[aprssig] Portable Ops from 12v via 115 VAC

[Steve Dimse]

On 12/29/04 at 9:57 AM Richard Amirault <ramirault at erols.com> sent:

>Now, having said that, I'm not sure how much current you will need to run 
>all your equipment. This will vary, of course, from person to person 

More variation is to be found in the vehicles. My Ford F-250 diesel has dual 80
amp alternators. Diesels run at lower revs, therefore at idle the alternator
puts out a greater percentage of its rating than a gas motor's alternator, so I
have over 60 amps available at idle. A typical small car might have 5 or 10 amps
available at idle.

A bigger issue is the way you will trash your engine by prolonged idling.
Diesels are not adversely affected by prolonged idling, but gasoline engines can
be seriously damaged in this kind of service. Given that a top quality Honda 1kw
generator goes for $600, and lower quality ones are even cheaper, this plan
seems rather short-sighted, in the long run you will spend much more in repair
bills.

Steve K4HG