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I successfully used my 1000watt Honda to charge the batteries with my Heart Inverter/Charger. We used it extensively on an ICW/Bahamas trip in 1999/2000. The 1000watt generator might be different from the later 2000watt models so your experience might be different.

Initially, the generator would not drive the charger. It would just shut down like there was no input AC. I contacted the Heart people and they had a tech notice addressing the problem which they sent me. The issue is that the charger has a Power Factor which causes it to look electrically like a motor. All you need to do is to put a motor starting capacitor across the output of the generator. I don't recall all of the details but I believe I used a 50mfd capacitor.

I built a little plastic box with a plug on a pigtail to plug into the Honda, and a 110v female socket on a pigtail to connect to the AC dockwire input to the boat. I made it a separate little device so I could use the generator without the capacitor in the circuit, if necessary. The capacitor is simply inside the watertight box across the AC line.

It worked perfectly. With the capacitor in the circuit the 1000W Honda would charge the house batteries at 40 to 50 amps.

One thing to note is that the Heart Interface was very sensitive to the frequency of the AC input. The 1000W Honda has a guage and adjusting screw to set the AC frequency to exactly 60 cycles. When the frequency is only slightly off the charging current would fall to about 20 amps.

Also, on calm days at anchor, we typically put the generator in the dinghy and ran it there. This eliminated all the noise, vibration, and exhaust fumes. The Hondas a pretty quiet anyhow, but almost undetectable when running in the dinghy.

Dave,

The thing to consider here is the kind of load you put on the generator. The water heater is a pure resistance load. The Honda 2000 will drive it just fine with no modifications, but it probably draws about 10 amps at 110v. This may be at the limit of what the generator can realistically handle. I doubt if the Honda 1000 can handle the water heater.

The Freedom 20 is a reactive load. It therefore is affected by the affects of alternating current (AC). This is why you will need a capacitor on the generator. You might look on the internet for a tutorial on AC Power Factor to understand it.

I don't know if you could run both the water heater and the Freedom 20 at the same time off a Honda 2000. If you can you would need to do it with the capacitor in the circuit. The capacitor would not affect the water heater since it is just a resistance load, but it might change the amount of capacitance you need for the charger. In any event, I would probably not try to use them simultaneously as the load on the generator would be nearing its limit.

One thing you need to check. My Honda 1000 was a 1999 model. At that time, the Honda 1000 was a motor and an AC generator. I have been told that the new Hondas consist of a motor, a DC generator and an inverter. This might change the whole picture. I would try to find a Honda tech rep and discuss it with him. I don't know if you could use the same solution that I used. The tech folks at Xantrex might also give you some advice. Tell them you know that there is a tech note about using Honda generators with the Freedom inverters.

My inverter was a 1998 Freedom 20 with a Link 1000 Controller.

Gerry
Ragtime C42 108

Dave,

I didn't get your email. My email address is ragtime99@comcast.net

Gerry