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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Remote Generator

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Bobfish1

10-08-2004 08:29:45




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Has anyone built a generator setup for a remote cabin with an engine from a tractor and generator or something like that so that it lasts a long time. I have a hunting cabin that is a long way from power and have a portable generator but afraid that it may have to be replaced sooner than a water cooled setup that needs to be run for extended intervals.




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Fred P

10-09-2004 11:01:39




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bobfish1, 10-08-2004 08:29:45  
We have a solare panel on the roof of our cabin, two deep cycle batteries, a 2000 w inverter and a 5000 w cheep generator that is for high wattage things. We have not run the generator in over a year. We cook and heat with propane. Some day we will find a good deal on a propene refrigerator. The solare does the lights, runs the water pump, charges the cell phones and the microwave. We use 12v lights. The solare power is quite and that is worth a lot.

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buickanddeere

10-09-2004 15:05:39




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Fred P, 10-09-2004 11:01:39  
Danby makes the cheapest LP refridgerator but its small at around 8 cu ft. Lehman non electric has huge LP and very low power usage electrical models. The Danby does keep the beer cold and makes ice in a hurry. It adds a little heat to the hunt shack to keep stuff from freezing after the wood fire goes out too. Once a LP fridge is going, do not shut it off unless being away for a week or more. They tend to airlock and shaking/turning them over to burp it. Doesn't work like it used too on the new units. As for a home brew cobbled together generator set. Stop right there, step back and set those tools down. Now go and take less money than the home brew project will require. And get a new genset with warrenty from Coleman with a cast iron engine for occasional usage, a Honda variable speed invertor model for frequent usage. Or a yanmar diesel for continious usage.

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Ludwig

10-09-2004 06:34:08




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bobfish1, 10-08-2004 08:29:45  
What you want electricity for? You get electricity somebody will want a television. Then somebody will complain that you get no reception and will put in a satellite dish... Then you'll have that dammed tv on all the time watching Hollywood Squares.
My camp has no electricty and the generator doesn't even come out during hunting camp. We've got gas lights, gas stove, gas heater and a wood stove.

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Kevin2

10-08-2004 20:19:25




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bobfish1, 10-08-2004 08:29:45  
I thought I was in the same situation as running power was gonna be impossible, but it turns out that I ended up getting power run in.Three of us shared the cost. Depending on the hours you"re looking for out of a generator and the load, you have several choices: an inexpensive gas powered low wattage unit like Honda or Yamaha, a Diesel unit that has medium wattage or the Full Monte as you are thinking about. I chose a Yanmar diesel powered long run unit, as it would run 24 hours at half load (8 gallons of fuel). I was planning on building a generator shed with cooling fan and car exhaust out in the woods, but never needed to. I only ran the generator about 100 hours total, but was pretty happy with the efficiency of diesel and no coolant hassle. Supposedly these units will live many thousands of hours. My .02
P.S. Anyone want to buy a low mileage Yanmar Diesel unit? :)

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ScottP

10-08-2004 08:55:14




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bobfish1, 10-08-2004 08:29:45  
Bobfish1
Get a generator with a Onan engine and it will last a long time with regular maintenance. I have one with over 50,000 hours, still runs strong. The Onans are easy to work on and service. Honda's are also good. My neighbor tried to build his own genset with a marine diesel engine and generator that was belt drive. The problem he had was getting the right speed. Plus he didn't know what he was doing in setting it up. You want to make sure that the genset is putting out enought volts and most important is the right hertz. You want 62 hertz with no load. Gear it so the engine runs at an idle. Saves fuel and less noise.
Scott

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Nat

10-08-2004 18:08:41




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to ScottP, 10-08-2004 08:55:14  
Are you sure about that 50,000 hours, that is 24 X 7 X 52 =5 years and 9 months



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ScottP

10-10-2004 09:03:52




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Nat, 10-08-2004 18:08:41  
Yep those hours are correct. Have had the unit over ten years. I live off the grid and it was my power source until I went solar last May.
Scott



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Bob

10-08-2004 08:45:48




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bobfish1, 10-08-2004 08:29:45  
There's lots of small diesel and propane gensets that come up on ebay, some sell quite reasonably.

Any generator's engine that runs at 1800 RPM, rather than the 3600 RPM's of today's cheapy disposables is likely to be more durable.

If you have a small tractor up there, especially a diesel, a PTO driven unit MIGHT be something to consider. Norther Tool has an assortment of the PTO units, as well as some generator heads. I believe the generator heads are all 3600 RPM's, but, of course, you can achieve that with a step-up drive from a slower engine.

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Mark - IN.

10-09-2004 04:43:07




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bob, 10-08-2004 08:45:48  
Bob, probably an excellent idea to check Ebay or the sort. I was thinking old military, but the smallest liguid cooled generators they had that I recall were 15KW, and those diesels would run though a 55 gal drum in a day. Weren't very fuel efficient, and for a cabin would probably need a load bank, and were noisy as heck. That's how we used to locate sites when on manuevers when read the map wrong - shut the jeep off and listen, start it up and drive a mile, shut it off and listen until we found the guys. Technology's changed since then - now Caterpillar makes generators that take up entire semi trailers that travel with NASCAR and the IRL, and stuff that you can't even hear when you're standing right up on top of - quieter than my little 5KW Colman Powermate.

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Jon H

10-08-2004 09:12:51




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 Re: Remote Generator in reply to Bob, 10-08-2004 08:45:48  
One of the new generator/inverter units may be worth a look. They have the engine powering a DC generator that powers the AC inverter. The engine has to only run fast enough to power the inverter for a given load,and may only run at fast idle for a couple lights and a small tv. Engine life and fuel economy is very good with these units. An ordinary AC generator has to run at 1800 rpm(4 pole rotor) or 3600 rpm(2 pole rotor) to make 60 cycle AC,so they have to run at full speed even when little or no load is on them.

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