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09-08-2013, 11:54 PM
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#1
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Newbie
City: OC
Vessel Model: American Marine/ GB32 '67
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 3
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Two stroke portable generator, for emergency charging
For under $100, Harbor Freight sells an 800 W 50:1 premix gasoline/oil generator. I'm sure the thing is noisy and would leave a greasy mess wherever operated, and would barely run a coffee maker. I.e., cant think of using it for any other reason than the following...
Place in stowage for emergency charging a dead starting battery.
12 V chargers under 50 A or a larger charger, like my 100 A Prosine 2.0, sometimes can "dim" the charge current depending on the programmed shorepower breaker size (or amount of nuisance tripping). So, 800 W is plenty to get a healthy discharged battery up to cranking juice in hours.
I wouldn't even know how to jump start my Ford Lehman, even if another boat offered. While replacing the normal 1/0 cables, I needed to start the engine and 8 foot 6 AWG jumper cables failed. Made a "rrrerr...." and started toasting the cables.
How does mariner assist programs provide a jump start? Do they, or just tow you to the nearest grid power source?
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09-09-2013, 12:30 AM
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#2
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Valued Technical Contributor
City: Litchfield, Ct
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,775
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That 800 watt gender can probably supply 6.5 amp AC. That is only enough to power a 30-40 amp charger.
David
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09-09-2013, 05:26 AM
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#3
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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Gasoline with the current Gov required ethanol has a short (under 1 month) useful storage life.With pre mix oil the life is shortened even more.
IF you are going to the bother a real gen set like a Honda with a 6 gal old style steel tank might be better.
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09-09-2013, 05:50 AM
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#4
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,119
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Emergency towers either have jump packs or long jumper cables...I prefer the long cables...we use the same kind wrecker trucks use 25 feet long 4 gauge and never had them smoke (from AWDirect)...
You jump start your Lehman just like a car, not sure why your grrrrr experience happened other than a bad connection. It wouldn't have done that with good connections and a start battery in position....that had even a tiny bit of juice left.
The little genset could do a 50 amp charger with the emergency start feature...I have one....
If I were to lug around another portable genset...I would spring for the Honda 1000 or 2000 and have something that's useful. I carry my Honda 1000 as a spare genset on my long cruise and run it a couple hours a day if I had no need for my big genset and to KEEP from having dead batteries.
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09-09-2013, 06:32 AM
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#5
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Guru
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 5,034
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psneeld
Emergency towers either have jump packs or long jumper cables...I prefer the long cables...we use the same kind wrecker trucks use 25 feet long 4 gauge and never had them smoke (from AWDirect)...
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I also carry 25 ft cables. Fortunatley in 25 years I never had to use them for myself...however I have jumped started anotherboat one time.
__________________
Jay Leonard
Ex boats: 1983 40 Albin trunk cabin, 1978 Mainship 34 Model 1
New Port Richey, Fl
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09-09-2013, 07:19 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
City: St James City, Fl
Vessel Name: Sweet Pea
Vessel Model: Nimble Nomad 25' Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 190
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Agree on the Honda..either the 1000 or 2000. Have a friend who has had a 2000 on several boats and on job sites for almost 10 years and it has always performed.
And FF, I never run ethanol fuel in my Honda. Only 90 octane with Stabil. However if one needed to run a oil mix fuel, there is a company that sells premix made with non-ethanol fuel and apparently it has a great shelf life.
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09-09-2013, 08:04 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
City: La Conner, WA
Vessel Name: Adelaide
Vessel Model: 1983 Tung Hwa Clipper
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 385
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The EU2000 is what I use. The Honda is an inverter/generator. It is specifically designed to run sensitive electronics. The generator that you are talking about provides dirty power, so electronics could be damaged. Costco sells an alternative to the EU2000 for hundreds less. It also has the same quiet features as the Honda..... and with Costco's return policy, it's a winner. Good Luck.
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09-09-2013, 08:24 AM
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#8
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Guru
Join Date: May 2010
Posts: 651
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If all you need is a way to start your engine if your starting battery died, then all you need is a jumper pack. Just remember to charge it before leaving the dock. You will not have to wait until your starting battery is charged. Just hook it up and turn the key.
I have one but have never used it for the boat. I've used it several times on the dinghy.
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09-09-2013, 11:12 AM
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#9
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Member
City: Cape Cod, MA
Vessel Name: Tir Na Nog
Vessel Model: Friday Island Ferry 32
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7
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I would rather depend on the tooth fairy than anything from Harbor Freight.
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09-09-2013, 03:39 PM
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#10
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Guru
City: Solomons Island Md
Vessel Name: Fryedaze
Vessel Model: MC 42 (Overseas Co) Monk 42
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,720
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nimble1
Agree on the Honda..either the 1000 or 2000. Have a friend who has had a 2000 on several boats and on job sites for almost 10 years and it has always performed.
