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Generators.
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Author:  Kor3y101 [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 6:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Generators.
So after buying a jimny and having a daughter due very soon, I've been looking at setting my car up for camping as opposed to wheeling every weekend. (Although I do intend on wheeling it aswell!)

I've been looking at a few different power options, now ideally, a dual battery system would probably be best, however I feel it is a big outlay in cost and effort for something that I won't use every weekend. Camping would be once every couple of months it I'm lucky and generally for a couple days at a time, no week long trips.
Next best would be a deep cycle battery in a portable box with a solar panel to charge it during the day. This would be my ideal setup, however after looking at what a solar panel and battery is worth.. I feel once again this would outweigh how often I would use it.

Which brings me to my last idea, a small portable generator.
Now the only things I would need to charge/power would be;
-Handheld UHF
-Laptop
- Mobile Phone
- Possiby recharge LED lanterns for lighting

So if my math is correct, the most power I would have drawing from it would be ~400W at any one time, based on charging the laptop and 1 phone. The generator would only be used to recharge the items and turned off once full again as the wife likes to watch a movie in bed before sleeping)

At work, we currently have a 2T 850W for sale (the brand is a cheapie) for $100 (staff price) now obviously this isn't pure sine inverter, so that would also have to be purchased (possibly a cheap eBay jobbie)

Does anyone have experience with this kind of setup? Am I barking up the wrong tree? I'm aware that I can probably charge all that straight from my car, but then I need to have it either running or risk flattening my battery.

Most of my camping would be away from other people during the middle of the week, so noise shouldn't be an issue during the day, besides, a generator can't be more noisy then a newborn baby right? Haha.

Any advice would be super helpful.
Thanks AZ!
Author:  Jezza86 [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
My laptop charger is only rated to 45 watts and a iphone charger is only 10. Thats 55 watts. 4.6 amps.
A 110 ah battery will give you a full 24 hours of charge. But your laptop and phone only take 1-4 hours to charge. So you would have 4 days of charge without a solar pannel.

Or you could run you car motor with some jumper leads to recharge your battery.

Or not go glamping
Author:  Jezza86 [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Also a 2 pole generator ( cheapie) spins at 3000 rpm. Low loads like you are talking about can damage the AVR and make it run high voltage, killing all your stuff.
Author:  watermouse [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
The engine idling in your car is a much less offensive generator when camping.

Your battery is probably good for around 20AH and still start the car the next day.
Using an inverter directly off the battery will be able to handle charging laptops and cameras without consuming much. If you are worried about it monitor the battery voltage until you get used to how much stuff uses to charge. Cheap inverters aren't pure sinewave, more rounded square wave but I have never found any charger or lights that refused to work on one.
Portable batteries are good but also consder another fixed battery under the bonnet with an isolator.
Solar panels are great for leaving camp and keeping the portable battery running a fridge but pointless otherwise.

I used an identical starting battery under the bonnet in my Jimny for redundancy and bit of extra juice when camping. I could swap it over or jump straight from it when I needed to.
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
So I suppose what I should surmise from this, is that a battery would be best, even if I just charged it before I left home in a portable box that would be enough to charge the phones and laptop for a couple days. that may be the way to go then. Can always get a 12V laptop charger I suppose.
Author:  shep [ Fri Mar 11, 2016 8:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
It cost me around $220 to put a quality 60amp deep cycle and redarc isolator under the bonnet of my jimny.
It's always there ready for use and I don't need to worry about carting a box full of acid in the back of the car.
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 5:28 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
^^ and you find that a 60aH is fine? I've been told not to even bother if I'm putting less then 110aH in.
Did you do all the wiring yourself Shep?
Author:  Jezza86 [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
if you have a modern laptop, it will take 1-3 hours to charge, and will stay charged for 7-10 hours of use.

