FD generator "quiet problem"

[Jim Douglass]

We used the Honda generators at our FD site this year. They were so
quiet it seemed like we were on the ac mains!
As a solution to the "quite problem" some others have experienced our
club as an old 6" face ac voltage meter out of
an old power plant that we could hook up via extension cord from one of
the generator outlets and have it at the
operating area to indicate whether or not we have ac being generated.
Just an idea for next year.

Jim AC0E
guest op
Trojan ARC - NWØK
Colby, Kansas
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[WB4SON]

Since the concern is that a quiet generator will run out of gas and nobody
will know (those folks using AC  => Charger => Battery => K3 setups), how
about this instead?

The EU2000 will run for more than 24 hours on an external 6 gallon tank of
gas under full load.  If you use that setup you don't have to refuel every
4 to 6 hours, which means no spilling gas, fumbling in the dark, or worries
about running out of gas during the contest.

You can use a standard portable 6-Gallon gas tank ($50 from WalMart) with a
primer hose and fuel connector for an outboard motor (like a Johnson).  You
then replace the standard Honda gas cap (the one that as the "ON/OFF" air
vent), with a special cap that has the mating connector for your outboard
motor on it.

As gas is drawn out of the generator tank, the vacuum it produces draws gas
from the 6-gallon tank back into the generator tank.

You fill up the Generator tank and 6-gallon tank at a gas station before
the contest, then just plug the stuff together in the field, start it up,
then turn it off when the contest is done.  Expect 24-28 hours of run time
at full load, and a couple of days at partial load.

Google "Honda Generator Extended Run Gas Cap"

An example of a complete assembly (tank, fittings, hose, cap) is here:
http://www.wisesales.com/bergs-6-gal-system-for-honda-etq-generac-all-power.html#.T-nNl5GDl8E

An example of the cap-only is here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HONDA-Eu2000i-GENERATOR-EXTENDED-RUN-FUEL-CAP-SYSTEM-/170855572266?pt=BI_Generators&hash=item27c7c9232a

I used a setup like the one I described for several days after we lost
power during a hurricane late last year.  Because I was only drawing a few
hundred watts (a few desk lamps and our refrigerator), it ran for 2 days
before I put more gas into the external tank, which was about six feet away
from the generator -- so I didn't even stop the generator.

73, Bob, WB4SON

(Love my Honda and K3; two things that just work right all the time)
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[Jose34]

Yeah I know that’s an issue with silent generators as two years ago I had same issue. I am new here in Atlanta and looking for best Honda generators Alpharetta as the old model I had, gifted it to my grandpa.