Charging with Generator


UKLee

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UK
I have been charging my stark with a generator which will work at 6 amps' put it on 7 and it trips out, Only just foung I can link 2 generators to get double the power and charge it at the maximum 10 amps hopefully

I know I could have got one bigger generator but these are more manageable I can chuck them up on a shelf and I already had one.
 

Bendejo

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Rhode Island
How long does it take to charge at 6 amps? I have been thinking about picking up a small cheap generator inverter 2500-3500 watt. I want it for the MX track. Charge in between rides.
 

UKLee

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UK
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How long does it take to charge at 6 amps? I have been thinking about picking up a small cheap generator inverter 2500-3500 watt. I want it for the MX track. Charge in between rides.
Not sure, the same time I got this set up stark changed the scale from 10 amps to 3.3 kw max looked up a conversion chart and looks like rocket science ! Someone said it could be there way of hiding they have had to reduce the charging rate because of overheating.... who knows.
Wonder if stark will send me some more duct tape to keep the phone in place or they could even FIX THE PROBLEM ? Same with another power button that stuck in :rolleyes:
 

Theo

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Italy
I know I could have got one bigger generator but these are more manageable I can chuck them up on a shelf and I already had one.
I don't know how much a generator weighs but I strongly believe that the day of the trackday physical efforts, especially before the riding is over, should be avoided, so I like the idea.

How long does it take to charge at 6 amps? I have been thinking about picking up a small cheap generator inverter 2500-3500 watt. I want it for the MX track. Charge in between rides.
Not sure, the same time I got this set up stark changed the scale from 10 amps to 3.3 kw max looked up a conversion chart and looks like rocket science ! Someone said it could be there way of hiding they have had to reduce the charging rate because of overheating.... who knows.
There is a document named Stark VARG - Specification sheet in the Stark's support section of their site, according to which the output voltage of the charger is 210V-430V and its maximum output current is 10 amps, so the 10 amps stated previously in the Varg app apparently were the ones going to the battery and not the ones taken from the electricity supply; after all, otherwise someone charging at 110 V at a certain amperage would have actually charged way slower than someone charging at 220 V at that same amperage. 10 amps • 330 V, which is included in that aforementioned range, = 3.3 kw. I personally live in Italy, where, in our houses, we can get a maximum voltage of 230 V and the sockets are rated to withstand a maximum of 16 amps, which yields 3.7 kw. The Shucko, or type F, plug of the Varg charger is rated for something similar, so we would not be able to get more than that from the socket anyways and probably that's already what we get, because 3.3 kw going into the battery is probably something more, like 3.7, after some losses have reduced the value. Another thought that validates this is that Stark has always stated, as far as I remember, that the Varg can be charged in two hours and in order to charge a 6.5 kwh battery in 2 hours you need roughly 3.3 kw.
 

UKLee

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UK
I timed it and whilst charging on maximum it took about 45 seconds to go up 1%, not sure if it is the same throughout the charge or if the temperature makes a differance.

I find it best to carry the 2 generators at the same time, one in each hand to balance it out, 47lbs/21kg each.
 

Aleksandar13

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Uk
From my personal research online and discussing this with several people the stark should be able to charge at 1% per minute with a large enough generator this is at 220v and the generator should be able to have a constant output of 3500 kw ( not peak, but constant). I will get a hybdai generator inverter for myself which is supposed to be quiet around 52 dB.


Aleks
 

PsychoBunny

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Southern California
I have been charging my stark with a generator which will work at 6 amps' put it on 7 and it trips out, Only just foung I can link 2 generators to get double the power and charge it at the maximum 10 amps hopefully

I know I could have got one bigger generator but these are more manageable I can chuck them up on a shelf and I already had one.
If you have any electric car chargers in the area get an adapter then just plug into the car charger. I was looking at generators for a while then realized there are car chargers everywhere and charge from 20% to 100% in two hours. Cost me $2.14 to charge. The adapter on Amazon was $49. Best purchase ever!

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fred900

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Sun City Ca.
I went to Mesquite Saturday and saw this guy using one like this with a 4000c Predator Generator. It charges just as fast as my 240v generator. He used the 30amp port on the generator and made the cable with the plug for this step-up. He said it cuts the amps in half to make 220 and the stark maxes out at 10 amp, so it has 10amp to spare on the 30amp port. Pretty smart guy!
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DonCox

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Lake Havasu City, AZ

AL_V

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Canton, Ohio
Thanks I'll get one, do you know if with such an adapter it would charge quicker at a fast charging point?
NO, the "fast chargers" are DC, you don't want to try that, but it wont work anyway.
This is for "Level 2" charging, which is normally 240v AC, but the linked adapter is only using one leg to get 120v.
I suggest trying to find an adapter with an L14-30 240v outlet.
 

DonCox

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Lake Havasu City, AZ
I posted this voltage converter, and did not dive deep enough into it at first. If you go to Amazon and search 120VAC to 240VAC Voltage converters, you will find a real variety. Price for 5000W for $96 to $189. They all seem to be the same basic unit. (You can determine by the weight the amount of copper wire in them. ) That is all these are is a step-up or Step down transformers. They rate them at 5000w or 120V about 40A, but only come with a 120V15A plug and cord. They say to buy 50% higher than needed, for startup surge. which makes sense, especially with our chargers, which act the same as a modern mosfet welder (They mention these in some of their information). These devices have a large bank of capacitors that take a huge surge to fill instantaneously at plug in, and then run at there rating. You have all seen the sparks when you plug these guys in. But still if you are running a Stark charger at 240V 14-15A, that is about 3300W running, with a 120VAC input to the converter, that is 30A. The power input cord is not made for that current, nor is the plug, they melt. I have a 3500W 120V generator, and it has an RV 120V 30A plug, and they get hot on my RV. So if you look at all the specs, they put fuses on the converters, and fuses will be blowing with these loads, or more importantly these surges. Maybe a slow blow fuse might last, but a circuit breaker might be the best, and some do have that. You can get variable time constant Slow blow breakers, but none of these come with that.
If I were to try one, it would be this model, because they state a current rating, and it has a circuit breaker on it. ( If the breaker pops the first time, it should work the second or third time, once the caps are charged) The input cord and plug should be changed to #10 3 wire, and a RV 30A plug, and on the output I would use the European 220V plug to the charger.


I haven't tried one of these, but if you have, give me your feedback
 

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