so we are thinking of bringing out a tv to the clemson tailgate, and were wondering what kind of generator we would need to get (and where we could procure one). If the best option is a rental, I would like to reserve one now, if possible. Anyway, I'm pretty much looking for size and brand recommendations, what prices are to rent/buy (i could totally see it being something I wouldn't mind having around), and where to get one. Ultimately, I would only need it to be able to run the tv and either a laptop or hd digital antennae, and maybe some lights- don't need to power a base camp. Thanks in advance for any help you might be able to provide!

11/7/2011 6:48:15 PM

Or could someone suggest the proper Battery setup? I hear those are good because of lack of silence and fumes, but I don't know anything about that stuff and would hate to fry our guest room tv over it (it is about a 27 inch LCD)

from what I understand, if I want to buy, that is the best option- but I have never seen it in person, and have no idea what I would actually need (and if you do know, treat me like the n00b I am and please walk me through it)

11/7/2011 6:56:58 PM

this may be a better question for the garage.

11/7/2011 7:13:12 PM

You need to make sure the generator is adequately sized for your load.

What size are your loads (i.e. W or VA)? You can usually look on the label to find voltage, current and wattage ratings.

11/7/2011 7:23:42 PM

Assuming everything is 120V just add up the wattage of everything you're planning to run and add in a 15-20% margin of error/loss.

A basic, cheap 3,000 watt generator should serve your purposes just fine. Your biggest issue is going to be how loud you want it to be. The cheap ones are pretty damn loud, so hopefully you have somewhere far away you can stick it. If not you might want to look in the quiet Honda generators. They are small and quiet as hell, but $$$.

11/7/2011 8:54:02 PM

2.7mw cummins on natural gas.. ( less fumes )

:chuckle:

11/7/2011 9:12:54 PM

^^ I'd be more generous than 15-20%. Switching power supplies in electronics have a pretty low power factor.

Granted, I wouldn't worry too much if it's only 400-500 W on a 3,000 W generator. But above about 50% load or so, I'd at least napkin some numbers.

^ http://www.powerplantsonline.com/gasturbinegenerator.cfm

11/7/2011 9:36:12 PM

speaking of turbines.. did you hear the 787 has dual 250kva gens per engine...

seems electric start really takes some juice.

11/7/2011 9:39:22 PM

Deep cycle marine battery : $100
750 Watt Inverter (at sams they are like 30 bucks) 40-50
Re-charger for battery ~$30

I have ran that setup all season with my 32inch LCD, powered antennae, and a pretty loud shelf stereo no problem.

11/8/2011 10:38:58 AM

rent a nice and quiet honda 1000w. I've used them on jobs and they are pretty nice (abit expensive) even on full load. They are also pretty efficient to use.

Alternatively, you could use a battery setup and use a simple power dc to ac power inverter for a car. A 27" LCD shouldn't be too demanding (I'd say like 125w? maybe more?), so a 400w should be more than enough to handle it. I've used my battery setup (motorcycle sealed battery w/ 900w inverter) to power a 32" tv for a few hours without issues. I actually borrowed two more to power a separate sound system and xbox 360 to play rockband in an elevator as a school prank last year. Was pretty funny.

[Edited on November 8, 2011 at 10:47 AM. Reason : ]

11/8/2011 10:45:46 AM

What size battery should I get and do you have a brand/shop reccomendation? And where should I get the battery charger?

Actually i might have a charger... ill take a picture of it and post it here to find out

[Edited on November 8, 2011 at 2:35 PM. Reason : hmmm]

11/8/2011 2:32:38 PM

you can get a fairly decent 900w generator from harbor freight for $90 that should cover everything assuming your tv isn't a plasma or CRT. it's 2 stroke but quiet.

[Edited on November 8, 2011 at 2:39 PM. Reason : if you go the battery route, you might consider one of those all in one jumper boxes]

11/8/2011 2:38:22 PM

This is a tailgate party, so there is no need for a battery. Just get an inverter ($40 from Amazon) and hook it into the vehicle whose tailgate you are using. Most any inverter will run any size LCD TV without trouble. The things burn less power than most laptops. Although you might need to put up with a little hissing from the speakers due to the modified sine wave. Be sure to pop the hood and hook directly to the battery. Using the cigarette lighter might not blow a fuse but will certainly kill your battery quicker.

I have a 600 watt inverter from Amazon and when the power went out I ran extension cords all over the house. Powered the U-Verse residential gateway for Wifi internet, U-Verse DVR so it wouldn't miss recording any shows, a 38" LCD TV, two CFL lamps, charged a cell phone, and two laptops. The battery in my SUV is abnormally large and a second vehicle was available for jumping, so I didn't worry about draining the battery. The setup ran for about five hours and the vehicle was still able to start, although the TV was off for much of it. If jump starting is a hassle then be sure to idle the engine after three hours for a truck or two hours for a compact car. This time varies wildly depending on the battery and what you're running, so keep jumper cables nearby just in case.

Keep in mind most cars don't produce very much electricity while idling. So, if you're also running the headlights and interior lights in conjunction with your inverter, you're still draining the battery even if the engine is idling, just less-so.

[Edited on November 8, 2011 at 6:02 PM. Reason : .,.]

11/8/2011 5:57:57 PM

We've used a Honda eu2000i for 3 years now for a pretty big tailgate rig. We run directv, a 32" LCD, christmas lights, crock pots, you name it. It's super quiet and a true sine-wave output, not a stepped-approximation, so you can safely run electronics with finicky power supplies.

It was $900, but you get what you pay for. http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/products/modeldetail.aspx?page=modeldetail§ion=P2GG&modelname=EU2000i&modelid=EU2000IKN

11/8/2011 10:49:02 PM

I can attest to honda generators being super nice. I wish I could find a good deal on a 30A unit that I could run my AC unit and tire warmers with. A guy at road atlanta had a 6500 watt generator running the entire time during a party and no one knew it was running. We all thought it was a heater.

11/9/2011 8:06:11 AM

so I'm going to pick up the battery and converter here in a little bit, and I was wondering where is a good storage space for this. Can I just throw this thing in a closet? I maybe n00bing all over myself, but for some reason I remember hearing that you have to take special consideration when storing a marine battery

11/14/2011 2:56:51 PM

you want to store it on a trickle charger in an area below 80*

11/14/2011 3:49:38 PM

lol so after allll this debate (with myself), i ended up getting one of those "jumper" boxes that has the invertor built into it. I think with the desired wattage, I should be able to get around 15 hours of tv, which is more than enough. Now I need to figure out how to get the tv signal (since ABC is apparently a bitch to get).

11/14/2011 4:39:57 PM

Rabbit ears will be fine, i get all of the broadcast stations easily in the TX lot

11/15/2011 7:23:31 AM

well I have an amplified antennae that gets it crystal clear here at my place (off wade), so hopefully it will work in TX

11/15/2011 4:33:53 PM