Muffling <span class="highlight">Generator</span> Noise.

Shaker , that would make an interesting experiment, maybe someone will come up with an answer. The benefit in the cardboard flat pack is that it could also be used as temporary insulation over portable fridges and against the inside of car windows. Something for the pooch to sleep on. A creeper board to lay on while checking under your car. Happy Days.

Probably not because the quiet japanese models have plastic conrods and such which absorb the shock and muffle the sound beofre it gets to the muffler.

I think the best way to quieten the cheapies down would be to build an insulated box......or throw them in the river.

nomadoz, asbestos is understandably a dirty word these days. Happy Days.

You can buy the rope, it is made of fibreglass now

Alternatively, go to your local motorbike shop and buy some muffler packing and you can make your own decent muffler for your genny with some tin.

Yeah!

So Far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Disco

My Dad, rest his sole, also used blue asbestos during the war.

In his early 80's a doctor asked if he had every come in contact with asbestos, his answer! YES.

The doctor said, don't worry about what I have to tell you, you will be long gone before this affects you, you have the beginning of asbestos.

Don't be to quick to judge

You are right about it Gorge,
I believe the unprocessed stuff use to be stored and transported in hashing bags, so it was very dusty environment for the workers

Don't you think if it was inaudible at 10 meters that would be socially acceptable. Perhaps if it made no more noise than an inverter?

Sandman,
I am with you, death to the poxy generators ( and I didn't even swear)

before solar panels gennies were ok we used to share our power , this is a great thread --all for it

I agree Shaker - we all have our vices (some worse than others) but most of these can be tolerated if it includes some consideration. Boozy late nights by fellow campers are far worse - particularly if they are bikers and the bride wants YOU to go and tell them to keep it quite.

Kind regards

Who wants to pay all that money for solar panels and batteries when you can buy a generator that will fulfill your needs for well under $500? Especially those who might only get out once a year, if that.
Add to that perhaps a $100 for materials to silence it, much less if you're thrifty.
You're looking at anywhere from $300 up for an 80w solar panel, and I'd personally want at least 2. Plus batteries, charge controllers, inverters etc. A good solar system will easily run in excess of $1000. If you camp a great deal then it would no doubt be worth while, but some people don't, and its better I think to have a cheap generator sitting in the shed most of the year, rather than expensive deep cycle batteries, which will no doubt deteriorate.

As the OP said, cheap gennies are here to stay. Instead of bringing the thread down, maybe you could contribute and one day, just maybe, you'll find yourself camped next to someone who has silenced their cheap generator so as not to annoy you, rather than have it blaring away disturbing the piece.

If your going to go to all the trouble to dig the hole and put the Genny in it then its worth finishing the job and filling the hole in with the Genny still in it.

John has the right idea.

OK, tell me about base camping!

Sorry No take the bait!

Phil

Phil

It's a circular argument. Because they carry so much stuff they need a trailer for it. Since they have it they may as well use it. You know the essentials of life like TV's, air conditioners, hair dryers and microwave ovens. Since they are so overloaded they need welders and angle grinders and spare bits of steel for patching the inevitable broken parts of suspension and chassis.

OK this is a bit overstated and a bit tongue in cheek but has a certain truth to it nonetheless.

There is no "Need" for this stuff. It is all optional extras. Nothing wrong with some optional extras but it can get overdone and then overloaded.

Personally I don't find the Honda and Yamaha generators loud. I have camped near them when they have been running and have not found it disturbing - during the day. What I don't understand is why some and only some of the owners of them "need" to run them in the evening to 10 pm or later. In the evening the background noise drops and I prefer to hear the birds and crickets than the steady albeit muffled noise of generators. I wonder at times why those sorts even leave home as they seem so reluctant to leave the trappings behind.

Like you, everything I take camping that is electrical can run off 12 volts. The Lion camera batteries were the last thing to be changed over to a 12 volt charger. Quite a bit can run off 24 volts too. I have been given a sine wave inverter. It stays home for blackouts. The only thing it could be good for camping is recharging my electric toothbrush but I leave that home so I don't "need" the inverter. I take a manual toothbrush. :)

There is no right or wrong on this stuff. The forum has several different sorts of travellers with different needs and different expectations.

People who tow a caravan.
People who tow a camper trailer
People who fit it all in one vehicle
I suspect there are even motor bike tourers and maybe backpackers who visit the site.

Now I would not have a right to complain if I rolled out my swag amongst a group of caravans and they were running generators and watching TV. You would expect them to do that. It is different if you are camped already in a nice quite spot no one around and someone comes in well after dark and parks close by and then runs a noisy generator to power one 240 volt light for several hours. That happened to me once.

If there was more consideration for others this generator thing would be a non issue. Unfortunately there is a shortage of consideration now and a little bit too much of "I will make as much noise as I want" attitude out there.

And I think that is the real problem.

Flynnie

It certainly is a diverse and great past time. I think to sum all this up we should be a little more tollerant of each others space. Don't run the extension cord near them. Dont make noise if you want to get up and leave early (we pack all but a cuppa before bed). If you don't really need the gene to then turn it off. Turn the radio downa tad. You may be deaf but we don't wan to be. You all know what I mean. Its a thing called respect and common sense.

