Generators, ah the serenity

I can hear my Eu2 Honda while 50 metres away, can't you hear one too? A friend has a 2400 Yamaha and it is much noisier. Others even moreso!

No parabolic microphone needed. A generator upwind sends noise downwind and can be very annoying, especially in an otherwise quiet, peaceful campground.

Very different I recon.
We go away to find peaceful campsites. Away from burbs. We should be able to hear the birds not the generator, I recon that is a reasonable expectation.

We do not go bush to see wild life. If we desire to see animals (of any kind) we will visit a zoo.
Why do we go bush, easy, it is our choice, just as it is the choice of those that want to see wildlife. Wouldn't dream of "telling" others what they should or should not do or enjoy. ps. I have had wild life come near on one occasion (whilst the genny was running, which surprised me because I didn't think they enjoyed noise or vibration) Of the wriggly variety. It didn't stay long but, if you get my drift !

I don't think anyone "told" anyone anything in this whole thread other than suggest to be considerate about running generators.

You have your interpretation and I have mine. But I was referring to the reasons for going bush ie. no reference there about generators at all. All good but. Cheers

Hi Nick g1
I have only done that once before when camped at the town common in Innaminka and a fellow camper ran his genny into the night so he could watch TV in his caravan.
I knocked on his door and complained.
His reply was we were not in a National Park so he could run his generator when he liked.
I said legally he was probably right but I knew that some people might take matters into their own hands and he might find his genny in the Cooper or with sugar in his petrol tank but that I would keep an eye out and let him know if anyone acted suspiciously around his camp.
Couldn’t hear the genny after that
Ross

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A pair of side-cutters fixes it smartish.
Maybe best to use insulated handles.

Allan,
Is the wooden handled tomahawk or axle OK? Maybe a fibreglass one!

Nick g1,

With the proliferation of lithium batteries, the use of house type solar panels & recent updates to inverter aircons, solar powered aircon is a reality!

Of course, the size of one’s system dictates the length of time the aircon can be run, but have read of some vans having sufficient capacity to cool the van during the hotter parts of the day. LG now make splits that can be adjusted for the amount of load needed.

Allan,

Heard a story from a friend a while back. A bloke was camped somewhere remote near Lake Eyre, and running his genny, positioned some distance from his van. At one stage, early in the night, the power went off momentarily, then came back on with an accompanying cough & fart from the genny. Later in the night, when he went to shut the genny off, he found someone had done a swap, leaving him a rather tired example.
Whether it’s fair dinkum or not, I know a few souls who would attempt something like this!

Bob

200mts of leads have you ever used them you must have a massive generator because most generators have a limit to how long the lead should be unless your running 3 phase genny and by the time in reaches your van 200mts away it may have dropped to 240v.

Bob Y
Probably an urban myth , as they call em
Bloody good story tho. Wouldn’t you be pissed off!
Might have to find an old buggered one just to play tricks!

In our way of thinking, camping within or around, 50 metres of another camper is far to close for us. We try and get as far away from others as possible, only to have someone arrive and camp nearly on top of us.

When this happens I always approach them and advise I will be running a generator (Honda eu20) from around 4pm. until around 6.30pm. My other approach (especially if they have a little white "rat on a string") is to advise them I saw a large snake just before they arrived.
mike

Or, perhaps charging their batteries on a bad solar day in order to run medical equipment at night off their batteries :)

They aren't all needy.

If it's for medical equipment it's probably those bl--dy Gray Nomads again.
Dave.

I have friends, both of whom use CPap machines all night.
No generator.
Cheers,
Peter

I'm not a grey nomad yet :D

Peter, I have good Li batteries and good solar. However, if parked up in one place for a few days in constant bad weather or poor solar, the batteries might need a topup around the 4th day.

I'm a considerate (albeit infrequent) generator user.

Banned for what use running a van or your house when you loose power for days or people using mobile welders etc etc ?

Cant answer that question Batt's sorry, perhaps you could ask the poster who made that claim. I silly claim at that IMO.
Good point though re using at home during power outages, we have done that often.
Cheers

I,m calling that as B.S....Plenty of laws in place for noise already. Still heaps of noisy cars, trucks, ski boats, motorbikes etc.etc..

Slight confusion I suspect.
What is being banned (from new sales) is 2 strokes. Most generators are 4 stroke.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

And 4 stroke are just fine, that's good.

For the time being?
They are still totally uncontrolled from an emissions/pollution perspective and that will change, sooner or later. And the sooner the better.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Unfortunately for you, not in yours or my lifetime :)

There appears to be a lot of "key board hero's" on these forums Gramps.

