XW inverter charger behavior @120V

2

Comments

  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    So I went and picked up the new gen at the shipping depot. First thing I noticed was that the bottom of the box was pretty beat up and had been taped, so I opened up the box and pulled out the gen and eyeballed it. No visible damage to the unit so I went ahead and signed for it (I would have checked it even if the box hadn't been beat up).

    Anyway, I got it home and opened up all the access hatches.

    First thing I noticed was that the 12v outlet and its breaker are gone. Comparing the schematics from the manuals, I see that the "DC Winding" in the stator is also gone. That's fine with me actually - the first generation didn't include the battery charging cables, and I couldn't find anywhere to order them, so I had no plans to ever use that 12v outlet except in direst emergency and even then I'd have had to cobble together a cord. I won't miss it and if it makes the thing simpler and more reliable I'm all for it.

    The new schematic also shows some chassis grounds that weren't shown in the old schematic. The old one just showed the ground pins from the receptacle straight to the ground lug on the control panel. The new schematic shows chassis grounds from the engine, alternator and inverter to a "steel base" and then from there to the ground lug.

    I then proceeded to check the covers on the switches, and lo and behold - no gummy glue. The covers now have a lip around the inside which fits over and into a groove around the switch housing. They seem pretty secure (I didn't pry them completely off).

    Looking at the back, it's plain to see that yes - the vacuum pump primer dohickey is gone. Also, unlike the first one, the choke lever is not stuffed behind the access cover. The new starting procedure is A) fill the tank, B) open the petcock, C) turn on the choke, D) yank the cord and E) turn off the choke (same as before after 2-5 seconds). Same procedure as before without the "pump the primer 30-50 times".

    Looking inside, I don't see the fuel filter where it used to be, it's been relocated. Looking at the back, to the right of the petcock is a small access hatch. The fuel filter is now in there. (A bit of a bummer, since I figured that little compartment would be very handy if I had to pull any Han Solo type of shenanigans. It's not so bad really - there's still enough room to stash a .45 and a box of ammo. What can I say, I'm mostly a Jeffersonian.) There is a line off the bottom of the gas tank, to the filter, then to the petcock / pump assembly. The fuel lines are long enough to pull the filter completely out of the hole in order to change it. Nice touch. The fuel pump appears to still be vacuum operated.

    And...what's this? I tapped on the bottom of the gas tank and it's metal. I may be mistaken (and it's been 3 months since I've seen my old #2), but I'm pretty sure the first gen tank was plastic. (Can one of you guys with the first gen confirm that?)

    The choke lever seems different. It's a two-piece affair with a cotter pin and has good resistance to movement and a nice solid detent at both ends.

    The only other obvious change I notice is that there is a new clear tube which appears to come from the backside of the carb (where I can't see) and runs down along the charcoal canister, past the oil fill and emerges out the bottom of the gen through a hole. I wonder WTH that thing is for. I'm not going to tear down the gen just to find out though. Guess I'll wait and see what, if anything, drips out from that tube.

    Other than that, it looks pretty much the same. There are a couple of new decals. One is on the gas tank cap that says use unleaded minimum 87 octane. Another is down below the main rear access hatch, and it has some interesting info...

    IMPORTANT EMISSIONS INFORMATION
    YONGKANG XINGGUANG MANUFACTURE CO., LTD.
    Blah blah meets emissions standards blah blah
    LUBRICANT REQUIREMENTS: SF 15W-40 ENGINE (in bold) DISPLACEMENT 125CC
    MANUFACTURE DATE 01/10
    THE AIR INDEX OF THIS ENGINE IS 3
    THIS ENGINE IS CERTIFIED TO BE EMISSIONS COMPLIANT FOR THE FOLLOWING USE:
    MODERATE (125 HOURS)
    INTERMEDIATE (250 HOURS)
    EXTENDED (500 HOURS)

    I probably won't get around to firing it up till the weekend, and I've got a brand new tach/hour meter with 0 hours to put on it.

    I have a sneaking suspicion that some of those NorthShore guys may be lurking around this thread and if so then to them:

    Looks pretty good so far guys. Good job.
    What is that new clear drain tube for?
    The oil filler jug needs a cap for the filler tube - I've knocked mine over a few times now and made a mess every time. (I know...details.)
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Hrmmm.

    Looking at the YONGKANG XINGGUANG MANUFACTURE CO., LTD web site I see that they do make several different "sine wave" inverter generators.

