I too have recently purchased a Honda EU2000i for operating in the
field (told the wife it was for the travel trailer ;-) . It cost about
$1080 out the door, even with California's extortionate sales taxes.
You may be able to find cheaper, Mayberry was advertising $899 in QST
with free shipping, but they didn't have the California ARB approved
version.
I second Bill's statements on the portability and quietness of the
generator. One thing they did tell me was to put something under the
generator as the air intake is on the bottom and will pick up dust and
dirt easily if operated on an unpaved surface. The other thing is that
the generator does not like rapidly varying loads, so you may not want
to operate that linear directly from the generator, it works better if
you use a deep cycle battery to buffer the load.
The generator appears to be very RF quiet, I was not able to find any
excess noise in the ham bands from the generator.
Erich, N6FD
ex KA6AMD
DM15
On 9/16/2010 10:08 AM, Bill Burgess wrote:
> I started off roving with the club's old Honda 1400w generator, worked well
> but was getting too heavy to lift in and out of the vehicle in many isolated
> operating positions. If I put my back out trying to lift it back in, a major
> problem. Took the battery route, using two Canadian Tire marine deep cycle
> batteries at $200 each. Think true capacity is 50 amps stated on them.
> These batteries will not put out 13.8 volts, like many others so at best you
> are running with less than full output and it drops according to usage. I
> have never tampered with the electrical system in my Toyota Sienna LE 2004
> Rovermobile, operate nothing from it except the GPS.
>
> Bought a dozen pulls at $10 each, 51 amps deep cycle from a police
> communications center, nice to have the added capacity. Two years later,
> they are failing badly, time to scrap. Still keep the $200 ones.
>
> This spring I bought a Honda EU2000i, best investment I have made. It does
> have the option of low voltage for battery charging but you cannot use this
> feature and have 120V at the same time. So I use the Cdn Tire charger made
> for their marine battery and others, on 120 volts with charge options of 2,
> 10 and 15 amps rate for selected lead acid, deep cycle or AGM, gel cell.
> Brand name is Nautilus, same as the batteries. Cost about $99 when purchased.
>
> The Honda EU1000i and EU2000i both have an ECOnomy switch, that allows you to
> run the generator at low rpm for lighter loads, to save gas and reduce the
> noise even further that will kick into high revs if sensing a heavy load, to
> maintain needed power. Weight of the EU2000i is less than 50 pounds dry, and
> fully fuelled is no risk to the back lifting with one hand.
>
> For those roving in northern climates, you can run a small heater off the
> generator rather than keep the vehicle running.
> Good for those of us who park and call, not so for those run and gun rovers
> who are usually mobile.
>
> The EU2000i in suburban Toronto cost $1,580 including all taxes our
> government kindly bestows on us.
>
> BTW bought a China made 1 kw year ago, total garbage. You get what you pay
> for. Think was $199 on sale.
>
> Whatever your choice, opt for full performance for the entire contest.
>
> 73,
>
> Bill VE3CRU ...........often /R
>
>
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