When the GenTent did a really good job of knocking down the noise from the 46538 without overheating I decided to see what it would do for an already "quiet" 2,000 watt inverter generator.
I don't have a Honda or Yamaha. Not even one of the new CPE inverters. But I do have a really close relative to the Honda in a Kipor KGE2000Ti.
I have run the Kipor side-by-side with a friend's Honda 2000 and we agreed that they were about the same noise level and power output.
Anyway, to start the test I laid out the requisite 7 meter distance and put my db meter on a tripod about 4 feet high.
The first thing I did was measure ambient noise. Boy, was it a quiet day! No wind or anything. The meter showed LO which is under 50 dbA.
The next step was to start the Kipor and let it run in Economy Mode to see what the sound reading was.
53 dbA is pretty quiet - but you can tell there is a generator running over there.
I plugged the camper into the Kipor and turned on the 6,000 BTU bedroom A/C along with the converter and fridge. The speed jumped on the Kipor as did the noise level.
60 dbA even at full throttle is not too bad as far as generator noise goes - certainly a lot lower than a open frame unit like the CPE 46538.
Now, it's time to repeat the test with the GenTent over the Kipor.
There is an open end facing away from the meter and the camper and about 3" around the bottom for cooling. Still on the closed side with the Kipor running in Economy mode the dbA reading was below 50 db. You could not even tell the Kipor was running!
Once again I plug the camper into the Kipor. The Kipor shifts into high speed mode as it is loaded to a little over 1,200 watts.
Now we are up to 56 dbA with the GenTent over the Kipor running at 5,000 RPM and a heavy load. The reading is 56 dbA.
Let's see now..... Kipor in ECO mode with no GenTent = 53dbA, With a GenTent it is below 50 dba.
Kipor in high speed mode with no GenTent is 60 dbA, with the GenTent we drop to 56 dbA. A 4 db reduction is significant. But, why wasn't the sound drop equal to the bigger generator in my previous tests?
Well, much of the noise you hear from an open frame synchronous generator like the CPE 46538 is mechanical banging, bumping and vibrating. The cases on the inverters are designed to considerably muffle that particular frequency range. So, even though it may sound sort of fuzzy, there really is not as broad of a sound frequency range to block with an inverter. As with any "reduction" device, there is a point of diminishing returns.
I actually use the Kipor more on my boondocking trips to the mountains than the big Champion 40008 permanently located in the front of my 5th wheel. I rarely need the 15,000 BTU A/C in the mountains so the Kipor provides more than enough power. But, in the NPS Campgrounds on the Skyline Drive lowering even the sound level of a mid-size inverter that mimics an angry swarm of bees when under load will be a plus. I was very pleased with the results.
I don't have a Honda or Yamaha. Not even one of the new CPE inverters. But I do have a really close relative to the Honda in a Kipor KGE2000Ti.
I have run the Kipor side-by-side with a friend's Honda 2000 and we agreed that they were about the same noise level and power output.
Anyway, to start the test I laid out the requisite 7 meter distance and put my db meter on a tripod about 4 feet high.
The first thing I did was measure ambient noise. Boy, was it a quiet day! No wind or anything. The meter showed LO which is under 50 dbA.
The next step was to start the Kipor and let it run in Economy Mode to see what the sound reading was.
53 dbA is pretty quiet - but you can tell there is a generator running over there.
I plugged the camper into the Kipor and turned on the 6,000 BTU bedroom A/C along with the converter and fridge. The speed jumped on the Kipor as did the noise level.
60 dbA even at full throttle is not too bad as far as generator noise goes - certainly a lot lower than a open frame unit like the CPE 46538.
Now, it's time to repeat the test with the GenTent over the Kipor.
There is an open end facing away from the meter and the camper and about 3" around the bottom for cooling. Still on the closed side with the Kipor running in Economy mode the dbA reading was below 50 db. You could not even tell the Kipor was running!
Once again I plug the camper into the Kipor. The Kipor shifts into high speed mode as it is loaded to a little over 1,200 watts.
Now we are up to 56 dbA with the GenTent over the Kipor running at 5,000 RPM and a heavy load. The reading is 56 dbA.
Let's see now..... Kipor in ECO mode with no GenTent = 53dbA, With a GenTent it is below 50 dba.
Kipor in high speed mode with no GenTent is 60 dbA, with the GenTent we drop to 56 dbA. A 4 db reduction is significant. But, why wasn't the sound drop equal to the bigger generator in my previous tests?