    Searching a bit more, I find this:

    http://www.ecvv.com/product/2245856.html

    That case definitely looks familiar. The description is wrong though. It describes the XG-SF2000, but the sticker on the gen in the pic says XG-SF2000E.

    The Honeywell looking gen in the picture obviously has electric start.

    Here's one mixed up vice versa - a pic of the XG-SF2000, with a description of the XG-SF2000E:

    http://ykmqc.en.ec21.com/offer_detail/Sell_Inverter_Generator_XG_SF2000E--9133767.html?gubun=S


    And here is a very sexy BLUE one:

    http://www.kipor.org/detailsbenzin.php?action=xgsf2000e

    (Mouse over that pic on the lower left - see that battery? That's where that empty compartment is that I though would be a nice stash, and where the fuel filter is on my new one.)


    In every single place where I find a description of *any* XG-SF* model, they all say "sine wave". The XG web site does list a product category of "square wave inverter generator", but doesn't show any products under that category.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    I see that Honeywell updated their web site with a pic of the new gen (the pic has no 12v outlet, though the description text still says it puts out 12v).

    They've also updated the manual and spec sheet to the new versions.

    http://www.honeywellgenerators.com/products/hw2000i
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Still haven't gotten around to firing up the new unit.

    I did send an email to Northshore and found out that the new clear plastic drain tube is just a motorcycle style overflow connected to a vent in the carb.

    Apparently, there were some issues with units being used on boats and having a bit of fuel weep out of the vent hole while sloshing about - so now if that happens the droplets get redirected out the bottom and won't end up on the hot engine.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    good luck, keep us posted. I hope mine holds out.... not going to light it up and let it run for a few days until it dies :) haha I will roll the dice and see how mine lasts...

    Sure it wont be as good as the new model, but I only use it spuradically... we will see
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    So I fired up the new 2nd gen HW2000i this weekend.

    Man...do I MISS that vacuum pump primer doohickey. Instead of pumping it 30-40 times and then yanking on the recoil starter 3-4 times I instead had the pleasure of yanking on the recoil starter 30-40 times. D'oh!

    I ran it for 5 hours then I shut it down and the next day ran it again. Only took maybe 15-20 pulls on the recoil starter (had fuel in it). It was a bit of a workout.

    It ran fine and worked fine and seemed like maybe it ran a bit smoother than the others - though it's been months since I heard one run, so I might just be imagining things.

    I did have a thought about the run times. I had gotten anywhere from 8.5 to 10.5 hours out of the previous gens, and after thinking about it, I think that was probably just from having a bit more or less in the tank when I ran it.

    Now, the reason I had that thought, is that with the first two, it had been my SOP to let them run dry so that they wouldn't have any fuel in them when stored. But now...the prospect of having to yank that durned rope 40 times every time I let the gen run dry is a bit daunting. Yet, I really don't like the idea of storing the thing with fuel in it - for many reasons which I'm sure I don't have to explain.

    I guess I'll probably end up running it dry as before, and just pop a couple of Tylenol for the sore shoulder when I need to run it again.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    i have a snowblower like that.... I have thought about using starter fluid to get it going easier... seems like a smart idea... havent done it though.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Update:

    #3 is in the shop.

    It never did start on less than a million or so pulls on the rope, so I called Honeywell support and they said it should not take so many pulls and told me to take it to the shop.

    BTW, the 2 year warranty is parts and labor for the first year, parts only for the second year. I bought mine on Sept. 9th 2009 so the first year was about to be up. I originally called them about this problem in August, so they said it would be covered.

    Now once again waiting.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Update:

    Just picked up #3 from the shop. The guy said all they did was pull the carb and clean it and it worked fine - starts on 2 or 3 pulls, so I went to pick it up.

    When I got there, I requested a demonstration. He opened the petcock, turned on the choke, turned on the run switch and yanked on the cord. And yanked. And yanked. After a half dozen pulls he double checked everything and and yanked it another half dozen times and then gave up.

    Said he was going to call the distributor (Billiou's) and see if they want to replace it.

    Then, his assistant showed up. Turns out he was the one who actually pulled and cleaned the carb. He couldn't believe it wouldn't start so he tried it. Started first pull. This was about 15 minutes after the boss tech had yanked it a dozen times.

    Whack. We all looked at each other and said, "maybe it was flooded".

