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Topic: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor (Read 3631 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #20 –
Quote from: P. Wyatt Sabourin –
Barry, you said:
"You cannot bond the neutral to ground on a Honda and similar generators there is no neutral. You have hot L1, hot L2, and ground. L1 and L2 are about 62 volts to ground and about 124 volts across the two."

So, when you plug a 15 amp power cord into a Honda EU generator do you get 124VAC between the neutral and the hot? Then, how can there ever be 62 volts on a power monitor which measures AC voltage between neutral and hot on one leg, either RED hot or BLACK hot? (or does it measure voltage between hot and ground?). I suspect that the 50amp/30amp adaptor is at fault.

I have rewired my main and inverter power panels, as well as the power connectors in the utility bay so that I can connect the RED hot breakers to one 15 or 30 amp campground supply with "ground fault" while I also connect a campground 15 or 30 amp supply to the BLACK hot with "ground fault".

How can it be "OK" to see 62 volts on a power monitor?

I love this web site!

My guess is that it uses a similar concept to the way that a 120/240 volt transformer works but with lower voltage.  In North America, a 120/240 transformer will output 120 volts hot-neutral and 240 volts hot-hot (no neutral conductor needed).  It looks like this little generator puts out 62 volts per leg with no neutral and 120 volts hot-hot.  Interesting idea. 

Equipment doesn't really care whether there is a neutral involved or not as long as the voltage is correct.  This is a different story with electrical services and first means of disconnect where you will bond (link together) the neutral and the ground, which this generator should not do, since you would be linking a hot conductor directly to ground.

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #21 –
Most modern electronics have power supplies that have wide input ranges (100-250vac, 50-60hz). I know some stuff is more sensitive, but laptop power supplies, cell phone chargers, etc can handle some pretty dirty power.

What I would worry about the most is inductive motors...specifically the A/C units. Low voltage is really hard on motors. Many high quality boats like Hatteras come with isolation tranformers that also allow some voltage boosting. This is because marinas are notorious for low voltage--especially if they are splitting up 3phase and giving 120/208.

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #22 –
What am I missing about the need for the Honda 2000 watt gasoline generator ?  Is it fuel economy, noise, or what ever I am missing ?
Dave M

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #23 –
I was at a rally once in Mass and it got hot and they had 30 plus FTs on a bunch of 30 amp plugs. I carry an auto former but that was more then I could raise it up.  So I disconnected and turned on the generator.  Now having 32 FTs run there genets in a park is an issue and management came over and we showed them the problem.  Somehow they raised the voltage for us.  I have been in park service campgrounds in the fall and spring and have had 15 amps or at families homes and plug in a battery charger and live off the inverter.

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #24 –
Because the coach volt meter showed 62 volts, it shows the meter's internal circuit measures ground instead of neutral, for some reason. But since we all now understand Honda inverter standalone generators, 62 on each leg shows all is well.

I would think that a meter that measures hot to ground may not pick up a missing neutral, which is very dangerous. But we should have other ways to catch a missing neutral.

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #25 –
The "Power Watch" in my 1996 U320 has an analog volt meter and two lights, a green light for normal polarity and a red light for reverse polarity. I removed the back to see the wiring. The meter is connected between "hot" and "neutral", the green between "hot" and "ground", red between "neutral" and "ground". There is no electronics in it, just wires.

The 120VAC meter indicating 60 volts when connected to a Honda generator must be wired incorrectly. Is the meter connected between "hot" and "ground"? If it were my coach, I would rewire it between  "hot" and "neutral".

The other issue here is the Honda generator wiring. The receptacles must be be wired wrong (ever been worked on?). It is not safe to have 60 volts between "neutral" and "ground" because some older appliances have a metal case connected to "ground".

Anyone else with a Honda generator - measure voltages between "hot", "neutral", and "ground" at the receptacles on the generator, I am very curious.

 

Re: Honda 2000 vs fot power line monitor

Reply #26 –
I replaced the Freedom 25 inverter/charger with a converter and an inverter. The converter is an IOTA 55 amp (not a charger) which has two voltage set points (13.4v or 14.0v). The maximum amps required from 120VAC is seven while the Freedom required 20 amps to provide 100 charging amps at 16 volts for equalizing. The inverter is a Xantrex 1800 watt "pure sign".

When on "15 amp shore power", I run the microwave from the inverter and keep the batteries charged with the converter (or solar if available). At the same time, I can run the hot water heater and/or the refer from the 15 amp shore power because the maximum the converter can require is 7 amps at 120 VAC.

If you need to rapid charge your coach batteries by running your generator, then what I have done will not work for you.