3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

racefan1965 wrote:
This new black inverter genset that walkers2rad is boasting about is rated at 65decibels at 7 meters. The champion is rated at 68. Not enough of a decibel difference for me to spend a extra $200.00. Not in this lifetime anyway but thanks for the heads up walkers2rad

Honda's rating of 58 or 59 dBA is for one of their gennys throttled down in eco mode. When you get a load on one (other than the 1000i) the noise level rises to a level of 62-65 dBA. Perhaps Eastcoast Sales is giving a real time worst case level at 65 dBA?

Looking at the Chinese 3,000 watt class units with the GX200 style engine, they are conseratively rated at 67 dBA with none to a light (under 1,000 watts) load. Plug a 15,000 BTU A/C into one and lock up the compressor and you are listening to 72 dBA.

"If" one were to pull the throttle back on one of the open frame Chinese gensets so that the engine speed was 1,200 RPM, the noise level would quickly drop to 60 dBA. Of course, at 1,200 RPM the frequency would only be 20 HZ and the voltage well below 120 VAC so doning such with a non-inverter genny would be a hoot.

Another issue with the open frame Chinese gennys is that the coveted 67 dBA rating is not consistent off of all sides. It is more of an "average" taken from the front. Sound levels off the ends are at least 69 dBA.

While 2 dBA may not sound too different to the human ear while next to or a few yards from a genny, there is a significant difference in pressure of the sound wave and the wave's ability to travel greater distances. At 50 plus feet, that 2 dBA would make a significant differencfe to your ears.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the manufacturer's sound pressure ratings need to be taken with a grain of salt. The only true test is what you measure with your ears and maybe a meter, by comparison to another unit, a sound abatement add on or relative to existing ambient/background noise. Funny, the gas furnace on a RV can easilly exceed 67 dBA.

I recently had a discussion with one of our major Chinese Generator companies asking why they did not enter the digital market. The response did not surprise me. Apparently some of the current digital technology has infringed on Honda's patent. Seeing the numbers of Chinese digital gennys increasing, Honda is now pursuing patent infringement and court cases may be on the horizon. Honda winning such a case could be very bad for a company in the digital market.

The second issue is not the engines, but the module that changes the mechanical energy from the 3 phase alternator to the digital output. It was interesting to note the East Coast unit carried a 90 day warranty on the "electronics" but a 1 year on the engine. This is an issue that has caused some companies to wait and watch. The digital units are not field repairable but require replacement at a cost equal to almost half of a new genny.

Truthfully, I would like to own a 3,000 watt digital genny, and perhaps I will before it is all said and done. The open frame units I have been messing with are like an old Ford 8N tractor: May ride like a mule, sound like a bull and look like a pig - but they always get the job done when the chips are down. The new digitals are like a big John Deer tractor with power steering, an air condeitioned cab, DVD player and monitor and plush leather seats. They get the job done too, but at a higher initial cost for the extra features.

Personally, I like messing with the old tractors and trying to make them more like the big John Deer.