View Transcript

Hide Transcript

Transcript is auto-generated.

[Music]  you  [Music]  alright this is gonna be I think the  last one on power generation there's not  a lot here I want to show basically this  is a good way to kind of understand what  a generator does versus a DC generator  because when it comes to troubleshooting  my batteries aren't charging because of  my generator look at what's involved  here versus what's involved here all  right there's a lot of things that you  need to understand that happens on the  output of an AC generator to get your  batteries to recharge yes AC generators  will have alternators but they are tiny  it is barely to just keep the battery  that started the generator running there  might be a 30 amp 20 amp alternator your  generator should have a dedicated  battery most don't but they should and  that battery's going to get its own  charge from the alternator from the  generator but once you output the real  purpose of an AC generators to run AC  loads and AC loads are gonna involve of  many things a battery charger and so  with an AC generator you're basically  creating AC you're effectively  replicating what Shore power does and  you're recharging your batteries with a  battery charger a DC generator outputs  literally direct current and it goes  straight pipe via fuse always a fuse to  the battery so conceptually that's the  difference between an AC generator and a  DC generator to recharge the batteries  okay any questions on this because I'm  not gonna be coaching people on how to  buy an AC generator in this presentation  because that could be a full lawn day or  weekend but any questions on generators  and DC generators no the DC generator  has it it's part of it there's a  regulator absolutely there has to be  same thing that a generator also has an  AC regulator inside the generator as  well yes  oh absolutely yeah yeah the question is  do you run the same risk not having a  switch absolutely  you you want to have the alternator  output directly out to this battery here  you might not even start the DC  generator from the same battery as  you're outputting right you might have  the engine batteries start that and then  this go to your house because you don't  want to be in a chicken-and-egg  situation I see this situation all the  time and when we're designing an  electrical system the very battery that  you're trying to save is the battery  that gets you out of trouble  it's like saying your get out of jail  card is only at home well you can't get  your get out of jail card if you don't  have it on your person so it's essential  that a generator be started from a  battery that is separate than the  battery you are worried about and that's  a common thing that we do is saying well  this is crazy and a generating battery  is not expensive we're talking about a  hundred one hundred and fifty dollars to  put a dedicated battery just to started  the generator so that is probably one of  the top things that I do on the power  boats as I like now this is crazy we're  putting still have a switch everything's  there but we're not gonna start the  generator from one of your house  batteries that's the whole point of  having a generators that when all else  fails you have the trump card you're  like I got this let me start my  generator run the chargers and then the  problems go away  yeah you would have that that's  absolutely true and you would have that  either in line depending if they Deezy  chain the alternator this starter or you  might have it completely separate if  they're starting the DC generator from  another battery correct know what  depends it depends again and I don't  know I can't give I don't give because  those can be yeah I just I advice is one  of those things you never want to make  generalizations I'm talking you have to  know if your alternator your DC  generator the output is going to the  same battery that starts or is it going  to a different battery it depends on how  its wired yeah a remote battery switch  is the same thing as a battery switch  it's just it's there for convenience DC  generators are awesome because most  boats now are going to inverter based  voting meaning a lot of boats are  actually running all AC loads on an  inverter and the batteries are what runs  the boat so really the thing that  matters is recharging the batteries yes  of the Honda generator yeah yeah  downsides is you're losing the there's  no grounding you're back to circa 1898  you got two wires there's no there's no  return path so that's one issue question  was downsides of using a Honda portable  generator on your boat well besides the  noise it's far from being quiet that's a  reality yeah that's when it runs in the  forest and there's no echoing let me  tell you on the water  anybody who's heard a Honda 2000  generator on the water says it's quiet  they probably don't even know what the  sound of music is like like they've lost  all hearing you can hear those things  all along what in the forest it's  probably different because in the forest  you know you're RVing everything's like  absorbing the sound water does not  absorb SAP it's just one that'd be one  thing but that depends vibration depends  those are just inconveniences for me  what stopped me using mine was  using it in desolation sound in the  winter so I was alone didn't feel too  bad  put it on the transom facing aft Dodger  Bimini no side windows companionway is  closed lazarette come boards are  completely closed I'm off the boat off  the boat I'm a tanker swinging and I'm  thinking ok the exhaust is pointing ass  and I'm swinging right I got this for  like I'm thinking river kayaking days  like I'm like it's just gonna be blown  back I'm good like what are the chat and  I've got the companionway and the hatch  boards closed and also my vents are  facing the cow vents are facing forward  oh my I got this go on a tender ride cuz  I can't hear the sound for 3 hours  because I still can hear music go on and  tend to ride for 3 hours come back the  carbon monoxide detectors in the boats  are beeping that was the last time I  used it I was like risk/reward I'm like  I have a boat life is pretty good I  don't want to throw it away  I'm like what if my carbon monoxide  detector isn't working properly I'm like  I'm not taking a chance now I'm very  risk adverse I'm off the spectrum the  risk adverse  I'm always the risk reward risk reward  risk reward Oh Mike there's got to be a  better way and I went hunted generator  and now it's a backup for the shop I  love it it's awesome but I'm not having  an online boat and the second point that  was saying is the fact that the ground  is not grounded there's no ground it's  two wires it's neutral and hot so that's  the other issue any other questions on  generators so we're gonna take a short  break about 10 minutes and then we're  gonna dial into power sharing alright