JiminDenver
Denver, Co
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Joined: 09/09/2011
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pnichols wrote:I can't figure out if I'm anti fossil fuel electrification or not ... so I take a noncommittal position by using that little tiny ancient and almost-a-fossil-itself Honda EX650 we got given to us to keep the boondock batteries healthy - about 0.51 gallons of gas every six hours and kindof "no noise" coming from it.
There's not many fans of little tiny generators around, however, so I sometimes feel pretty lonely. 
One of those was on CL for $100 a day or so ago. I would have picked it up if I wasn't saving up for the Rogue mppt I need for the panels.
2011 GulfStream Amerilite 25BH
2007/2003 Ford Expedition
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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mena661 wrote:smkettner wrote:
PM going direct to float does not seem best to me. That or you need to go with one PM so it does not drop voltage down so early in the charge cycle. It's not the best IMO either but the Iota's draw too much power and have their own issues as well. At least the Powermax's will go into boost when the volts are low enough plus they're PF corrected so you could run two 100 ampers of a Honda EU3000. I would rather they start in boost automatically like my Paramode.
No a PM 100 takes 15a AC and the Honda 3000 does 23a. I am uncertain how two 2000s in parallel operate, but that 4000w at 33a was what I thought you meant.
If you start at 50% so it goes in boost and only plan to run it for an hour or so and then go to solar, it doesn't matter that it drops voltage "too soon" after that since you already shut it off. What you want is full blast and no fooling around for that hour.
2003 Chev 2500HD Gas, 2003 Komfort 26FS 5er
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mena661
Southern California
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BFL13 wrote:
No a PM 100 takes 15a AC and the Honda 3000 does 23a. I am uncertain how two 2000s in parallel operate, but that 4000w at 33a was what I thought you meant.
LOL! Yeah, the Yamaha was what I meant. Confused myself. 
If you start at 50% so it goes in boost and only plan to run it for an hour or so and then go to solar, it doesn't matter that it drops voltage "too soon" after that since you already shut it off. What you want is full blast and no fooling around for that hour.
Gotcha! Thanks much.
2009 Newmar Canyon Star 3205, Ford F53 V10
Trojan L16 6V's 740 Amp-hours
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smkettner
Southern California
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Mena, you did mention 5.5 kW generator in the same statement. Power would be a nonissue with 2 x 90a IOTA.
Otherwise with a H3000 I would go 1 x 90a IOTA over the PowerMax x 2
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
675 watts solar
Send a PM if I missed something
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mena661
Southern California
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smkettner wrote:Mena, you did mention 5.5 kW generator in the same statement. Power would be a nonissue with 2 x 90a IOTA.
Otherwise with a H3000 I would go 1 x 90a IOTA over the PowerMax x 2 If I get a MH I would get the 5.5kW generator option (which most dealers out here include because of all the boondocking that people do). The PF correction is a big seller for me. No 20 amp circuit needed. I could use a Powermax at home if I wanted to. The Iota's would be a 20 amp circuit only and I don't even know if I have one. Any future generator would be used for battery charging 99% of the time so I don't know if a EU3000 would be enough. I want close to 200 amps of charging otherwise it's going to take most of the day to get to 90% and I'm not going listen to that thing cackle all day long. That's why I don't have one now.
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Perhaps by the time mema661 needs a new converter (or two) there will be more choice.
Also how much more on the price of a MH is an inverter/charger these days, with 150amp chargers that you can play with their set points?
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KendallP
Grants Pass, OR
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BFL13 wrote:Perhaps by the time mema661 needs a new converter (or two) there will be more choice.
Also how much more on the price of a MH is an inverter/charger these days, with 150amp chargers that you can play with their set points?
I'm betting the dealer-installed option would be a fair amount more than a DIY of the same.
Cheers,
Kendall
1986 Winnebago Chieftain 22RC
Our Camper (with no payments)
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mena661
Southern California
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KendallP wrote:BFL13 wrote:Perhaps by the time mema661 needs a new converter (or two) there will be more choice.
Also how much more on the price of a MH is an inverter/charger these days, with 150amp chargers that you can play with their set points?
I'm betting the dealer-installed option would be a fair amount more than a DIY of the same. Indeed and that would be a project I'd tackle myself unless they threw it in there as part of the deal. Only issue is the one's with the 150A chargers are really expensive. You'd have to go Victron or Mastervolt. Magnum's tops out at 125A.
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smkettner
Southern California
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mena661 wrote:smkettner wrote:Mena, you did mention 5.5 kW generator in the same statement. Power would be a nonissue with 2 x 90a IOTA.
Otherwise with a H3000 I would go 1 x 90a IOTA over the PowerMax x 2 If I get a MH I would get the 5.5kW generator option (which most dealers out here include because of all the boondocking that people do). The PF correction is a big seller for me. No 20 amp circuit needed. I could use a Powermax at home if I wanted to. The Iota's would be a 20 amp circuit only and I don't even know if I have one. Any future generator would be used for battery charging 99% of the time so I don't know if a EU3000 would be enough. I want close to 200 amps of charging otherwise it's going to take most of the day to get to 90% and I'm not going listen to that thing cackle all day long. That's why I don't have one now. Have you not read BFL's test where Powermax drops to float at less than 80%?
You need amps and voltage. It will be a long haul from 80% to 90%.
whoops is floated at 72%  Long time from 72 to 90 at 13.7v
At home with lots of time you don't need more than 30 amps into the battery.
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mena661
Southern California
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smkettner wrote:Have you not read BFL's test where Powermax drops to float at less than 80%? That does suck as was mentioned in the other thread. I just don't understand why this has to suck. I mean a 40A portable has a better charging algorithm than any of these converters.
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