    As I mentioned before, on this new second generation unit, the choke lever has a nice solid detent at both ends - full on and full off. At full on, the durned lever disappears into the slot in the cover and you can't get it out. At least *I* couldn't. Nor could the shop tech. But his assistant has longer fingernails and he could.

    I had not been pushing the choke to the detent - I had been stopping just a hair (like 1/16") short of the detent so the lever wouldn't disappear. When I watched the shop tech try it, he did the same thing. But the assistant *did* push it all the way to the detent.

    I had been suspecting that not pushing the choke all the way to the full-on detent might be a problem. I had them pull the back cover and the new style choke lever is actually a two piece spring loaded like a stiletto. You can push it in and make the lever shorter and the internal spring absorbs the shock. When you let go, it pops back out to full length. Maybe they had some problems with that lever getting smacked and breaking so they designed a shock absorbing lever. Dunno.

    Anyway, I studied the problem carefully, got out the drafting table and the geometric ruler whirlygigs and designed a fix. I then took a piece of duct tape and wrapped it around the tip of the choke lever. Now, I can push it all the way to the detent and still get a grip on it and pull it back out to turn the choke off.

    After I picked it up, it sat for maybe 3 hours before I tried it again with the newly modified choke lever pushed to the full on detent. Fired up on second pull (slow easy pulls). It's running right now and cruising along doing fine.


    Not going all the way to the full on detent might *not* have been the problem though, since at one point I had pulled the back cover off so I could try starting it with the choke at full on and it didn't make any difference. I guess we'll see now that the carb has been cleaned.


    Oh, and the shop didn't charge me anything.


    As a side note, he had a couple 3 of those little 800w-1200w Chinese 64cc two-stroke gens sitting there to be repaired. The ones they sell all over the place in all sorts of colors under all sorts of names. Naturally I asked his opinion, and he said he's fixed a bunch of them and they all had the exact same problem; broken recoil starter. Not the rope - the mechanism. He says they work good and seem to last a long time, but they are noisy (two stroke at 3600 rpm...yea I guess they would be) and that recoil starter is pretty much guaranteed to break at some point.

    These (one of those in his shop was actually the ETQ 1200w):

    http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

    http://www.amazon.com/TG1200-2-Cycle-Powered-Portable-Generator/dp/B000P9UOAC/ref=sr_1_4?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1286415335&sr=1-4

    http://cpeauto.com/42013.php

    There's a liquidator around here that sells those things refurbed with a 30 day warranty for $75...temping.


    (Hey mods, isn't this about due for a dedicated "HW2000i" thread?)
  • zeuspaul
    zeuspaul Solar Expert Posts: 59 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    These (one of those in his shop was actually the ETQ 1200w):

    http://www.harborfreight.com/engines...tor-66619.html

    http://www.amazon.com/TG1200-2-Cycle...6415335&sr=1-4

    http://cpeauto.com/42013.php

    There's a liquidator around here that sells those things refurbed with a 30 day warranty for $75...temping.

    If you watch the Harbor Freight adds you can usually find it for $89 with one of their coupons and sometimes as low as $79.

    Zeuspaul
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    the HF generator is in the add for me this weekend at 89, and I have a 20% coupon.... but I do have a HW2000i (old version)... so I dont need this little guy.

    look for the 20% coupon! or buy one off ebay for a few bucks
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Yea, I don't actually need the little two stroker, but I figured I'd mention what the shop tech said about them.

    But if I have any more problems with this Honeywell I'm seriously considering getting something small as a backup just to charge batteries.

    I ran the HW last night with a full tank. After about 2.5 hours it just randomly shut itself down. Wasn't low oil or overload or anything like that so I started it back up. Two pulls.

    I wanted to run it completely out of fuel so I could see how many pulls it takes to start it from a run dry situation. It had been running over 8 hours when I went to bed. I don't have the tach/hour meter on it so I don't know exactly how long it ran before it ran out of gas - over 8 hours for sure.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Experimental Update:

    Before I took it to the shop and they cleaned the carb, it was so hard to start that I was reluctant to let it run dry. I only let it run dry twice. I was keeping a log of run times and gas added and was getting about the same 10 hours per 1.5g tank that I had seen with the previous two generators.


    So this time I let it run till it ran out of gas and then let it sit a week so I would see how it would start after being dry for a while.

    I put in exactly one gallon of gas, measured at the gas station pump.