As you say Flynnie its a circular argument.

But the one that really irks me are the open exhaust motor bikes. Use and enjoy the bike but has it got to be so damned loud. I just realised that I cannot recall any doof doof in the bush. You little ripper.

But for this particular thread for those who use generators try using a flexible metal hose to vent the exhaust into hole with rocks in it.

Enjoy

Phil

"But for this particular thread for those who use generators try using a flexible metal hose to vent the exhaust into hole with rocks in it."

Good one Phil

ROTFL

Flynnie

The base camping wasn't a bait ..... it was just asking how to keep a fridge running for 2 or 3 weeks, without driving every day.

Don't mention solar panels, because I don't want to spend day either staring at them, as I see people do, or running out & moving them every so often.

I have a generator, I camp remote, I never camp close to others either in the High Country, or the Outback, so basically if people can hear my generator then move on & find a nice isolated spot of your own as I did. I can assure you that the boogie man won't get you!

We rarely stay in one place for more than two days. Each camp is just a stop on the way to the next adventure. We like to get out and look around. Go for drives. Travel light. No trailer or camper. Nothing on the roof. Just my wife, myself and the bush. Heaven. The only thing I miss is the walks. I cannot walk or climb much now. But there still is a lot to see. I only hope I have enough time to see it all.

Question: Who can spot the correct grammar that is so missed today that shows respect for the other person before ones self? Hmmm

Family trek to Cape York with the sons and their families later this year. One son with baby in tow has a gene and that's okay as we always stay away from others.

We don't use solar panels as we are mostly not camped during the day. Stopped to look around but not camped. Earliest set up is usually around 4PM. That's why the three batteries. Never yet got below 10.8 V on the accessory one. The main twins are only for cranking and what goes through the ignition switch and normal car accessories. Vary rarely shows less than 12.4V.

We used to use that flexible hose thing with the 2KVA VW powered generators in the Army. Its amazing how much it did quieten them down. I am sure any engineering place could provide a source of it.

Phil (its raining and no balloons up today)

That is how we camp when we are travelling, we do show respect for ourselves when base camping, by camping remote from other campers.

Shaker

Sorry if I gave you the impression I was having a go at you. Not intended. Okay.

I gather you don't need me to answer the first question you put to me as its in the above.

Neither did anyone pick the grammar question. Sows how bad it is. We just follow the yanks hey???

What I find strange is that not one person answered my question about what 240V item they thought was necessary. So what do they need a generator for. Yes I know. A bit of home comfort. For medical breathing etc equipment. And for the young ones comfort and therefore adult piece of mind.

Phil

Sorry Phil

I thought I saw a humorous reference that was not there. My overactive imagination saw another meaning for a hole with rocks in it.

Flynnie

All fine. Thats the trouble with the written word.

Have a good day.

Phil

OK, the 240v item that at times find I necessary is ...... a battery charger!

Sorry but for what batteries? Car or phone, light or games etc?

If you stay in one place for a while then I would agree. Or maybe a solar panel dedicated to the battery charging only.

But if its only a few days then you may want to put another battery in the car for those things that would flatten it. Or if one already then maybe examine the usage. Maybe its too small. Not sure as I don't know the whole story.

Thats why we have the three. And never touch the cranking ones. Fridge on accessory battery and lights run off rechargeable batteries that last for ages. They get recharged when the motor is running.

For our style not needed.

Fridge batteries, you would need a big battery bank to power a fridge for a week or two.
As I already said, I have no interest in staring at solar panels & frequently realigning them as I have seen others do.

I also find it amazing, that when camped remotely, people still want to camp right on top of us, Australia is a big place, find your own spots!

I see what you mean about a week or two. I have run our 40L at home from the car for four days during the summer and everything went okay. But we move a lot and go for drives. Rarely does it sit still for more than one day.

And we agree again. I just can't stand it when they pull up next door set up the camp and come over with a bottle of shardy (city folk) and wanrt to talk. Wine YUKKY. Give me a good cuppa any day. Yes we will be sociable but not to the point of invading their space. We may be a bit over the top but thats how we like it.

I set up a couple of servo motors at home once coupled to a tube and a couple of uv sensors and a bit of a home made circuit board to track the sun. It worked okay but you had to point it at the sun each morning. Still it beats chasing it every whatever minutes. Dont have any panel as we move too much. Not worth it.

Better stop this soon as we are off topic. Nice sharing ideas.

Phil

Hopefully not a plastic bucket. It may get damaged and there goes to washing machine. The operative word is "may".

It may but not as much as the rocks in a hole. The noise may still emanate from the sides of the bucket. Maybe if you place like chicken wire above the outlet to break up the size of the bubbles coming to the surface. That may help.

From a campers point of view who has to carry all provisions, I would prefer not to use valuable water.

Try it out in the back yard one day and let us know how you go. can't hurt anything hey!!!

Phil

Sorry Shocking english. You may still work it out. Ooops I should not rush.