And FF, I never run ethanol fuel in my Honda. Only 90 octane with Stabil. However if one needed to run a oil mix fuel, there is a company that sells premix made with non-ethanol fuel and apparently it has a great shelf life.
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I was in a marina this weekend and a boat on the next dock (about 80' away) ran a Hona generator all night. I really had to listen hard to hear it inside our boat. Even outside it wasnt anoying.
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09-09-2013, 05:50 PM
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#11
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Guru
City: Ft Pierce
Vessel Name: Sold
Vessel Model: Was an Albin/PSN 40
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 28,119
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fryedaze
I was in a marina this weekend and a boat on the next dock (about 80' away) ran a Hona generator all night. I really had to listen hard to hear it inside our boat. Even outside it wasnt anoying.
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That's about right for when they are on econo mode...I put it on the side of the boat away from others...walk about 50 feet away and the wind rustling in the trees or a car driving by is just as loud.
I'm all for keeping anchorages quiet and pristine...but hardly anyone is silent all day long one way or another.
Just wait till Galaxy Girl shows up with her 5 kids!!!!!!
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09-10-2013, 05:28 AM
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#12
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Guru
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 22,553
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And FF, I never run ethanol fuel in my Honda. Only 90 octane with Stabil. However if one needed to run a oil mix fuel, there is a company that sells premix made with non-ethanol fuel and apparently it has a great shelf life.
Thats great if you dont go far from your source., cruising the East coast up to Canada , dont expect to ever see good fuel again.
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09-10-2013, 07:34 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
City: St James City, Fl
Vessel Name: Sweet Pea
Vessel Model: Nimble Nomad 25' Trawler
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 190
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Yes..you are probably correct. I forget how easy it is to obtain non-ethanol fuel here in Fla. All of the marinas seem to have it and in the Keys,even the convenience stores carry it.
I would definitely be at a disadvantage as my old Honda 45 that powers my Nimble is 22 yrs old and was never designed to run on ethanol fuel.
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09-10-2013, 08:33 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
City: La Conner
Vessel Name: Note by Note
Vessel Model: 34 DeFever
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 147
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rrick
...
I wouldn't even know how to jump start my Ford Lehman, even if another boat offered. While replacing the normal 1/0 cables, I needed to start the engine and 8 foot 6 AWG jumper cables failed. Made a "rrrerr...." and started toasting the cables.
How does mariner assist programs provide a jump start? Do they, or just tow you to the nearest grid power source?
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I would think for most of the people on this forum, the backup for starting the engine is the house battery. I have a BlueSea ACR (automatic charge relay) that connect the house and starting battery for charging and separates them when discharging. I have a switch to manually connect the batteries together if I "need a jump".
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09-10-2013, 10:55 PM
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#15
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Newbie
City: OC
Vessel Model: American Marine/ GB32 '67
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 3
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I like the jump box idea. Any experience with good brands that can turn over an old marinised 6-cylinder tractor engine (no decompression start valve). The failed jumper cables were of quality, but yes, a poor connection by clamping onto the starter studs was probably a factor.
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09-10-2013, 11:10 PM
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#16
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Guru
City: Sydney
Vessel Name: Sojourn
Vessel Model: Integrity 386
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 13,293
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Back to the OP question.
I heard one of those kind of generators run, after a lot of swearing, rope tugging on the starter, and governor fiddling, they would disturb most anchorages, unlike a Honda.
Mahal, I have read advertising for the "battery in a box" charge starters, ones I saw talk about starting small engines, you might want to try yours on a main, it may do the job, worth trying before you really need it.
__________________
BruceK
2005 Integrity 386 "Sojourn"
Sydney Australia
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09-10-2013, 11:51 PM
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#17
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Guru
City: Gooding ID/Wrangell AK
Vessel Name: Silver Bay
Vessel Model: Nordic Tug 42-002
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 1,040
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I went the Honda EU2000 route but went one step further by converting it to run on propane, natural gas, or gasoline. I also bought a Lehr propane motor for the dinghy. I bought an 11 lb fiberglass bottle to run the generator. It seems to work pretty well as does the Lehr on 1 lb bottles. Other than a trial run to adjust the propane flow while running the 100 amp charger, I never had an occasion to use it.
Tom
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09-18-2013, 08:03 AM
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#18
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Veteran Member
City: Fond du Lac
Vessel Name: Pokey
Vessel Model: Fu Hwa/New Bedford 38
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 29
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I have two Yamaha 2000i gens. Same as Honda, but blue, maybe a little cheaper, Comes in very handy at home also.
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