    It took 9 slow and easy pulls and it fired right up.

    The only thing plugged into it was my 10a Shumacher charger charging the house battery in my camper, and it never registered over 5a charge current on the meter.

    The generator ran for 13 hours 10 minutes.

    I know...whack.

    Only thing I can figure is that there must have still be some gas somewhere when it "ran out" last time.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    neat, regardless of hidden gas or not, great performance.

    No complaints with my old version generator... would like an upgrade kit for my old model.... but REALLY think that is pushing my luck :) haha

    Rick
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Well, we finally got a definitive answer to the waveform question.

    I posted an ad on Craig's List offering to buy someone a cup of joe or a cold one if they would oscope my gen. A fellow replied asking what the make and model of the gen was, and I replied Honeywell HW2000i. He replied that he thought so... he bought one at Costco and had meant to check it out on his scope since he couldn't find anything about it on the net, but just hadn't gotten around to it. Said he'd give it a shot.

    I asked him to send me pics, or invited him to join here and post his pics. Well, he went above and beyond the call - he emailed me a link to a YouTube vid he made last night of the waveform:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILI6lXEyYmg
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Thats GREAT news! And it looked like a very clean sine wave, what a I could see. That adds a lot of piece of mind when I am running electronics on it. Woohoo, thanks! Thats a well worthwhile spent beer!
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Ran another tankful though it this weekend. Didn't measure the run time exactly, but it was again 13+ hours. That was 1.51g measured at the gas pump. WAY better than I was getting from the two first generation units.

    Also took 41 pulls to start after having run it dry the last time I ran it.

    I need a better battery charger...this little 10a Shumacher was still showing 2a on the meter after 12 hours.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Just another update.

    #3 hit 100 hours. The maintenance schedule shows spark plug (and spark arrestor) inspect/clean at 100 hours so I goofed around with spark plugs the other day. Got a Champion and an NGK and tried them each with gap at min and gap at max. I did not try a different heat range.

    No difference from originally supplied factory plug. The factory plug at 60 hours was in excellent condition so it's in the spares box along with the Champion. The NGK with gap at max was the last thing I tried so it's still installed.

    Also the last tank I ran through before the service I dumped a capful of Seafoam in the tank just to keep things clean.


    It is still taking 40-70 pulls on the starter to fire this thing up cold.

    BUT

    I'm still getting > 13 hours from a 1.5g tank of gas on eco mode with a very light load. Actually, the last time I ran a full tank through it non-stop (with the Seafoam) it actually ran for over 14 hours - but I had filled it from a jerry can and not measured at the pump so it likely had a bit extra in the tank.
  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    At least you're getting a workout. If you were to run your genset 3 times per week you would be getting at least the minimum amount of aerobic exercise recommended by Doctor Oz.

    Ralph
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Been a while, and it's time for an update...

    #3 now has about 200 hours on it. Still gets 13+ hours on a tank running nothing but a small battery charger. Still takes 40 or more pulls to start it.

    I had thought the hard start problem might be related to the low oil sensor, which might not be getting wet enough. After a whole lot of pulls, the oil would splash up enough to wet it and the gen would start. Maybe running a bit more oil would do the trick.

    That was the theory. Didn't pan out. The specs call for 480ml of oil in the crankcase. That''s where I'd been running it. I tried 500ml - 750ml in 50ml increments - no change, still hard to start. Now back down to the specified fill level.

    After soooooo very many pulls on the starter, the rope is getting noticeably worn and the recoil spring is squeaky. I figured I'd ask them to send me a rope, and maybe talk them into sending a new low oil sensor as well. I went to the HoneywellGenerators.com web site to get the phone number and what do I see?

    Generac!

    When I got a CSR on the phone, she explained that as of March 7th, Generac had taken over the Honeywell Branded Generator business from Northshore.

    Since there are now no Honeywell repair shops in my nearby area (FYI Mike - there is still one in Inglewood), she said it would be no problem to send me the part instead, but they can't do just the rope, it would have to be the whole recoil assembly and would that be alright? Yes indeed.

    She checked, and there are no low oil sensors available, so the only option looks to be replacing the unit...

    Ugh.

    I'm on my third one now and other than the hard start it works perfectly. Hasn't used a drop of oil either. Not sure if I want to take a chance on another one. Then again, I do still have 7 months on the 2 years warranty, so I might be better off. Haven't decided yet. The new recoil starter should arrive next week, but I won't change it out while the existing one is still functioning.
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Interesting info. If you arent burning oil, you could just bypass the low oil sensor and force it to always read "full" I would guess it is just a switch, and that would be easy to figure out, open or closed.

