Watch me do random repairs, build projects and more. I am a self-declared RU-vid Certified Mechanic, Carpenter and Handyman, having watched dozens of hours on each subject I tackle. I do stuff on the cheap. I cut corners. I show it all. My motto is, "you don't have to get it right, just get it done".
Be forewarned, video quality won't be professional. I use "faux pro" action cams and old cell phones. I'm working on better audio, but don't expect miracles. I only use open source software for editing. My editing machine is 6 years old. I told you, I'm cheap.
Some notes about *SCALABILITY* that most folks are oblivious to: ~Approaching this from the gas generator end of things, not all gas generators are designed equally. Small inverters that can be paralleled/ganged together as they can vary the engine RPM (servo control throttle feedback mechanism) and wattage output as required. A non-inverter generator runs full bore regardless of the load required, therefore unnecessarily wasted burnt gas and noise. ~EcoFlow River 2 MAX 500/1000 can fully recharge in 1 hour due to a 660 Watt fast charging circuit. So if charging from your inverter generator, the generator can ramp up the RPM's to charge the EcoFlow and after the charge is completed return to a low demand mid-idle cycle. Always important for emergency situations- 2 is 1, 1 is NONE!!!...Availability, Scalability & Redundancy!!!
1 thing I do wonder about as I have a old school non inverter gen. Wonder what harm would come to the solar gens if charging off the old school non inverter gens.
The small cheap stuff all have a place. You just have to cut in half the claims really. Whatever the battery capacity is said expect less and less for wattage on inverter. But, still useful in many cases. I just bought the river 3 and waiting on it. I still say have several of these for not just redundancy should 1 fail but, cause you can use for different needs. 1 can be for fridges\ freezers while using large usb bricks for small electronics. I still swear by USB stuff like fans, LED lights, Coffee Warmer and more. And if you need to run a gen run it in day time and help top off the USB bricks, jump start packs, solar gens and such while running the main things like fridge and such. Lot of these solar gens offer pass through power as well. While still charging. Then use the solar gens at night so no noise. I think next yr we are going to see a breakthrough in all this stuff. Where all ports will be birectional 140 Plus watts 3.1 PD USB C ports and will allow more solar input and more. Like offer 20 amps out DC vs common 10 or 15 amp cig lighter port.
Very solid points. I like fact you figured out the jump Starter trick to use the inverter still. As far as inverter gens. They are great your correct. But, your maintenance on them are hassle. I do like there are now fuel pumps you can add to the gens now to extend the run time. As for the solar gens. Best to just honestly have several. And also have the largest capacity USB battery as well. I found so many things to run off USB. Things I like to run mostly are USB fans, LED lights, USB Coffee warming plate, USB 18650 AA AAA battery charging and of course electronics charging. Getting back to that jump starter. I know harley davidson sells Lithium batts that drop right in bikes. The battery is charged off the bike. And the BMS handles everything. From what I read is as long as the charger is not a smart charger you can still use on the battery and BMS handles it. SO I wonder if the Jump Starter you have if you could have just dropped in a replacement lifePo4 in it and still use the old wall plug to charge the jump starter with lifePo4 in it?
I got a 7.5 KW Kohler 4 cylinder 1800 RPM gas powered generator for free off of a wrecking job. Runs my whole place even the central air. It's water cooled so it's pretty quiet, it just makes a little bark when the AC kicks on and the governor opens the throttle plate wide. Costs about 20 bucks a day to run and I live pretty much the same as when the utility power is on. So far the only repairs it has needed was I replaced the starting battery two times in 16 years. I don't think it will ever use enough fuel to even half pay for some Jackery or Blue Eddy thing. And while the Jackery boys are figuring out power rationing and eating cold food and taking cold showers like someone from one of those loser countries, I'm living like an American
Some lessons can only be learned the hard way. As with all products, you generally get what you pay for, although it's true some products are also overpriced. When you REALLY understand this stuff, you build your own, so you not only know the quality of components that went into it, but how to service your solution, if need be.