3 H x 3.75 A = 10.5 AH so 60 AH would give you 5 days.

if thats not enough, your alternator will do 60 amps, or 110 amps with a falcon alternator.
run your car for a hour, and you have topped up your battery, for another 5 days. and chances are in 5 days of camping you will need to go for a drive to get something for the missues or bub any way.
if you are really worried, you can also chuck a cheap solar pannel on to top things up during the day, for the 4-5 days.
these are great because they fold up nice ans small, dont weigh much, you can shorten the wiring loom to get rid of some voltage drop, and clamp on to the battery posts of your duel battery. also keeps sun out of the car if you leave it sit on the wind screen. also has a inbuilt voltage regulator for the really sunny days
http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/prod ... mendations
Author:  shep [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 7:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
It runs my 40L engle for 2-3 days. I am plenty happy with it.
Wiring is a pinch of piss if you use a redarc VSR.
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Jezza. I think you just found my solution. I'll jam in a bigger stock battery, and use the solar charger during the day if I had to.

This is why I love AZ, thanks heaps guys!
Author:  Scrawny [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
I thought camping was about getting away from technology?! Cig socket for phone charger and lights and that's it
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Scrawn wrote:
I thought camping was about getting away from technology?! Cig socket for phone charger and lights and that's it


Well it is and it isn't. My wife and I aren't on Facebook or any other social media (does this count? Haha) or anything like that. It's purely as a; we like to take go pro footage of our adventures and watch a movie at night. So whilst I have a 64GB card for the go pro, it still fills up quickly with lots of shots and videos. So we like to put this on the computer and such.
While camping to get away from everything is a great idea. There are still a couple creature comforts I like to retain.

But each to their own :wink:
Author:  Scrawny [ Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
I'm more of a sex and sleep guy at night and not so much of the photos/videos during the day. All good though
Author:  kenzook [ Sun Mar 13, 2016 9:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
100+ ah batterys are needed for fridges and the like.
With no fridge you'll be fine charging your new deep cycle at home before u go if u decide to go that way.
A bigger main batt sounds like the go and maybe one of those new jump start packs if u accedently get a flat. Or just take your old battery as backup.
And when camping u usually go for a drive in to town for supplies or a sight see which charges the batt anyway.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Sun Mar 13, 2016 11:59 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
kenzook wrote:
100+ ah batterys are needed for fridges and the like.
With no fridge you'll be fine charging your new deep cycle at home before u go if u decide to go that way.
A bigger main batt sounds like the go and maybe one of those new jump start packs if u accedently get a flat. Or just take your old battery as backup.
And when camping u usually go for a drive in to town for supplies or a sight see which charges the batt anyway.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah that's right, I'm just going to invest in a bigger sized main battery, the one that is in there is 6 years old next month anyways. And I'll be picking up the solar charger as a backup power source. That way I know it's all under control.

so it seems like it's all a go ahead!
Thanks :)
Author:  Jezza86 [ Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Kor3y101 wrote:
the one that is in there is 6 years old next month anyways. And I'll be picking up the solar charger as a backup power source. That way I know it's all under control.


holey jesus, thats fantastic service life! im lucky to get 3 years out of a battery up here in the NT where its hot, and in some spots even the bitumen is corrugated.
i had a optima D51T1 which bolts right in and is 48 AH

you could even just grab a battery box and keep the old battery, using that first with the solar panel. if it starts to go low voltage, switch to the car!

also saves you paying $10 battery disposial

its important you keep a battery in the circuit between the solar pannel and your electronics, as it will stabilise the voltage. if the voltage got stupid high the battery would vent hydrogen.
Author:  Kor3y101 [ Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Yeah, it's awesome life out of the battery. I'll be keeping it for the Sierra, and taking its good century battery.

Sorry, I mis worded it. I meant I'll be using the solar panel as a backup for the battery.
But it all sounds good :)
Excited to finally get out there and experience it all!
Author:  got_bar_work [ Wed Mar 16, 2016 8:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
Make sure the solar panel has a regulator. Mmpt is the best but a pwm Will do. If u dont have one you will destroy the battery and every thing connected to it
Author:  J--A--C--K [ Thu Mar 17, 2016 6:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
http://www.kpd4x4.com/optima-yellowtop-d34-battery/
Author:  striker99 [ Fri Mar 18, 2016 1:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Generators.
I have a dual battery setup in the Jimny, second battery is a cheapy excide LM50D 40ah car battery. Yes obviously it isn't deep cycle...but it was cheap and space was at a premium under bonnet. (Battery is oby 203mm tall). This battery works okay for about 30 hours with my waeco cf40 fridge. I have a fold up 150w solar panew blanket that we take camping...as long as there is sun during the day it's pretty much indefinite camping :)
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