Charging Batteries with a Portable Gennerator

[Dave Payne]

 

One thing to note about battery charging from generators. Many of the better quality ones have a 12V outlet supposedly for battery charging but the output is unregulated and supplies very limited current. Unless it is a dire emergency it is always better to go down the generator plus charger route that to use the 12V outlet.

 

 

Agreed on that, i have a gennie and used the 12v output to charge my starter as i had an issue with it, the cables got very hot, very quickly, i will never use that method again.

[GreyLady]

Did you get yourself a mooring on the Macc in the end?

Not far from the Macc Ricco

[Tony Brooks]

 

Agreed on that, i have a gennie and used the 12v output to charge my starter as i had an issue with it, the cables got very hot, very quickly, i will never use that method again.

 

That should not happen because of the low current. As an example both the Honda EU10I and 20I have a maximum current of 8 amps but being unregulated as the battery becomes charged and starts to "lower" the current it will accept the voltage will climb to getting on for 30 volts at zero amps.This should not heat the cables but would cause the battery some problems, if not wreck it.

 

I suspect your cables were undersized.

 

 

 

[Dave Payne]

I think you might be right, but they were the 'proper' charging cables that came with it, i have binned them!

[riki]

if you can help it you shouldn't use the 12v charger on a genny as it is taken of one bobbin on the

windings of the alternator and tends to cook if put on a dead battery . but that kills the rest of the alternator

and on a Honda eu10i new windings are just under £400 NOT INCLUSEVE OF VAT.

please don't use them

[mrsmelly]

Forget the gennie your lifestyle doesnt need it. If you realy want to spend 400 squid spend it on solar.

 

Tim