Hi all I recently put the multi meter across the 12 volt charger on my 2 kva Honda generator to see if it produced enough voltage to charge my batteries in an emergency. To my surprise it showed 22 volt seems a bit high to me or will that drop when it comes under load. what do the people that know think ? Landy
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In life it is important to know when to stop arguing with people
and simply let them be wrong.
Do not use the so-called 12V output from generators for battery charging unless it's an emergency.
I have put an oscilloscope on the 12V output from a few generators and in all cases it's been a half wave rectified sine wave peaking at around 18V to 24V unloaded. This voltage level will overcharge a 12V battery and, eventually, damage it. Most certainly do not use this output to power any 12V equipment.
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"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
Thank you all for your comments and as suggested I would only use it to charge a battery if I was stuck somewhere and would always prefer to use a 240 volt charger straight of the genny. Mike I wish you would talk English mate I can tell positive from negative or wire a relay but your way out of my depth here. "I have put an oscilloscope on the 12V output from a few generators and in all cases it's been a half wave rectified sine wave " Landy
__________________
In life it is important to know when to stop arguing with people
and simply let them be wrong.
Mike I wish you would talk English mate I can tell positive from negative or wire a relay but your way out of my depth here.
Sorry Landy :)
We tend to assume others are familiar with things which are well known to us.
The generator DC output is a sort of AC electricity rather than the pure DC produced by a battery. For battery charging this doesn't matter as the battery will sort it all out but if you were to power, say, a 12V DC motor from this it would not work at all well.
__________________
"I beseech you in the bowels of Christ think it possible you may be mistaken"
Oliver Cromwell, 3rd August 1650 - in a letter to the General Assembly of the Kirk of Scotland
