Portable Generator Question.

[PiizzLe]

I'm going to an event and we are going to have a booth/tent to represent our business. This is going to be outdoors so we have no electricity provided for us.

I would like to bring my Cutter and Heat Press for us to use at the event.

I am looking into Generators both electric and gas powered ones.

Can you guys recommend something to me that's not way over the top but can run the whole day and power the equipment I am going to be using?

I would prefer a rechargeable generator so I don't have to deal with gas and whatnot but again I am open to all suggestions and feedbacks.

Thank You.

 

[J Hill Designs]

just take a look at total power draw (I would imagine the heat press would be a larger portion of this) and find something that meets or exceeds the wattage needed

 

[Gino]

A coupla things.

How will you power an electric generator if you don't have electric to start with ?? Isn't that the idea of a portable gas or diesel generator ??

Anyway, running things like computers, cutters and other sensitive electrical components doesn't sound to safe on a generator because the current won't be constant. It's gonna fluctuate to some degree which will most likely cause problems.

A long extension cord might be better.................
​

 

[Billct2]

What they said. Maybe using a power backup plugged into the generator would "clean up" the electricity enough to use it.

 

[J Hill Designs]

or a power conditioner

 

[PiizzLe]

I was looking into Rechargeable Generators. That's what I meant by Electric.

I will look into the power back up generator.

 

[TammieH]

Sometimes, I really believe its a good idea to ask a professional, or maybe a couple people who rent generators
You really don't want to "f" up your livelihood.

 

[apic]

Your cutter and computer won't need much power, but the heat press is power hungry.

Cutter: 100 Watts or less,
Computer: few hundred Watts (depending on the type and size of the computer).
Heat Press: 1500 - 2000 Watts

So:

1.) Forget the rechargeable generators!
2.) Buy a portable gas generator (e.g. Honda, All-Power America, etc.) with at least 3000 W "Rated Watts".
3.) Buy an Uninterruptable Power Supply (e.g. APC, Tripp Lite, etc.) with at least 1500 VA (800-900 Watts) output power capacity.
4.) Use the UPS for the cutter and a computer only (!!) and connect the heat press directly to the generator.

Never use your computer and cutter directly from the portable generator (without the "shield" of the UPS)! A power surge can kill the electronics of your computer and cutter, a power failure can kill your software and op-sys in your computer.

Good luck...

 

[Laz0924]

The heat press is an inductive circuit so power fluctuations don't matter, most other electrical devices are designed to handle a 10% increase or decrease in voltage so no worries there. Most important is to size the generator to the load, heatpress usally a 20 amp circuit check the name plate on your cutter should show how many amps it draws add them up and get a generator at least 10-20% larger. ie 30 amp generator should be fine.

 

[Tim4]

Honda eu series. very quiet. very clean power. The UPS recommendation above is a good thing. Charge it before you leave the shop.

http://www.wisesales.com/eu2000ia-honda-generator.html?gclid=CJyrmqLgx70CFY1xOgodQmUAnw​

 

[Fred Weiss]

If you're going to be near your vehicle, you might be able to use a power inverter such as THIS.

 

[PiizzLe]

Thank you these are some helpful stuff.

Your cutter and computer won't need much power, but the heat press is power hungry.

Cutter: 100 Watts or less,
Computer: few hundred Watts (depending on the type and size of the computer).
Heat Press: 1500 - 2000 Watts

So:

1.) Forget the rechargeable generators!
2.) Buy a portable gas generator (e.g. Honda, All-Power America, etc.) with at least 3000 W "Rated Watts".
3.) Buy an Uninterruptable Power Supply (e.g. APC, Tripp Lite, etc.) with at least 1500 VA (800-900 Watts) output power capacity.
4.) Use the UPS for the cutter and a computer only (!!) and connect the heat press directly to the generator.

Never use your computer and cutter directly from the portable generator (without the "shield" of the UPS)! A power surge can kill the electronics of your computer and cutter, a power failure can kill your software and op-sys in your computer.

Good luck...

 

[apic]

You are welcome.

The power inverter idea above won't work if you have to provide power all day long as you've mentioned. Your vehicle cannot run all the time, and if you are using a 5kW inverter without running the engine, your car won't even start in the evening.

We had a Honda portable generator many years ago, and it was really good...

 

[Techman]

i ran a lappy and a cutter from a large inverter from the vehicle power system. Make sure the wires are heavy enough to handle the load. Otherwise they will burn. That is a fact.

The heat press will need a full power system such as a generator. 1500 watts is a pretty heavy load and a vehicle system will not handle that.

Get a good generator of at least 3000 watts and get it over with. You will use that generator a lot more once you get it.

A 5000 watt generator will use 5 gallons of gas per about 8 hours. I know that for a fact too.

 

[PiizzLe]

Good stuff guys. These are exactly the information I am looking for.

Again if any of you need to add more to this please do, it will only help me out.

 

[DizzyMarkus]

running things like computers, cutters and other sensitive electrical components doesn't sound to safe on a generator because the current won't be constant. It's gonna fluctuate to some degree which will most likely cause problems.

The Honda series of generators does not do this-- they have a dc inverter built in. The power is as steady as she comes :0) The issue your going to have is the heat press--- that is going to suck some juice and need a large gen to run it, not to mention the noise. An electric chargable gen wont hold up to what you are wanting. Check out honda if your going to put $1000 running on it, and can stand next to it and have a conversation hehe lol

Markus

 

[apic]

With a portable generator you can have multiple issues:

• It can be noisy.
• It can stop suddenly (fuel-, ignition-, mechanical problem, etc.).
• The inverter can be low quality, creating horrible 60 Hz signal.
• The long cable from the generator (outside) to the heat press (inside) can radiate broadband RF (radio frequency) due to the sharp edged waveform that even a high quality inverter creates.

So:

1.) Buy a quiet generator(!). Loud noise - all day long - can be really disturbing.
2.) Buy a reliable model, and keep the generator in good shape. For added protection for your computer, use a UPS. If the generator stops, you will have time to close your running programs and shut down the computer. (You can even set up a connection between the UPS and the computer to do this automatically, but it is not necessary.)
3.) Buy a generator with a high quality inverter, which creates clean 60 Hz signal. It will not be a true sine wave, just a "stepped approximation to a sine wave" but it is good enough. (Your UPS will produce the same type of signal.)
4.) The RF noise - most probably - won't be a problem, but if it is, you'll need professional help. Ferrite-core chokes in both (the neutral and the hot) wires can reduce the RF noise substantially.

I hope this helps.

 

[fixtureman]

I would look at a power inverter and a deep charge battery

 

[apic]

The inverter + 12V battery won't work!

If you need 2000 Watts (heat press + computer + cutter + etc.), it is 166 Amps on 12 Volts.
The capacity of an average battery is about 100 Amp-hours or less.
You need 10-12 hours of operation.

Do the math...

 

[BobCap]

Geni Use

I work with generators all the time in my "other business" Concert Sound. Everything has gone digital in that world.

I find for small systems the Honda Gen sets work very well. Very quiet compared to other brands.

A couple of points.

Using any digital gear (computer) requires a UPS. Period.

Get at least a 5000 watt unit for your needs. Larger is always better.

Most local codes also require a 4' ground stake driven in the ground next to the geni with a copper ground wire attached. Larger gen sets require as many as 6 ground stakes.

Any extension cords used MUST NOT have a J in the cable type designation. SO or SOW cables are required.

AND you must have ground fault connections. UNLESS the geni has one built in OR you are using cables with Twist Lock connectors.

Now you might not have an inspector at your event, but if you do it's better to be prepared.

Bob Cap
AAI
Gilbert, MN