Re: Emergency power system for one perosn: Generator or battery system?

On Dec 23, 10:20 am, "hall...@xxxxxxx" <hall...@xxxxxxx> wrote:
On Dec 23, 10:44 am, ransley <Mark_Rans...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:





On Dec 22, 1:44 pm, cl...@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

On Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:07:48 -0600, "HeyBub" <hey...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

m...@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
I live in north Missouri where ice storms can readily
happen..... and knock power out

I also live alone and in rented duplex....so my needs
for power are smaller and require more portability than
others.

Having said that... I'm wondering if buying a small
Honda generator and 120 volt devices is better than say
getting jump start batteries and using them with 12volt
devices (lights, etc)

In addition to the other suggestions, you might consider a 12-120 Volt
inverter (and long extension cord) you can run off your car's electrical
system. What with gasoline being so cheap these days, and inverter may be
reasonable insurance.

But the car at idle will not produce full output - and a 130 Amo GM
alternator will burn out in about 1/2 hour at 100 amps - (most others
are not much better) - and the car will burn more gas producing that
1200 watts than a 5000 watt unit will at full load.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

An inverter I would be scared to use more than 5-10 minutes and not
even full load. At idle it wont do anything to help.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well gee, check the amp specs of a modern vehicles alternator, likely
over 200 amps.

alternators must be designed to charge a dead battery to full charge,
so they must be rugged, espically when you drive around on a bad
battery for weeks before it finally dies

a 1000 watt inverter isnt a big load. lots RVers use them constantly.
they arent dangerous- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

An Rv gen is not a car gen, its heavy duty vs my economy thing. Drive
a car there is airflow keeping things under control, to get power he
will need alot more than idle, maybe 12-1500 rpm, in a car that has no
air flow it will stress things to be overheated possibly. Alternators
can charge a battery but every mechanic I talk to says you shorten
their life, ruin it if you abuse them. An alternator costs alot more
than a cheap chinese gen and will leave you stranded, if its 5 minutes
running I would do it, with a junk car ok, maybe a truck with a big
gen, but not a driver unless I knew with the right equipment that I
wasnt damaging anything. A new alternator for me is im sure over 300,
Northern Tool has a cheap chinese 1000w gen that has a very good
review at alt.energy.homepower for only 100 dollars. Be stranded when
you abuse your car alternator now in winter, or get a cheap 100$
chinese gen. I take the genertor route for 100$
.

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