Yamaha 1000w inverter for maintaining batteries

[Winnipeg]

Hi,

Sorry if this is a repeat question (I searched and didn't find).

I have a MH with 4 @ 6v batteries, 2000w inverter, and residential fridge.

I would like to maintain the batteries (while remote camping) with my 1000w Yamaha gas powered inverter/generator.

If I connect the Yamaha to 110v, it tries to power the fridge, charge the batteries, and do many other things. Poor Yamaha quickly overloads and trips out.

If I connect the Yamaha directly to the batteries with 12v cables, it doesn't appear to do anything. Engine shows no sign of doing work. The Yamaha should work as a 12v charger, but that does not appear to be true.

I considered getting a "good" external battery charger and using the Yamaha to power it to charge the batteries, but it seems silly to make 12v dc, change it to 110v, then change it back to 12v.

Am I missing something, or do these little inverters not work as 12v chargers?

Paul

[NRALIFR]

BFL13 wrote:
Using the converter to support the battery bank while it is being pulled down by the inverter is a good technique. Another way is to use alternator charging to support the battery bank.

I’m not having good luck with alternator charging the TC battery with this truck. I was able to get acceptable alternator charging from the two older trucks that carried this camper by simply increasing the size of the charge wires going to the camper. The alternator could then keep up with the draw from an inverter that was being used to run the fridge in AC mode that was cycling on maybe 40% of the time.

On my current truck, the 12v system is very different, and I believe the charging is being controlled by the computer. To be honest I don’t have a good understanding of it, so I’m hesitant to connect the camper charge wires directly to the alternator like I did on my old trucks, so they are connected to the truck batteries. I’m not getting acceptable charging this way, so I’m currently considering adding a Redarc BCDC1240D battery-to-battery charger in the camper. I already have 4 AWG charge wires run to the camper from the truck. It looks like those would be plenty to run the 40 amp battery-to-battery charger. This particular model also has a built in MPPT solar controler, in case I wanted to add a panel later.

:):)

[NRALIFR]

I do have a Trimetric and a Kill-A-Watt, and the highest boost amperage I’ve seen is about 40-42. I’ve also seen the Yamaha sustain 950 watts output at low elevations.

For me, shoulder injuries make the extra weight and size of a 2000 watt generator a big deal. I like my 1000.

:):)

[BFL13]

time2roll wrote:
I have read a 40 amp IOTA will overload a Honda 1000. This is why I don't recommend 40 amp charging even if some chargers will work. I believe PD voltage or amps sag a bit near full output. Very few list PF correction so it is a bit of a gamble at about 40+ amps.

Xantrex Power Factor White Paper

Little math exercise:

ASSume 85% efficiency for Iota and PD, and Iota at its 14.8 while PD at 14.4, each at 40 amps output. PD PF 0.7, ASSume same for Iota.

14.8 x 40 = 592w out, so at 85% = 696w in, so at 0.7 = 995VA

14.4 x 40 = 576w out, so at 85% = 678w in, so at 0.7 = 968VA

[BFL13]

NRALIFR wrote:
I have a Yamaha EF1000iS that I carry with me all the time. My TC has a PD4645 converter-charger, and the Yamaha is capable of running the charger even in boost mode with wattage to spare. I use the Yamaha about 95% of the time vs. the built-in Generac LP generator. It will run everything except the AC. I can even use my microwave while running the Yamaha by plugging it into a 1500 watt psw inverter. I’ve run the microwave that way for nearly an hour before the battery got down to about 50%. When we’re dry camping, the Yamaha gets used a lot.

:):)

Good that it is working for your situation.

However, there are no measurements given. Needs a Kill-A-Watt to see what is actually going on. It also is necessary to know what the amps to the battery are when the PD4645 is in boost "with wattage to spare". (The converter will pull less in VA doing less than 45 amps output. Being "in boost" is not enough info)

Using the converter to support the battery bank while it is being pulled down by the inverter is a good technique. Another way is to use alternator charging to support the battery bank.

[time2roll]

I have read a 40 amp IOTA will overload a Honda 1000. This is why I don't recommend 40 amp charging even if some chargers will work. I believe PD voltage or amps sag a bit near full output. Very few list PF correction so it is a bit of a gamble at about 40+ amps.

Xantrex Power Factor White Paper

[NRALIFR]

I have a Yamaha EF1000iS that I carry with me all the time. My TC has a PD4645 converter-charger, and the Yamaha is capable of running the charger even in boost mode with wattage to spare. I use the Yamaha about 95% of the time vs. the built-in Generac LP generator. It will run everything except the AC. I can even use my microwave while running the Yamaha by plugging it into a 1500 watt psw inverter. I’ve run the microwave that way for nearly an hour before the battery got down to about 50%. When we’re dry camping, the Yamaha gets used a lot.

:):)

[Tom_M1]

BFL13 wrote:

Tom_M wrote:
I have no problem with my Yamaha 1000 watt powering my Stanley 40 amp charger.

It all turns on the meaning of "continuous" and the margin for going over the specs. My 40amp VEC1093DBD on a Honda with a Kill-A-Watt:

125.4v, 8.4a, 688w, 1063VA, PF 0.64 (output 40.4 amps, battery 12.8 and rising.)

My 35amp Vector 1092A was:

125.9v, 6.89a, 568w, 868VA, PF 0.65 (output 33.2a)

I don't know what the VA is for my Stanley charger, but my usage is "continuous" while doing a 40 amp charge.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The 320 watt MEANWELL RSP-320-15 would be ideal. and check out the price

$48.40 ea

Power factor corrected




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[BFL13]

Tom_M wrote:
I have no problem with my Yamaha 1000 watt powering my Stanley 40 amp charger.

It all turns on the meaning of "continuous" and the margin for going over the specs. My 40amp VEC1093DBD on a Honda with a Kill-A-Watt:

125.4v, 8.4a, 688w, 1063VA, PF 0.64 (output 40.4 amps, battery 12.8 and rising.)

My 35amp Vector 1092A was:

125.9v, 6.89a, 568w, 868VA, PF 0.65 (output 33.2a)

[Tom_M1]

I have no problem with my Yamaha 1000 watt powering my Stanley 40 amp charger.

[time2roll]

OP has a big generator when needed.
I think the 1000VA Yamaha will do great with a 35 amp charger to maintain the battery.

[SoundGuy]

bikendan wrote:
For the little amount of money more a 2000w costs, to me it's a no brainer.

For you perhaps, but the OP already owns a EF1000iS that weighs 20+ lbs less than an EF2000iS, which may not be important to some but very important to others who would consider lower weight a "no brainer". 😉

[bikendan]

For the little amount of money more a 2000w costs, to me it's a no brainer.

[SoundGuy]

wa8yxm wrote:
He needs to limit his charging current to around 30 anps.

Or he can upgrade the generator (What I'd do).

The attraction of these little 1000 watt inverter gensets is their light weight, about 30 lbs with gas & oil, which makes them especially attractive to many. Having previously owned Honda EU2000i gensets that each weighed about 50 lbs I'd encourage the OP to keep his 1K and just turn the fridge off while charging the batts.

[wa8yxm]

Ok if his inverter is an Inverter charger and he can throttle it

I reachered the Honda 200 earlier. He has about 800 watts to play with Fridge can draw as much has half that (400) assume he has about 300 watts to charge with He needs to limit his charging current to around 30 anps.

Or he can upgrade the generator (What I'd do).