Portable Generator For Trolling Batteries (Onboard Charger)

[Shewillbemine]

Has anyone ever used a portable generator to charge the onboard charger for trolling batteries?

I have the MinnKota 230D onboard charger: 2 bank, 15 amp and the manual states 5A @ 120VAC (so my calculations state 600watts needed).

I'm not looking at the Honda or Yamaha generators because they're so darn expensive.

My biggest concern is getting a generator that will NOT create possible damage. The manual says a "sine wave output" is fine but that a "modified square wave output" is not.

How do I identify whether a generator is either versions? And what are these things called "inverter generators"? Thanks for any help.

[Shewillbemine]

Did more research on top of my own research.

Determined that "inverter generators" are the correct choice for powering any sensitive electronics, as these units somehow invert the current into the proper "sine wave" type, which provides a steady power flow. Standard generators do no such thing, hence can possibly damage something like my onboard battery charger.

Honda is definitely one of the quietest units out there but they are so darn expensive.

[BKeith]

gas powered generators normally put out a sign wave, since the voltage is being created from a rotating source. Inverters tend to put out square wave since they are using an oscillator circuit that's just cutting on and off. Some of the better inverters do us filters and capacitors to round the edges and shape it to closely resemble a signwave but the only way you can tell is put an O-Scope on it and look at it.

Yamaha makes a nice little gas generator that's very quite and not as much as the Honda, but it's not cheap. I know Harbor Freight and Northern Tools sell those cheap, chinese things but you couldn't melt one of those things and pour it on me, I would not have one. I have a Yamaha 1KW and a Honda 2KW I use when I go for several days.

[Team_Dougherty]

Pure 12v DC. they also have 24 and 36 v versions

http://www.alten-dc.com/gasoline-powered-dc-generators/item/106-12-volt-55-amp-gas-powered-battery-charger.html

[Wayne P.]

Pure 12v DC. they also have 24 and 36 v versions

http://www.alten-dc....ry-charger.html

You don't want that for deep cycle battery changing and it doesn't indicate it has 120V A/C to hook a charger to it.

[Fishing Rhino]

I'd avoid that Honda. It is strictly a battery charger, and not good for much else.

How do you charge your trolling motor batteries now? If you have a charger why buy another charger? Buy a generator that will provide 110 volts. You can use it in conjunction with the charger you have now. In addition, you can use it as an emergency power source for lights, a refrigerator or whatever.

[Shewillbemine]

I charge them by plugging into a standard outlet from my house. But on those trips away from home (and power outlets), that's what I'd need the generator for.

My verbiage must've been confusing: I don't want another charger. I need something to plug my onboard charger into when I'm not at home.

As I stated above, I've found that the inverter generators are the way to go since they are specifically designed to produce power for sensitive electronics.

[Wayne P.]

You won't be powering your electronics with the generator.

You will be powering your units with a 12V battery.

It doesn't make any difference what sine wave the generator has to charge the battery--there are no electronic circuits in a battery.

[BKeith]

Not so fast there. Depending on his onboard charger, it may not like a square wave/simulated sine wave from in an inverter. I would go with a good AC generator, as mentioned you have power for numbers of other things with a generator. My small Yamaha is fairly quite, the 2Kw Honda ain't, so when I take it, I have riged an external muffler and a way to hook it to the engines exhaust so I can quiten it down some.

[Shewillbemine]

The exact words in the Minn Kota manual are "Generators with a modified square wave output can damage this Minn Kota charger. Generators with a sine wave output can be used to power this charger." So by my read, the type of output (and hence generator) is a factor.

Just putting in the information in case this thread is found by anyone else needing it in the future.

[BKeith]

Like I said, I think you find most gas powered generators will have a sine wave output because the voltage is created from a rotating assembly, which gives you the rolling rise and fall of the voltage that makes the sinewave.  The only concern you normally run into with generators is the frequency.  Any change in the set RPM will change the frequency. 

 

Inverters that are running off a battery or some other sourse is where you will have problems.  They are taking a DC source, oscillating it, stepping it up to the desired voltage and then using filters to try and role the edges to get a simulated sine wave.  Some are better than others at doing this but you will usually pay dearly for a good one.  The other draw back is they pull enough current that you may need to run the vehicle while it's on.

 

Now, with some of this off brand chinese stuff everybody seems to want to sell/use, all bets are off on what you might get.  Also whether or not it will even run when you want to use it.

 

Where you might run into a problem with some of these cheaper units is they use a system like your vehicle's altinator, where they are using a number of fields to generate the voltage.  Doing that, the frequency will be way too high for most any piece of equipment but it lets them put out a large amount of current and voltage from a small package.  They will recitify this voltage to make it DC and then run it through an inverter to get it to a usable frequency and go the the same shaping process as any other inverter to try and make it look like a sine wave. 

 

 

Gee wiz info, you vehicles altinator is putting out over 100 volts, some as much as 130 volts, then it's recitified and run through the regulator to get it to the 14.6VDC for the car battery.  They do this some they can put out huge amounts of current from a small altinator.

[topwaterrob]

I'd be afraid to hook anything but a standard 110 to my battery charger (not saying you can't).  Just bring a long exstention cord with you where ever you go and find a plug....  That's how i've managed it thus far....  Good luck

[BKeith]

I've used my Honda EN 2500 watt generator many times on my Pro Tourny 300, that's what we use for camp power and also to run the a Small AC unit but it's your old fashion generator that has to run at it's set speed all the time. 

 

I had never paid any attention to it until now so I checked my little Yamaha  is it is an Inverter model.  All I ever did with it was keep it in my service van for and though I've never had a problem with it, about all I've ever run off it is power tools and lights. 

 

I would think if you stuck with one of the name brand inverter models, you would be in good shape.  According to Honda, theirs is better than AC out of the wall. 

[Shewillbemine]

All the input has been extremely helpful, thank you.

 

I spoke with a Minn Kota rep today and he endorsed the Honda brand generators. For all other brands, he said to specifically ask the manufacturer if their model produces "a pure sine wave", which is the safest kind to run the unit with. 

 

Again, the help was awesome. Thanks everyone--going fishing again tomorrow and it should be nice. 68 degrees.