How dirty can you be?

[Rob41]

Forgive me if this has been addressed elsewhere but but I didn't see it in the posts.

So looking at another thread about what looked like a surplus trailer mounted generator, it got me thinking about the quality of the charge from different generators. Considering the cost of an Alta and the level of very modern electronics involved, it would seem to be in our best interest to supply only the cleanest form of charge possible.

My Dad used an old camp quality generator when his power went out and as a result of the very dirty, poorly regulated power, burned out a circuit card in his furnace and it also destroyed his microwave. No doubt the generator he used had issues but it demonstrates the quality of power output from a generator has an effect on modern electronics.

The Alta's, like electronic bikes, use battery management systems to measure and balance each battery and plays a significant role in their health and maintenance. A lot of ebike enthusiasts use very high quality sine wave chargers for optimum results.

Does Alta give recommendations on the quality of generators beyond watts and amps? Are there benefits to be had from a highly regulated sine wave type charge for the battery bank of an Alta? Perhaps a more saturated charge or longer life expectancy of the battery bank would result?

I suppose the title of this thread should have been "how clean should you be". Any thoughts from the experts?

 

[Scott]

I am by means no expert but the inverter generators can and do provide very clean electricity along with being very quiet. The issue with the inverter based generators is that very few produce 240 volts (which is what I want to shorten charge time in the field) and if they do they are north of $1000. The cheapest one that I found is Briggs & Stratton Q6500 QuietPower Series 6,500-Watt Gasoline Powered Portable Inverter Generator with Briggs and Stratton Engine-030675 - The Home Depot.

What you are looking for in a "normal" generator is a low harmonic distortion specification. Generally less than 5% harmonic distortion is safe for sensitive electronics. I have this model and it has worked fine the few times I used it. Powerhorse Portable Generator 4,000 Surge Watts, 3,100 Rated Watts | Northern Tool + Equipment. If a generator manufacture does not list the harmonic distortion I just assume that it produces dirty electricity and will not purchase it.

 

[Philip]

I think the charger should protect the bike from bad a dirty generator power. It is the charger that I would worry about, not the bike.

 

[SuburbanDad]

I considered an inverter generator with a step up transformer so I could charge at 240. The problem I found was that the inverter generators are generous with their rating. That said though, a 4k inverter and step up xformer would probably be able to supply 240 at a reasonable volume (db)

In the end, I went cheap with a harbor freight 8k genset, so a buddy and I could both charge at 240 at the same time. It is incredibly loud, but charges 2 bikes handily and the chargers do fine with it.

The chargers aren't as delicate as one might think. Most of the smarts are just for negotiating the charging protocol. Otherwise they are just big ass capacitors and transformers.