IMO the best solution is a diy power station wagon. More power, less money, failed components can be replaced, and customized to include 240, 120 and 12v loads.
I've got some large planks with some screws drilled into them that fall into the top holes of my ramps... and then some large blocks on the end (covering the flat part of the ramp) and drive up them, lowering the angle. If you have the CVT, change the fluid/top filter every 30k. I've got two of em, the cvt and 5 speed... on the cvt the oil filter has the radiator hose in the way, on the 5 speed its routed in a different location and much easier to access. I took that bottom plastic shield off, its just in the way of the filter.
Thanks for the information. It's helpful to this person whom is investing in power stations and solar panels for camping and charging phones and laptops in power outages. I have questions for you if you're free to give advice.
You are mostly gearing your plan towards short term outages. And that is fine. But in the situation we are in today with Western Countries who are on the brink of economic collapse, civil unrest and other issues, It is probably a good idea to think about a longer term outage plan. If you have a grid down for any length of time, you won't be able to get ANY fuel (amongsts other things) because gas and diesel both have to be pumped (electric) and also the stations are all reliant on power to operate. The best combination is have some solar panels, a large enough sized inverter and batteries (or "solar generator") based on your needs and also a generrator which runs on propane/natural gas and gas. Most of the time after weather related power outages,, often times the natural gas service is still available. Propane is just as good, and it has in indefinite shelf life unlike liquid fuels, and with a motorized generator you can run many more hours off a cleaner source of fuel (instead of gasoline) in a carbureated single cylinder motor.
I have a 300w battery station that I use for my wifi router when we lose power. It runs for a good 8 hours. I have a second one that we use for lighting at night. Luckily we don't have many outages, but when we do, we can at least watch cable on our tablets and have lights. I see the benefit for a gas powered generator, but you have to have it maintained and it burns gas and oil.
It all depends on your situation as to whether it’s a good value. I have a Jackery 2000 plus. Bought it on sale with panels. Price was about the same as running a line to my workshop. Now I have free power without having the expense of having to run a new underground circuit to my main power panel. You really should consider some solar. It’s not that expensive if you get a bit creative.
You've got to go solar at some point, as the weather gets more chaotic and infrastructure declines, unless you want to store a lot of gas on your property you can't count on getting it.
I have an EcoFlow River Pro Power Station (one of the first ones they came out with) and use it to power a 12 volt cooler in my car while I'm in the store, so when I return with Groceries, it's really cold inside! On Camping Trips, I use it to power my wife's C-PAP Machine. Last thing I want to take camping is a Gas Powered Generator!
All you need is a AGM 100 plus ah battery, Inverter, charge controller and Solar panels. While the power is on I keep the battery charged with a AGM charger and it acts like a UPS when I do that. These Power stations are not economical at all.
Please let us know the specifics of the crush washers that have worked for you. Thank you. I got 55 mpg (highway/beautiful day) on my 2015/2016 base model ($9,250 US new after discounts) a few days ago after my driveway oil change to synthetic 0-20. ps I now start my oil changes by filling the filter to the brim and keeping it topped up to fully saturate it. After the oil is drained and plug replaced I dump the excess oil in the filter into the oil fill tube using a funnel then install it "horizontally". Yes 2 hands to screw the filter in and out as you showed. This last time I put a cup type oil filter remover and tightening tool on the bottom of the oil filter-' It fit tight and I taped it on with electrical tape and left it on. I use a 3/8 ratchet and short extension to loosen and to tighten a bit after snugging by hand. Great little "grocery getter" and get to where you need to go car. It compliments a ford 1 ton 4WD for "utility vehicles".
The washers are 14mm aluminum, same as Honda. I got a bag of 50 for around $5 from Temu, believe it or not, but I'm pretty sure you can get them anywhere. I never thought to fill the filter, then drain it into the crankcase before installing, that's a great tip. These cars are the last true economy car available in Canada, unfortunately I have heard that 2025 is going to be the last year for them. It would be nice if they were going to be replaced with a new version, but I don't think that's going to happen.
