Nova F1 Racer

iTrader: (3)

A bunch of us race outdoors in the summer and the place we are running at does not have power available. Right now we run off our "real" car battery and hope we don't kill it.....

What would be a good size gas generator to run..
4 chargers, a couple of solders irons, maybe a couple of cooling fans....

Thanks

kufman

iTrader: (6)

You could take all the power ratings on the equiptment and add them up. When you get a total, add about 30% to be sure.

So.... 4 chargers at say a 5 Amp charge Rate

5 A * 14V = 70W * 4 = 280W


2 * 100W Irons = 200 W


Fans about 30W? a piece or 60W for two.


Total = 540 W This is only 0.54 kW which is pretty small. I took a quick look at Home Depot and a small camping generator is like 1850 Watts (1.850 kW). I would say if you can find a 1kW generator you will be in good shape. Just don't buy something too close to 540W, devices may draw more power than they state.

Neil Rabara

I have a coleman generator that puts out 1850W. I know a plenty of guys that get generators exceeding 3000W.

mb racer

iTrader: (1)

I know if you guys buddy up .. that a colman 1850 will run enough power to run 4 chargers 2 iron's aircompressor a whole track system PA, printer, and transponders ... just have to fill the tanks every 3 hours .. But is more than enough for a day at the races.... Thants what mine ran at the races...

edseb

Depending on what you are looking for. I personally really like the Honda generators. First they're super quiet, they put out good power and have a nice econo feature where it regulates the power output depending on the draw. They are also very dependable and light. If you need more power you can link them too. They make a 1000w, 2000w and 3000w. The only downside is that they are expensive. I have the 2000w and it was over $1000. To a certain extent, you get what you pay for.

Cobra81li200

Why get a generator ? It's noisy, polluting and expensive. We use old car batteries and it works fine, just have to be careful with the acid. With a 16A battery you can charge up to 15 3300's, so there's plenty of power, and if you are afraid of being short in power, just bring two.

Besides, kufman's calculation is wrong, it's 5A charge at 7.2V (theoretically, in practice the mean is closer to 8V) not 12V, which makes a slight difference.

17driver

You can't go wrong with honda generators.They are super reliable.A tad pricey but it's worth it.
just my 2cents

teamatlas

iTrader: (2)

the battery is simple but why drag a battery that leaks acid and can leak in the car or something. .also how are they gonna use the solder iron's and fan's ? the generater sounds like a safe and reliable power source..other then the cost.