PD9245 with 1000/2000 w inverter generator noise

[marquette]

I'm planning on buying a new generator this spring. I would like a 1000w because of the lighter weight. However what I am concerned about is that the PD9245 will kick the 1000w off eco mode A 1000w running at full throttle would be noisier than a 2000w in eco mode. So my question is to anyone running a PD9245 or similar converter does it kick your generator off eco when charging? For how long?

[marquette]

Thanks Iamicabod Knowing that a 2000w stays on eco when charging kind of seals the door on a 1000w. I've been using a Honda 2000 with my old converter but it is only a 10 amp charger and the Honda never goes off eco but takes a long time to fully recharge. Hence the new converter to get faster recharge and shorter generator time. A rv dealer at the MPLS camping show was offering the Artisan Porta Source 1000w generator for $249. Of course he claimed is quiet. But to me the selling point was the 20lb weight and smaller size. But if it has to run at full throttle then it would be louder than a 2000w at idle. I run all LED lighting and propane fridge so I can go 3 days with out charging unless I need to use the furnace. I mostly boondock and most places I am I am the only camper there so rules are negotiable.

[IAMICHABOD]

I just ran a test on my 2000 watt generator with the very same PD9245.

It stayed in eco mode while charging my batteries at 14.4.I ran it about 2 hours.

Also did a sound check. At 2 ft it was 64 Db. At 10ft it was 56 Db. Both about normal conversation level.

The main reason to go to the 2000w.

[SoundGuy]

RoyB wrote:
Of course building the generator boxes will make it very quiet but you know its running...

From 20' away - barely audible, if the box is built properly.

[RoyB]

It seems like to me no mater what you do to your generators for noise suppression tricks you will still run into the local rules of generator run time restrictions... They are most often 8AM to 10AM in the mornings and then 4PM to 8PM in the late afternoon/early evening. Most Natl Forest have 8AM to 8PM set aside for running generators but I have never found a public place where I could run my generator in public areas after the 8PM time period. I'm sure there are some DISPERSED public camping areas around here but they are few.

This is all different of course camping off the power grid places out West.

In my case I would not like to be running my 2KW Honda Generator outside of the local run time rules that almost all of the local public places here on the East side of the US.

My 2KW generator is secured inside my truck bed near the tail-gate location and I am using one of those FOLD-A-COVER three hard folding panels that completely seals off the truck bed. I get no rain water inside my truck bed with the panels folded closed.

I can start up my 2KW generator and it is very quiet in operation but of course I have to open the far end folding panel just a 1/4 to 1/2 inch using a stick to allow the fumes to dissipate. Even doing this I have almost no noise coming from the running generator.

But of course it is still illegal to be running the generator outside the posted times so I might fudge some of the run times trying to get to the 90% charge state in one generator run time but it is just against my human nature to not follow the local campground rules when posted.

I resolved all this pretty much by building up my battery banks and upgrading my battery cables and using low current items such as LED lighting etc. I will run most of my higher DC Current devices between the hours of 4PM to 11PM each day/night run and my battery bank is designed to handle this drain to not deplete my battery banks below the 50% charge state which is aorund 12.0VDC. Then the next morning at 8AM during breakfast I will run my 2KW Generator for the required three hours to bring my battery bank back up to its 90% charge state. My converter/charger unit is the PD9260C 60AMP unit... It revs up my 2KW Honda generator pretty good pulling 900WATTS on the 120VAC side. I can get around 6 hours on one tank of gasoline using the 2KW Generator pulling this much wattage load...

This allows me to gain back 99 percent of my battery bank performance again to be able to do the higher current drain during the next day/night run off my batteries. I can do this 50% to 90% charge cycle for a good 12-14 times before I do do damage to my battery bank. This is too long long to be running my generator anyway so we usually head back to home location before having to do this on site.

Been doing this since late 2008 and this has proven out to be my success of running all the things we want to run when camping off the power grid.

Of course building the generator boxes will make it very quiet but you know its running...

just me I reckon haha... We all live by the rules for the most part...

Roy Ken

[SoundGuy]

marquette wrote:
So my question is to anyone running a PD9245 or similar converter does it kick your generator off eco when charging? For how long?

Seems self evident to me that a 1K genset would run well above the lowest (& quietest) ECO mode speed as it would take most of what that size is capable of to meet your battery's bulk charge requirements ... for how long would depend on degree of battery depletion. If noise is a concern then your better resolution would be to enclose the genset in a properly designed quiet box, just as I built for my own EU2000i. It's based on a design by another rv.net forum member jauguston ... his original forum discussion on the topic is here and pics of his box are here. Take the time to understand just what is involved and you too can really quiet down that so-called "quiet" inverter genset quite a bit more. :B