    At least it would identify the problem.

    Yes, it does add some risk, but since you arent burning any oil, thats pretty low risk.

    Rick
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    maverick06 wrote: »
    Interesting info. If you arent burning oil, you could just bypass the low oil sensor and force it to always read "full" I would guess it is just a switch, and that would be easy to figure out, open or closed.

    At least it would identify the problem.

    Yes, it does add some risk, but since you arent burning any oil, thats pretty low risk.

    Rick

    Agreed, and I do plan to try that if and when I open it up to change out the recoil starter. That is if I don't end up with #4.
  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Thanks for the update

    On mine, the brass grommet the pull rope goes through, has torn out, and the rope quickly sawed through the plastic case. And still takes 20-40 pulls for a cold start.
    I think the oil sensor is just a single wire that shorts out the ignition system, if you pluck the wire off the crankcase sensor, and tape it up well, you should be good.

    After it's been running, restarts, even when toasty hot, need at least 1/2 choke to fire up on the 2nd pull.
    Powerfab top of pole PV mount | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
    || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
    || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

    solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
    gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister ,

  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Just got a call from Generac.

    No parts available for the Honeywell.

    They are sending me a new Generac ix2000 (5793-2) with new full 2 year warranty (reg on the Generac site once the gen arrives) as a replacement. They do not want the Honeywell returned. They advised me to "scrap it if you want".

    Since it does run fine other than the hard start problem, I'll keep it and just get a replacement rope for a lawnmower and rebuild the recoil starter myself.


    The ix2000 is rated the same as the Honeywell - 2000w continuous and 2200w surge, and has a 126cc engine compared to the Honeywell's 125cc. It only has a 1g fuel tank though.

    I believe it is basically the same unit as an ETQ and made by Suzhou Tiger Power Machine. Co., Ltd.

    http://www.sztiger.com/en/about.asp

    I seem to recall reading somewhere that these do not have a true variable throttle, but instead they run at full speed whenever there is a load, and throttle back to idle under no load.

    But I also seem to recall reading that they do have a stepped throttle, but with only 4 steps.

    I haven't confirmed either one yet, and those may have been he 5793-0 model, not the -2 that they are sending me.


    Meh....
  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,019 ✭✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Many years ago I recall a neighbour starting an old lawnmower with a power drill. He had a socket the size of the nut holding the flywheel and just ran the drill until it fired.

    Does the Honeywell unit have a big nut on the flywheel under the recoil starter cover? If it's not too cumbersome perhaps a cordless drill/driver would have enough torque and speed to save your numerous pulls per start? Just remember to pull off the drill as the engine spools up ;)
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    Ralph Day wrote: »
    Many years ago I recall a neighbour starting an old lawnmower with a power drill. He had a socket the size of the nut holding the flywheel and just ran the drill until it fired.

    Does the Honeywell unit have a big nut on the flywheel under the recoil starter cover? If it's not too cumbersome perhaps a cordless drill/driver would have enough torque and speed to save your numerous pulls per start? Just remember to pull off the drill as the engine spools up ;)

    Might work, but there is a compartment on that end of the case where the battery would go if this were an electric start model. I'd have to bore a hole all the way through and use an extension. I'd rather just replace the rope.

    Well...actually....as hard as this sucker is to start, it might not be a bad idea after all...have to cogitate on that.


    EDIT: Just went and looked at Maverick's pics again, and it's plain to see that the inverter module (with the heat sink) is right in the way. So if wanted to use a drill and extension to start the engine, I'd have to bore a hole in the inverter too.
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    Looking around the net, I notice that every ix2000 I see says it's "49 State" and all the online retailers say, "Cannot ship to Ca."

    Wonder how they're getting around that...
  • dwh
    dwh Solar Expert Posts: 1,341 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    So, the other day the rope broke. Didn't break out near the handle where I could see some wear - it broke way back inside and most of the rope was hanging off the handle I was holding. It was pretty badly shredded down inside.

    It had been 10 days and I hadn't heard anything from Generac - they were supposed to email me a shipping notice when the unit shipped. So I called them. Seems they ran into a little problem - the ix2000 is a 49 state unit, and they can't ship them to California...

