Generator usage

[jddevel]

Upset someone this morning as I put my generator  (Honda) on as they were working on the internet and said they couldn't hear. Told me to turn it off in a most unpleasant manner. I know using a generator is a difficult subject but for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

[nicknorman]

23 minutes ago, jddevel said:

Upset someone this morning as I put my generator  (Honda) on as they were working on the internet and said they couldn't hear. Told me to turn it off in a most unpleasant manner. I know using a generator is a difficult subject but for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

It’s a tricky one. Personally I really hate other peoples generators. We don’t have one. Even the quiet ones can still be heard as a low rumble and I struggle to work and think straight as my mind keeps going back to the noise.
But on the other hand of course you are allowed to run your generator 8 to 8. You are also allowed to play loud music from your boat. But both these things are not particularly considerate to others though.

 

Perhaps you should get whatever is wrong with your alternator and solar fixed as a priority, then this problem would disappear. Or moor somewhere where you won’t disturb others.

 

Of course the other chap didn’t have to be “unpleasant”, but then again sometimes one sits and tolerates some irritation for too long, so the intervention is made after losing one’s temper, rather than before.

 

 

[Alan de Enfield]

49 minutes ago, jddevel said:

I know using a generator is a difficult subject but for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

 

The other way of looking at it is that you are demanding more out of the batteries than your 'set up' can provide.

Maybe have a look how you can reduce your consumption.

[Thomas C King]

1 hour ago, jddevel said:

Upset someone this morning as I put my generator  (Honda) on as they were working on the internet and said they couldn't hear. Told me to turn it off in a most unpleasant manner. I know using a generator is a difficult subject but for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

 

Did they mean they were in a meeting or somesuch? If that's the case then, whilst I get generators are annoying to some, they are talking nonsense. I have meetings just fine whilst people's gennies are on (including ours in winter)

 

How long were you running it for? Are you charging your batteries with it? If not, then a quick fix to reducing running time would be a battery charger - and you might save on fuel because of inefficiencies.

[Slow and Steady]

2 hours ago, jddevel said:

Told me to turn it off in a most unpleasant manner.

Ooooh - red rag to a bull to me. I'd have left it running all day until 7.59pm whether I needed to or not.

Or I'd have repeatedly asked him to rephrase that until he got the message that he needed to ask nicely to have any hope of getting his wish.

However, I think running generators within 1/2 mile of anyone else is a bit rude all things considered. Obnoxious things. A built in diesel one is ok, at least you're mainly annoying yourself.

[nicknorman]

2 minutes ago, Slow and Steady said:

Ooooh - red rag to a bull to me. I'd have left it running all day until 7.59pm whether I needed to or not.

 

Possibly, but of course in the heat of the moment, one man's "ask" can be another man's "tell".

 

Incidentally, when I started boating in the 70s, no-one had a generator. It was bliss!

[LadyG]

Not sure why one or the other does not move.

[Dog]

3 hours ago, nicknorman said:

It’s a tricky one. Personally I really hate other peoples generators. We don’t have one. Even the quiet ones can still be heard as a low rumble and I struggle to work and think straight as my mind keeps going back to the noise.
But on the other hand of course you are allowed to run your generator 8 to 8. You are also allowed to play loud music from your boat. But both these things are not particularly considerate to others though.

 

Perhaps you should get whatever is wrong with your alternator and solar fixed as a priority, then this problem would disappear. Or moor somewhere where you won’t disturb others.

 

Of course the other chap didn’t have to be “unpleasant”, but then again sometimes one sits and tolerates some irritation for too long, so the intervention is made after losing one’s temper, rather than before.

 

 

No, it's not. The OP should sort his boat out. 

[Richard10002]

1 hour ago, Dog said:

No, it's not. The OP should sort his boat out. 

What are you suggesting that he needs to "sort out"?

 

I'm not sure he mentioned there being anything wrong with his boat?

