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Old 11-11-2013, 09:09 AM   #8
portager
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City: Silverado, CA
Vessel Name: Osprey
Vessel Model: Nimble Wanderer
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 194
If you go to NorthStar Belt-Driven Generator Head — 2900 Watt | Generator Heads| Northern Tool + Equipment In the Q&A section it says "This generator head requires at least 5HP and 3540-3720 RPM". Making this work off your main engine seams problematic at best.

I would definately go with a large alternator but make sure you get one that your engine can handle. Some small engines can not handle large alternators hung on the front end. The alternator will produce DC power that you can dump directly into your battery bank, only limited by the charge acceptance of the battery. This will provide the minimum run time to recharge your battery bank. An AC generator will force you to run the engine at a constant speed and it will produce more power than your battery charger can handle. Recharge rate will be limited by the battery charger so engine run time is increased.

BTW the worst thing for a battery bank is to discharge it and leave it discharged for a period of time, such as waiting for wind or solar.
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