Groups > rec.crafts.metalworking > #543596

Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator?

From	Richard Smith <null@void.com>
Newsgroups	rec.crafts.metalworking
Subject	Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator?
Date	2026-08-03 19:47 +0100
Organization	BWH Usenet Archive (https://usenet.blueworldhosting.com)
Message-ID	<m1h5lbdosa.fsf@void.com> (permalink)
References	<m18q6s8yow.fsf@void.com> <114ipdu$2vnba$1@dont-email.me>

Show all headers | View raw

Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> writes:

> On 7/30/2026 5:11 AM, Richard Smith wrote:
>> Somethign you folk from North America will be familiar with.
>> There is a 12V light, fridge and occasional inverter to
>> mains-voltage
>> system with 12V "leisure" lead-acid battery and photovoltaic (PV)
>> charger and charge-regulator.
>> For winter when our days are short and sun not bright - would it be
>> an
>> efficient solution to have a small gasoline engine running a 12V
>> generator eg. from a car?
>> Would be efficient to have a small engine which runs full-power for a
>> shortish time - something like an hour? - then stops.
>> Smallest Honda "GX" engine is 100cc.
>> Small engine+12V-generator & battery is much more fuel-efficient than
>> running a generator supplying power on-demand?
>> Tempting thought is - that would happen when it is dark and *cold* -
>> therefore if you coudl recover the waste heat of the generator engine it
>> would be welcomed.
>> I have no knowledge of this - anyone want to get this going?
>> Regards,
>> Rich Smith
>
> Just bear in mind solar tends to be less efficient than you might
> think.   I ran that gamut some years back setting up burglar alarm
> systems models here there was no power, and in un-powered warehouses.
> I found that if I didn't plan for 4 times the estimated max demand I
> was getting constant low battery communication from the cellular
> communicators. This is in SW Arizona where arguably it is among the
> best locations in the world for solar power.

Thanks for that "word to the wise"...

Thread

off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-07-30 13:11 +0100
  Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Carl <carl.ijamesXX@YYverizon.net> - 2026-07-30 10:25 -0400
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-30 14:37 -0400
      Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Carl <carl.ijamesXX@YYverizon.net> - 2026-07-30 16:17 -0400
        Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-07-30 21:33 +0100
          Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-30 19:12 -0400
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-30 15:22 -0400
  Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? bp@www.zefox.net - 2026-07-30 15:45 +0000
  Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-30 13:56 -0400
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-07-30 21:49 +0100
      Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-31 08:23 -0400
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-30 22:47 -0400
  Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-07-31 11:27 -0700
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-31 16:00 -0400
      Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-07-31 16:30 -0700
        Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Clare Snyder <clare@snyder.on.ca> - 2026-07-31 22:23 -0400
        Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-07-31 22:46 -0400
          Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-01 09:14 -0400
          Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-01 11:18 -0700
            Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-01 16:07 -0400
            Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-02 21:45 -0400
            Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-08-03 21:13 +0100
              Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-03 14:03 -0700
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-08-04 13:10 +0100
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-04 10:04 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-04 13:08 -0700
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-04 18:24 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-04 15:47 -0700
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-04 16:16 -0700
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Bob La Londe <none@none.com99> - 2026-08-04 16:30 -0700
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? David Billington <djb@invalid.com> - 2026-08-05 00:35 +0100
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-04 23:02 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-08-05 09:13 +0100
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-05 09:32 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-05 10:06 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-05 21:33 -0400
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-08-06 05:34 +0100
                Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-06 09:39 -0400
              Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-03 18:23 -0400
    Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? Richard Smith <null@void.com> - 2026-08-03 19:47 +0100
      Re: off-grid - battery & winter 12V-generator? "Jim Wilkins" <muratlanne@gmail.com> - 2026-08-03 16:10 -0400

csiph-web