The older people who are like that used to be younger people like that. Leopards don't change their spots, they just can't afford generators when they're young.

Gronk
But they could afford a noisey HSV V8 Commodore.

RMD,

Nothing wrong with prioritizing the necessities of life.

Regards

Mostly, unless there are very few campers around, background noise during the day muffles most good quality gennies......
I'm 25% deaf, and even with no hearing aids, I can hear a gennie at 50m easy as.
90% of people look for a bargain, so they buy a cheap ( noisy ) gennie.
A yammy or Honda are fairly quiet, but the owners still put them around the back of their vans, right where the other campers are ?

I normally have mine about 20 meters away when using and everyone in camp normally happy with the very low level noise If anyone was to whinge about the noise from my gennie I,d tell them where to go. I,m careful when and where I use it.

Sadly Bigfish, there are a number of our cobbers out there that are only happy when complaining. And yes, telling those who whinge where to go is a good solution :)

Is that true, HOW?

Iza B, Wonder no more my friend, it is called freedom of choice Cobber. Glad you are a poster who is reluctant to impose your ideas on others though. A good trait to have. Unlike some (not to mention any names) on these forums.

If only the gennie users would run it between certain daylight hours, not directing the noise away from themselves onto other campers, then there wouldn't be a need for these type of posts !

No different to the music playing, fighting, yahooing at midnight type......some just can't go camping and have respect for others !!

Makes a lot of sense, Macca
Ross

That's exactly why people buy the $400 gennie from Supercheap.....cheap power, even if it pi**es everyone else off !! lol

And isn't choice a wonderful thing in a "free camping" country :)
Weight is not a problem for us, just run the Honda on the tail gate of the Cruiser and as for extra fuel, I carry spare fuel for the V8 petrol Cruiser anyway. Nothing like "instant power" as a back up to our solar!

In a free camping country, choice is great.
Pity some choose to think it's their right to do whatever they like when camping, as though it's an escape from their normal life when there are rules and laws to obey....

Yrs ago, it was find a private property that would let you camp, and you could run amok and do whatever you liked....then a few would roll a ute and kill a few and the private property owners got scared of litigation and ban them, so some do the same stuff at campgrounds.

Steady on Cobber, No one is suggesting laws are being broken using generators (unless there is an "officially authorised sign" stating "no generators". And as for rules, well, just who's rules are you referring to, yours perhaps, or our Cobber who is hanging out for the "ban" to come into play lol

The rule of common sense and respecting others.

Macca.

And the serenity brigade who think they have a god given right to their serenity even when it is legal to make noise are not respecting the right of others to make that noise - swings both ways.

And the serenity brigade who think they have a god given right to their serenity even when it is legal to make noise are not respecting the right of others to make that noise - swings both ways.



Made plenty of noise in my time...even been told to quieten down at 1am for talking around a campfire, but as said before respect and common sense is all thats needed.

It's not against the law to sing and dance at 3am either, but most "normal" people wouldn't do it at a campground with other people around !!

.
Ah, AussieC. You seem to be a bit confused. There are no legislated "rights to make noise"
However there are laws about making 'too much' noise.
But you are very unlikely to get booked for making too little noise.

"Hey Mate. Hold that serenity down a bit. It's getting on my nerves". lol

Actually Gronk, excessive noise at any time of the can be shut down by the Police. Been there, done that.

A Government Department wanted to do a 24hr test on a bore about 30 metres from our house and the day before their worker told us about it and said we should either stay with friends or a Hotel/Motel. Came home the next day to a truck mounted, unsilenced, diesel generator that was very loud. Went and confirmed their intentions and said that I would call the Police.Police came and agreed with us and went to the crew who initially refused to shut it down so Police told them that they would get their boss to call the workers boss and order it shut down. Workers called their boss and there was silence very soon afterwards. They didn't return to run test.

Trouble is that was quite some time ago and the Police here are so overworked and understaffed these days that I doubt we would get prompt attendance from them for such minor matters.

I would take the generator over the lithium battery unless it can run the A/C on a sweltering hot night or day anytime. I don't see the sence in these modern times why someone would spend a lot of money on a nice van only to be sweaty and hot all night and wake up irratable and tired ruining the whole next day when on holidays what a waste of money and time. If you can afford the extra to be comfortable then why not but yes be considerate where you set up.

.
Ahh Aussie1, one can always trek to the Great Victoria Desert, pick a spot to camp, and enjoy the absolute benefit of having no neighbours for kilometres around. Ahhhh, the serenity of it all.
See you there Cobber! lol

Andrun your 500w 2 stroke Chinese genny to your hearts content without those whinning serenity seekers whinging.