[Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different -Power outages

Thu Jul 27 15:03:17 EDT 2006

Willard,
FYI, the Honda generators can be coupled to an extended operation fuel tank available on the web.  Their buzzword is 'Extended Duration' fuel tank, either 6 or 12 gallons.  Speedwaysales.com sells the 6 for 69.99, and the 12 for 119.99.  They are really a TEMPO VALU6 tank, but with special fittings and hose you attach to the cap of the generator - the suction inside the generator tank sucks fuel from the bottom of the external tank.
Art

-----Original Message-----
>From: "Downs, Willard" <Willard at missouri.edu>
>Sent: Jul 27, 2006 11:10 AM
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
>Subject: RE: [Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different	-Power	outages
>
>Bill --
>
>>From Willard Downs here in Missouri.........
>
>I have owned one of the EU1000 Hondas for three more than 4 years now,
>and have been very pleased with it.  I have used it for all sorts of
>things, including running a 5500 BTU AC on our older 30' powerboat, and
>even charging 12 volt batteries without having to use an inverter and AC
>to DC charger.  The Eco throttle feature is very nice, helps to keep
>fuel consumption and noise down.  It's light enough that it's really
>easy to carry around, most anywhere you go.  Vibration is minimal, and
>it doesn't walk around while running, even at load.  There are a couple
>of things that I've noticed in using it though:
>
>*  The particular unit I have does not vent properly through the gas cap
>(has a manual on-off), and will die unless the cap is slightly loose (a
>bigger problem when the tank is full/nearly full.  Maybe I haven't spent
>enough time figuring out what is wrong with the cap....I'm sure this is
>unique to my Unit.  Actually the on-off vent is a nice feature if it
>really worked!  Mine is apparently just "off" all the time.
>
>*  Even though it's not really noisy, if it's running close to you for
>several hours it eventually begins to wear on you a bit.  I think it has
>more to do with the frequency and "beat" of the sound, than it does the
>decibels.  Also, as the Eco-throttle opens up, the sounds really
>increases, so if your load will require the generator to run at full
>throttle most of the time, it can be pretty noisy.  Of course at its
>worst, it's better than the competition.
>
>*  I wish it had a larger gas tank, my run times are at the low end of
>the range they give, even less, and it can be annoying to shut it down
>to re-fuel it, especially at night.  
>
>*  Though it will run most of the loads I'd like to use it for, it's
>right at the limit for many of them, and won't run a few.
>
>*  If I were buying again, or replacing it, I'd probably opt for the
>2000.  With the nearly double fuel capacity, I think that would give me
>the longer run-times I want (if I didn't load it up more than the one I
>have), and should also help to minimize that noise effect I mentioned
>above.  The extra 1000 watts would also be nice to have in reserve.  The
>additional cost is not much.  The biggest down-side I can see is the
>increase in weight and size.  The 2000 would not fit in some handy
>places I store my 1000, and the additional weight would make it more
>cumbersome to handle.  While that sounds like a little thing, the almost
>"brief-case" like size and weight has been one of the features I've
>really enjoyed.   
>
>I'm sure you'll enjoy whichever one you get.  
>
>Willard Downs, Missouri
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org] On Behalf Of Bill Effros
>Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 9:13 AM
>To: The Rhodes 22 mail list
>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] And now for something completely different
>-Power outages
>
>Brad,
>
>I've come round on this one.  I hadn't looked at portable generators for
>
>20 years, and am just about to buy a $700 Honda 1K because of the gas 
>sipping qualities and extremely low noise.  The only reason I looked 
>this time was because of you and ...Wally? talking about the 
>practicality of bringing one on board.  I may even try that.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>Brad Haslett wrote:
>> Some of you that have been here for awhile may remember the rather 
>> spirited
>> discussion we had on generators a few years back.  With the power 
>> outages in
>> the NYC area and other cities, now may be a good time to review the 
>> issue.
>> During Hurricane Elvis (strong line of thunderstorms that knocked out 
>> power
>> in Memphis for up to three weeks) my neighbors ran big Y2K generators
>for
