Generator
Re: Generator
I have an Entec 4.2 kw. Runs everything.
It is a diesel and lives under the port side aft bunk.
Came when I ordered the boat.
I don't use it too much, but when you need it, it is great to have.
I have probably spent more time maintaining it than using it.
It is a diesel and lives under the port side aft bunk.
Came when I ordered the boat.
I don't use it too much, but when you need it, it is great to have.
I have probably spent more time maintaining it than using it.
Re: Generator
The base price on an Entec diesel generator appears to be $8,800, not including installation.
Some air conditioning units come with the ability to substantially limit inrush current. If not, there are companies which make devices to reduce the inrush current.
A Honda 3.5 kw portable marine generator lists for just over $2300 but often sells closer to $2000 at a discount. It weighs 134 lbs and so it's no light weight. But if you can find a home for it, where you don't have to move it around (I've seen folks make a box for it). It's not too big and measures 26 inches long, by 22 inches high, by 18 inches wide.
The Honda 3.5 puts out 25 amps at 120 volts and runs 20 hours at 1/4 load and 7.2 hours at max load. Running a 1200btu a/c unit for just your sleeping cabin would be running on approximately half load of 12 amps? So it would run all night no problem. A full tank is 3.4 gallons of gas.
It's less maintenance than the diesel generator and you can take it with you when you sell the boat if you choose.
The following is taken from the link below and gives you an idea of the power requirements:
-"I have a 3.5KW NextGen and two A/Cs: a 16,500btu and a 12,000btu unit (both Flagship Marine). Installed these several years ago. I also have a Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger.
The Flagship Marine A/C units have special circuitry for "soft-starts". They are rated as follows:
.....................................Approx. Start Current Full Load Current
16,500BTU Unit (aft cabin) 21 amps 14.1 amps
12,000BTU Unit (fwd cabin) 19 amps 12.3 amps
Note that these figures do not count the AC-powered water pumps for each unit. I believe they draw about 3 amps each.
The NextGen will power the larger A/C unit just fine. It will also start and run the smaller unit simultaneously (total 28,500btu), but it won't run them both for very long before it cuts back and...if you don't shut one off...the generator will shut down.
While in theory the NextGen puts out 30amps @ 120volts, in practice on a hot day you can't load it that way. Also, the power factor of the load makes a big difference....pure resistive load (like a heater) vs. an inductive load (like motors in A/Cs, frig's, etc.). The NextGen is happy at about 20-22 amps indicated load. Much higher than that it gets finiky.
The Victron doesn't like the NextGen at all, even though it's been set to essentially work with dirty power. The NextGen...even with the special AVR unit...puts out pretty dirty power until it has a substantial load on it. I recently put two oscilloscopes on it to view what is happening at various loads. Bottom line is that I need to put a load on the NextGen before the Victron will say, "OK", and begin to pass power thru and/or do it's charging and charging-inverting thing. This is most annoying, and despite consultations with the NextGen dealer and several highly qualified electrical and marine engineers I don't have a good solution yet.
The NextGen's dirty power output is a function of its design...2 pole. After you put a good load on it, it settles down OK. BTW, the first AVR burned up, and the unit has a new one. Still, the output is dirty without a load.
Since installation I've often wished for a larger generator, but don't have the room for it. The Fisher-Panda's are nice and small, but they are very costly and have had a terrible maintenance reputation. Some of my clients (not for F-P) have been tearing their hair out for years with their F-Ps."-
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14 ... 33592.html
Some air conditioning units come with the ability to substantially limit inrush current. If not, there are companies which make devices to reduce the inrush current.
A Honda 3.5 kw portable marine generator lists for just over $2300 but often sells closer to $2000 at a discount. It weighs 134 lbs and so it's no light weight. But if you can find a home for it, where you don't have to move it around (I've seen folks make a box for it). It's not too big and measures 26 inches long, by 22 inches high, by 18 inches wide.
The Honda 3.5 puts out 25 amps at 120 volts and runs 20 hours at 1/4 load and 7.2 hours at max load. Running a 1200btu a/c unit for just your sleeping cabin would be running on approximately half load of 12 amps? So it would run all night no problem. A full tank is 3.4 gallons of gas.
It's less maintenance than the diesel generator and you can take it with you when you sell the boat if you choose.
The following is taken from the link below and gives you an idea of the power requirements:
-"I have a 3.5KW NextGen and two A/Cs: a 16,500btu and a 12,000btu unit (both Flagship Marine). Installed these several years ago. I also have a Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger.
The Flagship Marine A/C units have special circuitry for "soft-starts". They are rated as follows:
.....................................Approx. Start Current Full Load Current
16,500BTU Unit (aft cabin) 21 amps 14.1 amps
12,000BTU Unit (fwd cabin) 19 amps 12.3 amps
Note that these figures do not count the AC-powered water pumps for each unit. I believe they draw about 3 amps each.
The NextGen will power the larger A/C unit just fine. It will also start and run the smaller unit simultaneously (total 28,500btu), but it won't run them both for very long before it cuts back and...if you don't shut one off...the generator will shut down.
While in theory the NextGen puts out 30amps @ 120volts, in practice on a hot day you can't load it that way. Also, the power factor of the load makes a big difference....pure resistive load (like a heater) vs. an inductive load (like motors in A/Cs, frig's, etc.). The NextGen is happy at about 20-22 amps indicated load. Much higher than that it gets finiky.
The Victron doesn't like the NextGen at all, even though it's been set to essentially work with dirty power. The NextGen...even with the special AVR unit...puts out pretty dirty power until it has a substantial load on it. I recently put two oscilloscopes on it to view what is happening at various loads. Bottom line is that I need to put a load on the NextGen before the Victron will say, "OK", and begin to pass power thru and/or do it's charging and charging-inverting thing. This is most annoying, and despite consultations with the NextGen dealer and several highly qualified electrical and marine engineers I don't have a good solution yet.
The NextGen's dirty power output is a function of its design...2 pole. After you put a good load on it, it settles down OK. BTW, the first AVR burned up, and the unit has a new one. Still, the output is dirty without a load.
Since installation I've often wished for a larger generator, but don't have the room for it. The Fisher-Panda's are nice and small, but they are very costly and have had a terrible maintenance reputation. Some of my clients (not for F-P) have been tearing their hair out for years with their F-Ps."-
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f14 ... 33592.html
Re: Generator
fwiw, we run a magnum pure sine wave inv/chg with nextgen 3.5 with no problems. we also have an entec 4.2 which we run with a victron multiplus.
john & diane cummings
duetto mv34 #23
duetto mv34 #23