Well, much of the noise you hear from an open frame synchronous generator like the CPE 46538 is mechanical banging, bumping and vibrating. The cases on the inverters are designed to considerably muffle that particular frequency range. So, even though it may sound sort of fuzzy, there really is not as broad of a sound frequency range to block with an inverter. As with any "reduction" device, there is a point of diminishing returns.
I actually use the Kipor more on my boondocking trips to the mountains than the big Champion 40008 permanently located in the front of my 5th wheel. I rarely need the 15,000 BTU A/C in the mountains so the Kipor provides more than enough power. But, in the NPS Campgrounds on the Skyline Drive lowering even the sound level of a mid-size inverter that mimics an angry swarm of bees when under load will be a plus. I was very pleased with the results.
When I was in Louisville at The Rally the end of July, I got to meet the guys starting up a company to provide accessories to the small generator market. One of the items they had on display was a tent-like cover for anything from a full size 3,000 watt Chinese generator on down. Their prototype โlooked interestingโ but I did not have any other details to form an opinion as to how well it would actually work.
Last week one of the guys at SuperGen Products gave me a call and asked if it would be OK to send me one of their GenTents. I told him that would be fine, but if I found any problems with the product I would report them just like the good data. He said he understood and was not asking for anything in return.
The white box arrived Thursday via FED-X. I opened Friday morning to see just what was inside.
The tent construction and workmanship is impressive. It is made of a heavy canvas-like material that has pockets for inserting rigid panels. The pockets close with Velcro. Unlike the prototype I saw in Louisville, the panels are now Adzel rather than Masonite. This means that the tent is completely weather proof and can be used as a cover even in the rain and snow. There are two end flaps that are for the muffler end that can be opened for running the generator or closed for weather protection. There is another Velcro panel on the top for access to the fuel tank or to open for extra air circulation to aid cooling.
The frame snaps together quickly and is neatly packed in a separate blue nylon bag. The entire unit folds flat for easy storage in a RV or truck.
OK, it is well made, but does it work to reduce sound from a Generator without overheating?
I set my โtestโ area up so that it was as close to what I would have with a generator connected to my RV in an actual camping space. The generator was several feet behind the camper. I measured out the requisite 7 meters toward the front of the camper and set up my sound level meter on a tripod about 4 feet off the ground.
I started the generator without the GenTent, let it warm up and turned on the 15,000 BTU air conditioner in the camper to load the generator. I measured a consistent 69 db with the meter set to the A weighting and fast response scales. Keep in mind that this reading is with the generator really loaded โ not running in a no-load condition. Again, the 69 dbA reading was WITHOUT the GenTent.
I shut everything down and put the assembled GenTent over the generator. The back side of the tent where the muffler exits was open. The top flap was closed. There is about 3โ of open space around the bottom.
I started the generator via the remote and once again turned on the 15,000 BTU air conditioner. With the generator loaded the meter showed a reading that varied between 61 and 62 dbA. That is an amazing 7 dbA reduction in sound on the front side of the tent. No measurements were made on the back side or the opposite end. I do not expect a drop in sound from the open or muffler end so it should be positioned away from your awning or any close neighbors.
The outside temperature was 86 degrees. I let the generator run for a full hour and 15 minutes. The generator was warm when I shut it down, but it did not overheat. I made some actual temperature measurements with an infrared non-contact thermometer. You can see what those numbers are in the photos below.
Over all I was impressed with the tent. It is extremely well made and should last a long time. It does significantly knock down the sound from the shielded sides.
One thing I would like to stress to anyone using this product with their air cooled 3,000 watt class Chinese generator โ This is not an item to be used in 100 degree heat with a fully loaded generator. Air cooled generators need all the free air flow they can get under such conditions. My experience tells me a sound reduction enclosure such as the GenTent should only be used in โmoderateโ conditions under 90 degrees and at โmoderateโ loads not to exceed 2,400 watts. Occasionally checking the generator's temperature with a non-contact infrared thermometer would be a good idea. As you can see, they are no longer expensive items to own and have many other uses in and around a camper.
I intend to take and use the GenTent on all future boondocking trips where I am using either the 3,500 watt synchronous or the 2,000 watt inverter generator. I believe it will prove to be beneficial to even the Honda and Yamaha inverter crowd as it can help to further reduce annoying engine noise no matter what the make, model or current dbA rating may be.
The GenTent package before assembly.
Azdel fiberglass panel insert
Assembled GenTent
Generator Inside - End and top flaps open
Set-up for test site.
db meter is a measured 7 meters from generator.
db Meter Reading WITHOUT GenTent - generator loaded.
Meter reading with GenTent over generator - full generator load.
Generator tank temperature at start of test (2:50 p.m.).
Generator tank temperature at end of test (3:58 p.m.)
