motorhome,generator

[Johnnygm7lsi]

Hi there are simple books on lecy stuff or on line google,first amps & watts of power are basicly the same thing but volts is the shunt or driving force.
So a bulb at 100w driven by 230v simply divide 100 by 230 and o.43 will be answer which is less than half a amp draw of power.
So from here we can look at our van with a 12v battery at 100ah capacity,so if you had a tv running using 100w divide 12 into 100=8amps,now subtract 8 from 100 for every hour its running ie 5hrs tv 40ah which would leave battery almost half depleated.
If you have a volt meter fitted then watch as voltage drops to almost 12v from a full charge of about 12.8v its time to switch of or the battery will be damaged.
Next inverters are a electronic box of tricks which step voltage up from say 12v to 230v but in doing so loose some power by wastage,so 12v to 230 with a 100ah battery will give about a hour less run time on a 230v tv that if you had used a 12v tv and thats why folk as a rule buy 12v tv for van rather than use inverters unless your using camp sites plugged into ehu 24/7 where the battery will be getting charged as you use it,hope this helps a we bit other here may be better to explain than i.

You should start a thread explaining MH electrics and get done as a sticky

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Yep its a simplified rule of thumb and folk forget about lights burning etc which all add up,one thing for sure you can never have to many batterys on board plus plenty of ways to charge the bu--ers.

Absolutly !
I use to have a 140a BALMAR low rpm Max output SMART alternator, A small but effective AMORPHOUS Solar installation of 120w, A Rutland Wind Generator & a 3Kva Hospital Generator Muffled wet exhaust on my Boat. Together with 3 x 250 A/Hr Life Line AGM Battery Bank NEVER had any Power issues. & I had more Electrical eating Things on-board than was in many Houses including Dish washer !.

I do find that some people Genuinely haven't got a clue regarding what power they actually use, How its used over time aboard in every day use, & what time of day they actually use it, let alone on How to STORE & then Distribute the valuable Harvest, Thinking that chucking a 'Fit & Forget' solar panel on the roof will meet there needs. (Although I agree a Dirty, Flat Un Matched, Badly Placed or installed Solar Panel, whilst parked up for days on end in most Park ups from Guy falks to Easter time IS probably best Forgotten after Fitting).
My observations have been from some posts that some Forget about Water Pumps, Engine Monitoring or Battery Meters & Alarm in Sleep mode aux Gizmo's n lights, Toilet Flush Button, Habitation Lights, Background Radio, Phones Tablets Laptops or similar on Constant Daily Charge, all taking their nibble of power. Let alone the Biggies like Fridge, Fan on Heating, TVs, Sat or Freeview Box, Water Heating, Washing Machine and so on that are the more obvious Fatties. This together with the 'Possible' UNDER estimation of time some actually stay in one park up without Engine or Genny use all Takes its toll on the Power. SO Be Honest with Your Power Usage & Lifestyle Habits over say 3 days of average Wilding. Ive said a few times on here, Things like ' Power Audit' taken over say 3 days or so Then allowing a margin of emergency, & information then gained by doing this should be used to give an indication of a 'Well matched Solar installation or Genny size' required, But these phrases are often overlooked in my view to achieve an efficient power system. & so the cycle goes round n round.

OOO look a Donut !, Coffee time.

 

[trevskoda]

You should start a thread explaining MH electrics and get done as a sticky

Not sure what a sticky is but my post is a simple version for folk as daft as me.

 

[jagmanx]

This thread

Might run and run (like a genny !)

 

[Nesting Zombie]

Might run and run (like a genny !)

Yeah, OR have sporadic usable dribbles of occasional input (Like a Solar Panel !).

But Both being useful at times.

 

[trevskoda]

Another simple way do explain aa battery is think i as a water tank with say 100amps or ltrs of water in it,so if the outlet pipe is bigger than the fill pipe then it will be empty after a while,but if we either slow down the outlet tap or fill up faster ie big solar panel or charger it will take longer to empty.
The emptying is the stuff we use like lights fridges tv satalite charging of toys/laptops etc,all the power or eq water usage rate as if a w/tank draining is on the back of most so just add up and there you have it.
Now im eating my dinner as i type so going absent to chomp.:lol-053:

 

[Weewull]

LOL Wull, bet u wished you'd never asked.

as I said,new to m/h so I had to ask,,,,knew there would be difference of opinion regarding gennys,,,,,but think I am going to see about b2b charger and invertor for tv,so glad I did ask

 

[The laird]

as I said,new to m/h so I had to ask,,,,knew there would be difference of opinion regarding gennys,,,,,but think I am going to see about b2b charger and invertor for tv,so glad I did ask

Will glad you posted ,I've got solar,got gennie hardly used but your post got me thinkng and now getting advice on b2bs.

 

[Weewull]

the pro,s n cons seem to b in favour of b2b rather than genny or solar,so I am glad I asked the question and hope it helps other make the decision on which is best for them,,,,,,,,so thanx for all your answersand help to make my mind up

 

[Johnnygm7lsi]

Not sure what a sticky is but my post is a simple version for folk as daft as me.

Well a stickys not what you put on the firey, a sticky is an informative thread that stays at the top and never move down.