cycle 800 watt generator

Then buy a MEGAWATT-400 watt power supply. Set it for 14.4 volts

When the sun goes down, the Megawatt comes online and runs until it out of gas.

If the batteries are real low this combo will stuff around 400 amp hours into the bank. If used and the batteries are sucking less than bulk maximum the generator will run longer before conking out.

This will zot a lot of amp hours into the batteries for less than 200 dollars after the sun goes down.

I can't believe Mex is recommending one of those horrible little things as a useful generator.

I posted a couple years back on my adventures with a King 951w which is like an HF model 2-stroke. It was impossible for me.

Tug on the starting cord and it pulled the gen over on its side. Put your foot on the top and pull and you go flying and so does the gen. After much toil, you do get it started (using lots of ether starter spray-"not included")

Clouds of smoke for a while until it settles to just a little smoke. Ok now try to run a battery charger. The 951w would just barely run a 35 amper, but was happier with a 20 amper. Whoopie-doo!

I hated that thing. Gave it away (with a can of mixed gas, even) to an unsuspecting guy who thought it would be just perfect! Tee hee.

BFL ... the RV battery charging anywhere anytime anyweather method that Mex is recommending above is outstanding with one small equipment adjustment ... replace his recommended generator with a used version of this instead:
http://www.honda-ex650.co.uk/about.html

Super quiet (54 dbA all the time), four-stroke, starts right up on the first pull with old straight or drunk regular gas, steel case instead of plastic, but alas ... has to still be kept chained up because from a distance it still looks like a late vintage red Honda. ;)