When planning for emergency backup power, having a battery system to supplement your generator is essential. It extends the time your generator can run on available fuel. For example, 100 amp-hour lithium batteries, which store 1200 Wh, are available online for around $150. With four of these, you could have 4800 Wh of backup power for approximately $600. A 2000 W inverter would be sufficient to run a coffee pot and other essential devices. Additionally, you’ll need a fast way to recharge the batteries when the generator is running, such as a 30 amp charger per battery, or larger. Solar panels and charge controllers are great options for recharging batteries during emergencies, though they can be costly. A 100 W solar panel is currently priced just above $50, and you can expect to get about five times the rated wattage per day, assuming optimal conditions with full sun and no shade.
I have the bluetti ac500 for use in an off grid cabin (I''m only there about 5 days/month) so it works for me but i also have a gas generator for back up/recharging of the bluetti's batteries and for use with the well pump. I think it is best to have both, if you don;t mind dolling out the money.
I have two EcoFlow Delta 2 Max power stations and we love them. Not one issue and they are a Godsend during a power outage. Bought them on sale and saved 31%. I highly recommend getting it and I would again even it they were not on sale.
MR HOLLIS SIR when you said i was wrong, just drew me to you, cause tons of guys would rather be wrong and never admit than admit it was a mistake, thankyou sir, i like your view and truthfulness about things, im a new subscriber and follower
Good advice, my little Honda 2200i has been a great during these last few storms. I like the idea of charging the Solorplay with it, how long does the Solarplay take to charge?
I had just watched your previous video. haha However , as you said....can't beat a fuel generator. ( Hope the crow was tasty 😂) I've looked at a lot of these. Some of the Pecron models are a good bet IMO.
You really dont do yourself any favours, the way you talk, saying things like "i assume" and "light thing" its a light, anyone can see that, and you assume on things that are so obvious, you make yourself sound as thick as a plank.
That Bluetti on your list, I got blessed with that AC200L, that price you have I got for $1099, I also have an EcoFlow, I’ve had it for about 4 years now, it is a 1054, I think but have had no issues with it
I've had an Ecoflow for years and I paid for it. It works fantastic and, yes, for emergencies I have 3 180 watt traditional solar panels to charge it if there's no other way.
I sold my gasoline powered generator and replaced it with a Bluetti AC 500 solar generato with two B300s batteries. The solar powered generator AC 500 with the two b300s batteries is able to run everything in my home during a power outage and everything is inside my house with no need to run additional power cables outside to my old gasoline powered generator. The gasoline powered generator was around $2,000 and for about another $1,200 more I have the much more superior and much more convenient solar powered generator.
It's a investment and cannot cheap you way out if it. Reason why we have hobotech, will prowse and their solar friends to test and give us their 2 centz about the product. Hollis took the it's too expensive route and paid the price.
I already have a 6250w generator and will probably buy a propane generator just in case. Also looking for battery and solar panels. -30 is no joke and I remember the -40 from a couple years ago and wouldn't want to leave the house without heating for more than a day without at least my little generator. Good stuff, great advice. Thanks
Its batteries & a power inverter...But OH NO!!! ITS A GENERATOR....Ok, then so is 3or4 scooter batteries wired to a car cigarette lighter with a 110 adapter plugin. That is about as good as the solar "still"....Its a dehumidifier that uses rechargeable batteries & a solar cell to recharge the batteries
Hey man there is so many which one is the best for the buck ! Great tips & how it can work for you :) I actually have a couple a 1500 & a 2000 but different brands :) I think I got a good one with my 2000wh & going to have something to add for more power soon in a video :)) I live 100% off grid & now use it hooked to solar panels full time to run the cabin, I am pretty happy with it so far ! take care my friend"
The best way to do things is to use the power station with a generator. The recharge rate of the power station should max out the generator. Not sure where the max effeciency of the generator is buy lets say its 50% loading. A 3000 watt running load at 50% is 1500 watts. So you want the power station to recharge at around 1500 watts. What you don't want to do is run a 3000 watt generator for only 100watts of power. It wastes too much fuel.