>> ONE day until they ran out of gas, then went looking for filling
>stations
>> with power.  We're putting the finishing touches on our MS Gulf Coast
>> evacuation plan and hurricane preparedness skills.  Here's my
>experience
>> from Elvis.  Small is better.  You need to run one window A/C unit 
>> during the
>> day (available for $60 if you buy before the crisis) and a fridge at
>> night.  One 1000 watt genset  will run on 5 gallons of gas for a week.
>> Someone on this list will go for days without power this summer for
>one
>> reason or another.  Don't say you weren't warned!
>>
>> Brad
>>
>> ----------------
>>
>> JULY 21, 2006Posted 5 days and 0 hours ago on July 21, 2006 Blackout
>> Survival Guide
>>
><http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/home/3391786.html?c=y&imageID=1338
>716&caption=%3Cb%3EBatteries+Included%3A%3C%2Fb%3E+Prepare+your+blackout
>+kit+now%2C+not+in+the+dark.> 
>>
>>
><http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog/home/3391786.html?c=y&imageID=1338
>716&caption=%3Cb%3EBatteries+Included%3A%3C%2Fb%3E+Prepare+your+blackout
>+kit+now%2C+not+in+the+dark.> 
>>
>> *Batteries Included:* Prepare your blackout kit now, not in the dark.
>> When it's as hot and humid outside as it is right now in the 
>> northeast, air
>> conditioning feels like a miracle. Until the lights flicker, dim, and
>go
>> out. With air conditioning creating massive spikes power consumption,
>> occasionally the grid calls it quits. That's just what happened on 
>> Tuesday
>> evening, when more than 200,000 homes in the New York region lost
>their
>> power. Many people are still waiting for the power to come back.
>>
>> Before you're sweating it out in candlelight, take a look at our
>blackout
>> survival guide.
>>
>> Download the blackout survival podcast
>>
>here<http://media.popularmechanics.com/audio/Popular+Mechanics+PodcastBl
>ackoutSurvival1.mp3> 
>>
>> .
>>
>> Have a Flashlight: If you haven't done so already, go out and buy at 
>> least
>> one small, inexpensive flashlight-one that takes 2 D cell or 2 AA 
>> batteries.
>> If you already have a flashlight, swap in new batteries. Leave it 
>> standing
>> on a book shelf, or on an easy-to-reach countertop so that you can get
>to
>> quickly and safely in the dark.
>>
>> Be Prepared to Empty the Fridge: A freezer packed with dry ice will
>stay
>> cold for days, but it's tough to find dry ice at the local corner 
>> store. So
>> if you've been without power for more than four hours, start emptying
>the
>> fridge now. Even if the power does come back soon, chances are your
>food
>> won't, and you don't want to let food melt in the freezer or, even
>worse,
>> rot in the appliance. Cleaning that up is not a mess you want to deal 
>> with.
>>
>> Shut Down Your Appliances: If your power goes out, make sure you turn
>off
>> your air conditioner or reset the thermostat so the air conditioner 
>> will not
>> turn back on until you turn it on manually. When the power does turn
>back
>> on, the combined load of thousands of air conditioner spooling up
>> simultaneously can be enough to trip the grid again, starting another
>> blackout. However, if everybody turned on their air conditioners
>> individually, it would stagger the power demand on the grid. Every 
>> small bit
>> of help counts during an emergency.
>>
>> (Also, now's a good time to unplug that circular saw you were using 
>> when the
>> power went out.)
>>
>> Don't Overdue AC: When you do turn an air conditioner back on, don't 
>> set the
>> thermostat lower than 78 F. This is good practice in general: Although
>it
>> doesn't seem very cool, the dehumidifying effect of air conditioning
>will
>> make your house much more bearable, even at 78 F.
>>
>> Use Passive Cooling: If the power goes out, open as many windows as
>> possible, especially windows and vents in the attic and the upper
>floors.
>> However, use shades on the sunny side of the house (south and west) to
>> minimize solar heating. This is a good practice in warm months, even
>when
>> you've got your AC cranking like a Pratt and Whitney turbofan.
>>
>> If you really got caught off guard, take this opportunity to learn 
>> from the
>> mistake and assemble an emergency preparedness
>>
>kit<http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_improvement/home_owner_clinic/2
>076037.html?page=4&c=y>consisting 
>>
>> of lighting, food, water, a first aid kit, tools and anything
>> else you'll need. -Roy Berendsohn
>> __________________________________________________
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>>
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