Generator end cap temperature at end of test. Well within acceptable protection limits for the AVR.
Last week one of the guys at SuperGen Products gave me a call and asked if it would be OK to send me one of their GenTents. I told him that would be fine, but if I found any problems with the product I would report them just like the good data. He said he understood and was not asking for anything in return.
The white box arrived Thursday via FED-X. I opened Friday morning to see just what was inside.
The tent construction and workmanship is impressive. It is made of a heavy canvas-like material that has pockets for inserting rigid panels. The pockets close with Velcro. Unlike the prototype I saw in Louisville, the panels are now Adzel rather than Masonite. This means that the tent is completely weather proof and can be used as a cover even in the rain and snow. There are two end flaps that are for the muffler end that can be opened for running the generator or closed for weather protection. There is another Velcro panel on the top for access to the fuel tank or to open for extra air circulation to aid cooling.
The frame snaps together quickly and is neatly packed in a separate blue nylon bag. The entire unit folds flat for easy storage in a RV or truck.
OK, it is well made, but does it work to reduce sound from a Generator without overheating?
I set my โtestโ area up so that it was as close to what I would have with a generator connected to my RV in an actual camping space. The generator was several feet behind the camper. I measured out the requisite 7 meters toward the front of the camper and set up my sound level meter on a tripod about 4 feet off the ground.
I started the generator without the GenTent, let it warm up and turned on the 15,000 BTU air conditioner in the camper to load the generator. I measured a consistent 69 db with the meter set to the A weighting and fast response scales. Keep in mind that this reading is with the generator really loaded โ not running in a no-load condition. Again, the 69 dbA reading was WITHOUT the GenTent.
I shut everything down and put the assembled GenTent over the generator. The back side of the tent where the muffler exits was open. The top flap was closed. There is about 3โ of open space around the bottom.
I started the generator via the remote and once again turned on the 15,000 BTU air conditioner. With the generator loaded the meter showed a reading that varied between 61 and 62 dbA. That is an amazing 7 dbA reduction in sound on the front side of the tent. No measurements were made on the back side or the opposite end. I do not expect a drop in sound from the open or muffler end so it should be positioned away from your awning or any close neighbors.
The outside temperature was 86 degrees. I let the generator run for a full hour and 15 minutes. The generator was warm when I shut it down, but it did not overheat. I made some actual temperature measurements with an infrared non-contact thermometer. You can see what those numbers are in the photos below.
Over all I was impressed with the tent. It is extremely well made and should last a long time. It does significantly knock down the sound from the shielded sides.
One thing I would like to stress to anyone using this product with their air cooled 3,000 watt class Chinese generator โ This is not an item to be used in 100 degree heat with a fully loaded generator. Air cooled generators need all the free air flow they can get under such conditions. My experience tells me a sound reduction enclosure such as the GenTent should only be used in โmoderateโ conditions under 90 degrees and at โmoderateโ loads not to exceed 2,400 watts. Occasionally checking the generator's temperature with a non-contact infrared thermometer would be a good idea. As you can see, they are no longer expensive items to own and have many other uses in and around a camper.
I intend to take and use the GenTent on all future boondocking trips where I am using either the 3,500 watt synchronous or the 2,000 watt inverter generator. I believe it will prove to be beneficial to even the Honda and Yamaha inverter crowd as it can help to further reduce annoying engine noise no matter what the make, model or current dbA rating may be.
The GenTent package before assembly.
Azdel fiberglass panel insert
Assembled GenTent
Generator Inside - End and top flaps open
Set-up for test site.
db meter is a measured 7 meters from generator.
db Meter Reading WITHOUT GenTent - generator loaded.
Meter reading with GenTent over generator - full generator load.
Generator tank temperature at start of test (2:50 p.m.).
Generator tank temperature at end of test (3:58 p.m.)
Generator end cap temperature at end of test. Well within acceptable protection limits for the AVR.
Skibane wrote:professor95 wrote:
That is a strange looking muffler. I see 8 holes facing back and what appears to be a removable end plate.
I believe that's a heat shield bolted to a small cylindrical muffler.
Doesn't look particularly quiet...
Oh, I'm sure it is part of the heat shield - especially since it is plated. That is just all I could see ๐
..... and, no. It does not look particularly quiet. In fact, 70 db is most likely a long stretch if it is truly as small as it looks - sort of like the mufflers used on the water pumps, pressure washers, etc.
If you look at the zoom and cropped photo you can see the head pipe enter a small round vertical cylindrical metal muffler with a curved tail pipe at the bottom coming out the back.
I am still suspicious about a EPA/CARB product having some type of air injection or catalyst we cannot see.
