Using generator

Responder59 · Post by **Responder59** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:03 am

A few questions here for you Bongotechs. I,ve just bought a small
perol gennie, a Wolf 950,absurdly cheap at £29!

I run my fridge and internal lights off a 95 amp L/B with split relay charging. I envisage using the gennie (where apprpriate noise wise)
for running my 240 LCD tv (draws 38 watts) and charging the L/B.
Question
Because of the slight surging of current from the gennie would it be better to run the tv off an inverter and just use the gennie to charge the battery?
Question
The 12 volt charging output is given as 8.2 amps. Would it not be better for the L/B to use a conventional battery charger powered from the 240 volt output of the gennie?

I look forward with great anticipation to your learned observations.

regards,
Steve

I,d rather have a full bottle infront of me than a full frontal lobotomy!!

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:34 am

Can't help but someone will no doubt be along to. BUT, how did you get a gennie at that price. I could be tempted!!

pippin · Post by **pippin** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:50 am

Use the gennie to charge the battery.

The battery acts as a huge damper on the gennie voltage and smooths it out.

Run your telly from the 12V (if it works direct on 12V).

The TV basically runs off low voltage, which is inverted internally to produce various higher and lower supply voltages.

If used on 240V AC there is extra inversion/conversion to produce those same various voltages.

No point in adding extra complication where it is not necessary

Yamaha · Post by **Yamaha** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:14 am

Pippin - would it not be prudent to disconnect one pole of the battery when charging with 8+ amps?

I seem to recall advice that heavy charging CAN damage the diodes in the alternator if the battery is not isolated first.

I'm no motor mechanic, so could be wrong on this.

Comments, anyone?

Mike

roosteruk · Post by **roosteruk** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:24 am

I found when camping, the 900W gennie I have did not sufficiently charge the camper battery from the 12v charge output, so I used a car battery charger on the 240v, that worked well.

helen&tony · Post by **helen&tony** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:03 am

Hi Mike
There are always plenty of cheap camping generators on e-bay....look and choose carefully. S.I.P. is quite a reliable make.....I've used their compressors for donkeys years. Many of the smaller ones will only charge a battery up to 40 Ah. capacity on 12v, so Rooster's right...use 240v. and a car battery charger.
Helen

stringman · Post by **stringman** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 10:56 am

would it not be prudent to disconnect one pole of the battery when charging with 8+ amps?

If the leisure battery is wired through a split charge relay wouldn't it be isolated from the alternator when the engine is not running?

Harry · Post by **Harry** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:07 am

Use a surge protector if you are linking laptops or other gear to the genny.

I blew my laptop transformer through not doing this but since using a surge protector...no probs.

good luck

H

Ralph · Post by **Ralph** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:10 am

Hi Steve

If the genny is new it may stop surging as it gets run in
or a little adjustment to the carburetor may settle it down.
We have a genny but plug it into the hook up we have the
Mazda kitchen with a built in charger that all works from the
hook up connection.

Responder59 · Post by **Responder59** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:38 pm

Many thanks for all the info., I,m going to go with the consensus,
using a seperate charger run off the gennie , not really happy with pumping 8.2 amps into the L/B!!

After running for 2 hours today the new gennie is less noisy and the power
supply more constant. Hooked up to the Bongo and using a surge protector it ran a 240 volt lamp and my 240 volt tellie without any flicker.

'Er indoors not too chuffed about the noise,hope it will get even quieter!

I bought the gennie,a Wolf Popwer 950 last week direct from Wolf after seeing an ad in the Mail. Checked out their web site this am, don,t
think they have any left but worth a try. Still can,t suss out how they do it for £30! wolf-online.co.uk Tel 08700999999

Steve

He drove the fastest Bongo in the West!

Yamaha · Post by **Yamaha** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:31 pm

stringman wrote:
would it not be prudent to disconnect one pole of the battery when charging with 8+ amps?

If the leisure battery is wired through a split charge relay wouldn't it be isolated from the alternator when the engine is not running?

Yep - silly me - was thinking about charging the main battery.

As you said - with a split charge relay, the two batteries would indeed be isolated.

On my Bongo, though, they are connected in series when the engine is stopped - this gives me the 24v to power my Webasto diesel heater.

Which reminds me of ANOTHER job that needs doing when the weather improves - besides building a permanent double bed in the back, in place of the seats - and fitting the Waeco cruise control, which has sat in it's box since before LAST Xmas - I also need to fit a 24v charger so that both batteries can be charged when on a hook-up.

Hope I live long enough to complete all these ESSENTIAL jobs !!

Mike