[nicknorman]

7 hours ago, jddevel said:

for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

I am sure.

[David Mack]

6 hours ago, nicknorman said:

But on the other hand of course you are allowed to run your generator 8 to 8

That's not actually what the rules say. They say you are not allowed to run a generator to the annoyance of others between 8 pm and 8 am. Too many boaters seem to have taken that as carte blanch to run their generator all day 8 am to 8 pm, which is not what the rules say. 

It's much like the requirement for CCers to not stay for more than 14 days has been interpreted as you only have to move once every 14 days.

Edited June 30, 2022 by David Mack

[Richard10002]

8 hours ago, Alan de Enfield said:

 

The other way of looking at it is that you are demanding more out of the batteries than your 'set up' can provide.

Maybe have a look how you can reduce your consumption.

Are you suggesting that nobody should "need" to run a generator to charge their batteries.

 

As far as I can tell, his "set up", includes a generator, and why shouldn't it?

[MtB]

9 hours ago, jddevel said:

Upset someone this morning as I put my generator  (Honda) on as they were working on the internet and said they couldn't hear. Told me to turn it off in a most unpleasant manner. I know using a generator is a difficult subject but for some reason yet to be rectified my domestic alternator and solar panel doesn't seem to keep services batteries maintained.

 

Tangentially, if you had a half-decent solar installation you would not need to run your generator this time of year.

 

No solar = anti-social boater IMO.

 

 

[Richard10002]

31 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

Tangentially, if you had a half-decent solar installation you would not need to run your generator this time of year.

 

No solar = anti-social boater IMO.

 

 

 

I've got 500w of solar, with a 40A controller, and need to run my generator, (or engine), every so often. Ran it yesterday for 4 hours to get 280Ah in, after 11 day of solar keeping me going.

 

I run my genny rather than engine because I get 60a from the genny, whereas I only get about 28A out of the alternator, via a Victron Orion.

[MtB]

11 minutes ago, Richard10002 said:

 

I've got 500w of solar, with a 40A controller, and need to run my generator, (or engine), every so often. Ran it yesterday for 4 hours to get 280Ah in, after 11 day of solar keeping me going.

 

I run my genny rather than engine because I get 60a from the genny, whereas I only get about 28A out of the alternator, via a Victron Orion.

 

 

What on earth are you doing with it all!

 

My 560W of solar means I don't need to run the engine or genny for nine months of the year.  

[blackrose]

10 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Perhaps you should get whatever is wrong with your alternator and solar fixed as a priority, then this problem would disappear. Or moor somewhere where you won’t disturb others.

 

I don't really understand the thinking here. So it's ok to run a boat engine to drive an alternator, but running a generator within permitted hours may still be seen as antisocial?

 

My generator is quieter than a lot of people's boat engines. 

 

Sorry but I don't think this is "tricky" at all If it's within the rules. No more tricky than someone running their engine while moored. 

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

Tangentially, if you had a half-decent solar installation you would not need to run your generator this time of year.

 

No solar = anti-social boater IMO.

 

 

 

This is nonsense IMO

1 hour ago, MtB said:

 

 

What on earth are you doing with it all!

 

My 560W of solar means I don't need to run the engine or genny for nine months of the year.  

 

So the other 3 months of the year you're antisocial by your own definition? 

[blackrose]

2 hours ago, Richard10002 said:

Are you suggesting that nobody should "need" to run a generator to charge their batteries.

 

As far as I can tell, his "set up", includes a generator, and why shouldn't it?

 

Because some people like to make up their own unofficial rules and cast judgment others ? 

[Trawler]

Can the generators be better insulated, with isolation mounts and sound boxes?  And use wet exhausts?

 

On my larger boat I have two gensets, 8kw and 21kw, and they are whisper quiet. Sometimes I can start to leave,the boat and not even hear them running.  Granted I have more space to put them but a diesel motor is still a diesel motor.  

