Honda Generator 3000i - Noisemaker?

We love our Honda 2000i. We usually run in an hour in the AM to make coffee, and about 2-3 hours in the PM to watch a movie and/or charge house batteries. It is powerful enough to easily run a 5,400 Btu window air unit in summer which we use to cool the master cabin in our Marine Trader 44. Cost? For an entire night's running...1 gallon of gasoline! Saves a bunch on running our main 8 kW diesel generator which burns about .5 gph.

BruceK said:

So, after several posts, it emerges the "point" is:the Honda generator is utterly silent, inaudible, in the dead of night, to boats rafted up either side?
I heard the Honda run, on your video. You demonstrated its noise output.
Have you considered the possibility your friends are being very polite?

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When you're as old as Jeff (or me), your friends are probably half deaf anyway.

rwidman said:

To be objective, we would have to measure the sound oh the running generator with a meter at a specific distance and then compare the results to the normal background noise which could be anything from birds chirping to a nearby Interstate highway bridge.

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We conducted such tests a few years back and finally had to abandon them because a highway some mile or more away was making enough noise you could not get a consistent reading on the Honda.

It's not that it could not be heard, but the Honda was less noisy than the normal ambient background noise. They are very quiet indeed.

One brief addition to my previous praise for Honda's 2000i: I worried about it running in the rain. We have it positioned on our aft deck (Marine Trader 44). Then one day I spotted a little plastic patio storage box-seat with a hinged-top lid. It fit the Honda 2000i perfectly. I assembled it, cut out the bottom, and made 6"x8" holes in the sides for ventilation and rear for the exhaust. I covered the holes with louvered aluminum soffit vents. On the front of the box, I cut a hole and fitted one of those weather-proof outdoor electrical outlet boxes. My power plug leads through this box and plugs into the front of the Honda. I plug the other end into my shore power recepticle. Now the quiet little Honda stays cool and dry even in heavy rain. In addition to protecting the Honda, the box also serves as a spare seat on the aft deck where we keep it. Cost? ...about $30 for the box and hardware. Considering the savings in fuel and wear and tear on our main generator, the Honda has paid for itself (purchased for less than $900 total) many times over. No, I do not work for Honda, but would highly recommend the 2000i based on personal experience. And it's comforting to know that in a worst-case scenario, even if every battery on my boat went dead, one pull of the starter chord on the Honda and I'd be back in business. Cheers to all!

That sounds neat... Got any pics?

Sorry, no pictures, but I'll take some next time I'm on the boat and post them. Cheers!

Captain K said:

~~~Then one day I spotted a little plastic patio storage box-seat with a hinged-top lid. It fit the Honda 2000i perfectly. I assembled it, cut out the bottom, and made 6"x8" holes in the sides for ventilation and rear for the exhaust. I covered the holes with louvered aluminum soffit vents. On the front of the box, I cut a hole and fitted one of those weather-proof outdoor electrical outlet boxes. My power plug leads through this box and plugs into the front of the Honda. I plug the other end into my shore power recepticle. Now the quiet little Honda stays cool and dry even in heavy rain.~~~

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You had better luck with the 2000i running in an inclosure than I did. I'd love to see pictures too.
One More Time Around: Generator Covers
But on the other hand, I never had a problem running any of them in the rain...

We run this good ol' 7.5 kw Kohler 30 to 60 minutes one to two times a day while on the hook (mid morn and/or early eve)... having a good sized battery bank some days it’s not run at all. She's exceptionally quiet inside and out; activates on demand when switches are set to that function. Never had a complaint from other boaters. At dock we use berth’s 120 ac outlet whenever available, not the gen. Only reason we start the genset is if it’s actually required at that time. Never leave it running unless it is being useful.

jeffnick said:

But on the other hand, I never had a problem running any of them in the rain...

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Gotta admit that's a new one on me too. I've got both 2000 and 3000 series Honda generators mounted on all our service trucks. They run rain or shine and get washed with the trucks.

Never a hint of problem, including any incessant drone of folks whining about them running. Never received a single complaint about noise, actually most folks are curious as to where the power is coming for the tools. They cant hear the Honda's running and they're 10 feet away asking the question.