In the process of prepping for the upcoming Barrett Junction race and I am about to throw down some cash on a little portable generator. I think I have it narrowed down to one that will suit my needs but it would be great to hear some comments and opinions before I pull the trigger. The Pulsar 2000w looks like a good choice for my needs. I only plan on using about 1000w and it needs to be quiet!
What are your thoughts, anybody have experience with these portable generators?
That one seems pretty fancy to me, i would rather choose a more conventional looking one repairs in the future should be easier
I use one to fill up my batteries when solar isnt enough, it menages to charge the batteries and have the lights fridge and 700w speakers on with no voltage drop Dont know the rating though
I hear you, size is a big issue for me plus the decibel level is over twice as high on the conventional units. I checked around and replacement parts for this model are super easy to find but you do need to remove the plastic shrouds to work on it. Not a big deal in my opinion.
I went ahead and ordered it, less than two months till the event so it will give me time to break it in. Ideally we will fit our camper trailer with solar and a big li-ion bank but that project is low on the list of priorities right now.
I have a similar inverter generator. A Kipor ig2000 https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005QRBLNW/portableinvertergenerators-20/ I fly RC helis and have a 1340W charger that I use to charge my 6S lipos at 40A. It works like a champ.
Honda’s rule the small generator market. Yes it’s expensive but it’s reliable quiete and fuel effienct.
Alot of people use them on boats cause normal generators don’t last in the salt air environment.
Look at the Honda EU line up
The Honda EU line is as you said top of the line and expensive. I find that for the occasional use we will do other cheaper brands fare quite well. My Kipor has been great and I see them a lot used by street vendors in fairs etc. If however you want a generator to use in a camper that will run thousands of hours with no problems, then the Honda is the one to choose.
Generator engines can run forever basically Mine is usually outside and my fuel isnt always the cleanest so it got clogged 2-3 times
But yours will probably run in much nicer conditions 
Dont marines have power on the docks where you live?
Or you were talking about supplying electricity when long time on the shore
More like providing power for lights and speakers and other electric equipment out in the water during sandbar parties.
It’s fun but we usually tie 50-60 boats together at the Sand bar and party and drink all day some of them don’t have on board generators and can’t have the motor running the whole time.especially with people walking and swimming around the boats. When someone wants to leave we untie them and push their boat to a safe distance so they can turn the motors on and head out.
I’d like to propose a potential alternative solution for this thread and @longhairedboy’s charging in the car thread…
Just get some cheapish high capacity low discharge cells, fasion a large wh pack and attach it to a boost converter. This way you have something quiet, it can charge at any amp rating you want, any voltage you need (even solder a voltage meter / dial knobs for on the fly adjustment like a lab power supply on the go), even setup hot swappable connectors for charging anything, it’s smaller than a generator, can be used inside and outside… Maybe a 1-2Kwh pack could charge your race board 5-10x a charge. One smallish quiet case instead of multiple chargers and a loud stinky generator.
Hell if you do enough P, have 3-4 boost converters so you can charge 3-4 boards at the same time since boost/buck converters are only $20.
You ever check the specs on one of those $20 boost converters?
We have plans for a large powerwall type battery bank with a sinewave inverter and a solar charge controller. It’s a big expensive project. A generator is a more practical solution for us right now.
@taz same here, I don’t think we will use this generator for anything else other than charging decks.
I had three of those $20 boost converters until finding one that works great. It’s rated for 600W output, but I only run mine between 150-200W, and for that it works amazing and takes as much abuse as my motor mounts every time I ride.
The solar charging powerwall idea sounds great though
So far this little generator has been running great!
After recieving it I did a break-in routine using Lucas additive and running the unit for an hour with no load. I changed the oil after the first hour and it was already dark, I bet if I used a microscope I would have seen tiny shavings of metal from the initial run, this is normal. With fresh oil in the generator I did another hour run with a small load this time. Changed the oil once more, the oil looked much cleaner after the second run. Also using a ethanol treatment to keep the rubbery bits happy. Going to do the next oil changes at regular 50 hour intervals
The unit is really freaking quiet, at Barrett even with 4 to 5 boards charging you had to really listen hard to notice the generator running 40 feet away. Fuel consumption is also good, used less than 2 gallons on race day and it was running almost all day.
I would say put some big blades on the wheels to make the board into a windmill and store the energy in the battery :D. Regenerative braking baby!
That’s a good one, I’ll keep some blades handy at the next race for the fellow riders who need to top off after practice! 
Jokes, anyone who knows me knows I will always have an open charging station.
I am thinking of buying a generator as well. Do you think I can do with a 1200w generator or should I go minimum 2000 if It should be able to charge 4-5 bards at a time. I have no idea how many watt my 5a charger draws
Did the 4-5 boards charge as fast as they used to when using the generator?
watts=Amps*Volts for DC
Almost all generators that are advertised as 2000W are actually 2000VA and have 1600W rated power.
Any plans on making something like this where u can share the schematics and material list lol really trying to find somethi g with the power to charge on a station or off grid