 

 

 

 

[Rob-M]

6 hours ago, MtB said:

 

 

What on earth are you doing with it all!

 

My 560W of solar means I don't need to run the engine or genny for nine months of the year.  

I agree, my 710W of solar is charging my batteries daily at this time of year enabling me to run a laptop for around 10hrs, charge phones and tablets, have the inverter on, the router on, a few hours of 240v powered radio and TV and 12v fridge on.  The lowest reading on the battery monitor was last night at 12.43v which was due to solar stopping late afternoon when it was heavy rain.

The only time I've ran the engine was to move mooring locations and that took about 15mins.

[Paul C]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

My generator is quieter than a lot of people's boat engines. 

 

 

Worth seeking some facts here: OP what is your generator make/model? And also for blackrose, what's this super-quiet generator of yours?

 

I am sure some generators are quieter than some engines but they do tend to be a different type of sound which is more intrusive than running an engine; and yes while its permitted to run 8am-8pm, at pretty much any time you need to be a sentient human being and realise its going to cause disturbance, maybe on a quiet tranquil canal, and that it is for that reason de-facto "antisocial" (as is running an engine, even a quiet engine - just less so).

[nicknorman]

6 hours ago, Trawler said:

Can the generators be better insulated, with isolation mounts and sound boxes?  And use wet exhausts?

 

On my larger boat I have two gensets, 8kw and 21kw, and they are whisper quiet. Sometimes I can start to leave,the boat and not even hear them running.  Granted I have more space to put them but a diesel motor is still a diesel motor.  

 

Perhaps bear in mind that low frequency sound travels better through water. So whilst you may barely hear your genset from the towpath, it will be much more audible as a low rumble from inside a nearby boat.

[MtB]

1 minute ago, nicknorman said:

Perhaps bear in mind that low frequency sound travels better through water. So whilst you may barely hear your genset from the towpath, it will be much more audible as a low rumble from inside a nearby boat.

 

Also, in the open air there is a certain volume of ambient or background noise (distant traffic noise, bird song, wind noise, aviation noise and a million other sources). Inside a boat, the general hubub of outside noise is shut out making the deep rumble of a diesel engine running in another boat more noticeable. 

[nicknorman]

6 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Because some people like to make up their own unofficial rules and cast judgment others ? 

Or perhaps it is that some people are not aware of all the rules and  or just focus on the ones that suit them. FYI the rules (as in licence Ts and Cs) also state that you must not cause a nuisance to anyone, and must behave considerately towards others. As has been said, the rule that says no static running of engines between 8pm and 8 am means just that. It does not mean it’s ok to run engines/genies for the other 12 hrs regardless of circumstance.

Edited July 1, 2022 by nicknorman

[PeterF]

6 hours ago, Trawler said:

Can the generators be better insulated, with isolation mounts and sound boxes?  And use wet exhausts?

Yes they can, but narrow boating is mainly done on the cheap, very few boats have built in generators like this. For a some people a generator is an open frame construction site unit with a 2 stroke engine blatting away at 3,000rpm fitted with one of those small pressed steel exhausts. Many have the better suitcase generators which are much quieter.

[nicknorman]

23 minutes ago, PeterF said:

Yes they can, but narrow boating is mainly done on the cheap, very few boats have built in generators like this. For a some people a generator is an open frame construction site unit with a 2 stroke engine blatting away at 3,000rpm fitted with one of those small pressed steel exhausts. Many have the better suitcase generators which are much quieter.

As we came through Loughborough a couple of months ago, we passed a moored barge thingy which had a 1 pot lister aircooled (ex dumper truck) engine running on the bow, no silencer just a pipe, driving an alternator (rather slowly) via a belt. We could hear it for several hundred yards either side, over our own engine. They were moored at the bottom of people’s gardens. No wonder local residents don’t like moored boats! But it was during the day so according to Blackrose, it was absolutely fine.