    So the CSR had bumped it upstairs for an answer and hadn't heard back yet. So she went to find out what the policy was going to be and called me back later and said that outside of Ca., they'd send a replacement, but inside of Ca. they'd issue a refund. She had me email her my Amazon invoice and shipping notice and called me back a few minutes later and said the refund was approved and I should get it next week.

    This is apparently a TEMPORARY policy. The Generac CSR told me that as far as she knows (scuttlebutt), Generac intends to continue marketing generators under the Honeywell brand, and that once the inventory of generators and spare parts had been transferred from Northshore to Generac, then they would resume replacing Honeywell parts and/or Generators. The reason I was offered a refund, was because they won't have any Honeywell parts or replacement units available for at least a month.



    Haven't yet decided on the new plan of action. I bought the Honeywell to power an a/c unit, but then never ended up needing the a/c and only ever ended up using it for battery charging.

    At this point, I'm thinking to get the smallest, cheapest 4-stroke non-inverter generator I can find. Then replace the 10a Shumacher charger in the camper with something better. The Shumacher works fine and is pretty much bulletproof - but it's a constant voltage charger and it only puts out 12.8v and I want a charger that can pump the aux battery up higher.

    Basically a reversal - instead of expensive generator and cheap charger, I'm thinking of going with cheap generator and expensive charger. :D

    I've had my eye on this charger for a while now:

    http://www.samlexamerica.com/products/productdescription.asp?ProductsID=8001

    I like that it A) has dip switch to choose 2-stage or 3-stage, and B) has outputs to charge up to 3 batteries/banks. The 15a output is balanced so that even with two or three of the outputs in use, the total output is still no more than 15a, but I like that I can run a separate wire to the engine battery, so that whenever I charge the aux battery, the engine battery gets whatever it needs to be topped off as well. Seems like that would be just about the perfect compliment to a SunSaver Duo.

    For a genny, I'm looking very hard at this little bad boy:

    http://www.buychampionpowerequipment.com/Champion-Light-Duty-Portable-Gas-Generator.html

    Champion has an excellent rep on the RV forums, and they are located in Santa Fe Springs, Ca. I read one report from someone in SoCal who reported that he had a problem with his generator, and someone from Champion drove over to his house with the parts and helped him fix the generator. As I said - an excellent reputation.

    The unit I'm looking at has an 80cc engine and 1.2g fuel tank, and claims a 10 hour runtime at 50% load. Lemme do the math on that... 10hr * 600w = 6000wh / 1.2g = 5000wh/gallon. If you saw my other post where I ran that forumla on the runtime claims of the Honda and Honeywell, you may recall that they worked to 4000wh/g. Just going by the published specs, this thing has better fuel economy than either the Honda or Honeywell 2000s ... AND better than the Honda 1000! Even has a built-in hours/volts/hertz meter.

    It remains to be seen what the runtime will be actually with the 15a charger on it. I suspect that the Samlex will end up needing less time to charge the aux battery, so I expect to run the gen less hours than I did with the Honeywell. Overall, I expect much better battery charging, as well as much less fuel used to "git 'er done".


    Now what to do with the Honeywell?...
  • Cariboocoot
    Cariboocoot Banned Posts: 17,615 ✭✭✭
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V
    dwh wrote: »
    Now what to do with the Honeywell?...

    Conversation piece? Paperweight? Door stop? Wheel chock? Boat anchor?


    If you want really portable Champion, I notice Canadian Tire selling these for $350: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/ShopEquipment/Generators/PRD~0998035P/Champion%252BInverter%252BGenerator%25252C%252B900W%25252B1000W.jsp?locale=en

    For $550 you get this: http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/6/Tools/ShopEquipment/Generators/PRD~0550355P/Champion%252B1000W%252BGenerator%252Band%252BInverter.jsp?locale=en

    Probably cheaper in The States. Everything else is. $5/gallon for gasoline here! :grr

    I already have enough generators (I'm told) so I guess I won't be investigating further. Besides, my Hondas still run. The 1000 has 6000+ hours on it. A bit better service than the Honeywell, eh? ;)
  • maverick06
    maverick06 Registered Users Posts: 20
    Re: XW inverter charger behavior @120V

    They are *suppose* to be sending me a new pull starter... havent heard from them in over a week... maybe I will give them a call on monday.

    If I have a spare one, I will happily send it over your way.