# Generator



## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Ok so generator are ok but what if SHTF and u cant keep generators outside or solar panels. What would you do


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Who says you can't keep generators outside? There's plenty of enclosures available for them.

And solar panels don't do much good if they're kept inside.


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Are there better generators that are better to keep outside if u don't have much protection. Of course solars have to be outside. Is there better ones if that too


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

I'm trying to learn basics


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

There's lots of generators designed specifically to be outside. They come with an enclosure and are meant to be hard-wired. 

You'll see very large ones at hospitals, schools, water towers, fire stations, police stations, ambulance stations.....


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Yeah aren't those quite a few thousands of dollars. Sorry I'm rich. K got 1 2 cycle genny


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Lol I'm not rich


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Dhamp40 said:


> Lol I'm not rich


Are you by yourself or are you married. Neighbors; are they of like mind and are your friends?


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Dhamp40 said:


> Lol I'm not rich


Most of us aren't. But building a simple 'dog house' is fairly inexpensive and easy to do.


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

No idc about any of them cause I'm trying to find a small peice of land outside of town. I heard the housing thing is good right now and I'm trying to get out of dodge if u know what I mean


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

I figured they would still hear it but dog house hood idea. Thanks


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Gennys have threaded exhausts and some people have adapted automotive mufflers to them.

But using a genny judiciously should be part of your security plan


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

If you play with enough tubing . . . and a tad of fiberglass . . . you can make a generator practically soundless.

AND . . . if you are paranoid about it . . . run it over to a 50 gallon drum . . . make the water about 2/3 the depth of the drum . . . run the pipe about 10 inches down into the water . . . 100 ft away you won't hear it at all.

But solar IS THE WAY to go if you can do it . . . 

No noise, no fuel, no mechanical maintenance . . . 

May God bless,
Dwight


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I have one genset that I run inside of my shop, no Co. problem with it, it runs on propane.

Have a much larger unit that is gas that is inside a com shelter,

but has exhaust pipe going outside hooked to a second muffler for a tractor, you can't hear it 50 feet away. 

The big diesel is outside and is covered with a roof.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Excellent ideas for noise reduction. That was why I was asking about people around the poster. 
My genny is louder than all get-out. Some people in the neighborhood will be problematic.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

I've got a Coleman Powermate 5,000 watt that is 25 years old.
I keep it in one of my sheds that's about 50 feet from the house and just run extension cords.
I think that brand was bought out by another company years ago, I don't know if the newer ones are as good as mine.

Out here no one notices a generator, in fact one neighbor has one of those big "whole house" jobs that automatically kicks in when the power goes off.
Where we live, losing power is a normal thing. Whether from a tropical storm or winds blowing tree limbs against the power lines.

Why worry about people hearing it? If your house is the only one in the area with the lights on, they'll figure it out anyway.


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I've got a Coleman Powermate 5,000 watt that is 25 years old.
> I keep it in one of my sheds that's about 50 feet from the house and just run extension cords.
> I think that brand was bought out by another company years ago, I don't know if the newer ones are as good as mine.
> 
> ...


Windows will be blacked out, but I want to run the fridge and freezer until the food is gone.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

You can run the genny only during the day, and just don't open the fridge or freezer once it gets dark.

OP: You have PM turned off, so I can't reply that way.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

rice paddy daddy said:


> I've got a Coleman Powermate 5,000 watt that is 25 years old.
> I keep it in one of my sheds that's about 50 feet from the house and just run extension cords.
> I think that brand was bought out by another company years ago, I don't know if the newer ones are as good as mine.
> 
> ...


The genset I have in the comm. shelter is a Coleman 7,500 watt job and is 25-27 years old too.

It is hard wired to the breaker panel in the shop,

but with a two foot #8 SO wire from switch to the gen receptacle, line to panel is also #8 but THHN.


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Anyone in iowa who has a decent one to sell. I'm open. Still trying to figure out what's best.. only have a small 2 cycle genny. But if it's cold then I Dont need one for fridge or deep freezer lol


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## Dhamp40 (Nov 25, 2020)

Going to sleep gn happy Thanksgiving everyone


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

Dhamp40 said:


> Anyone in iowa who has a decent one to sell. I'm open. Still trying to figure out what's best.. only have a small 2 cycle genny. But if it's cold then I Dont need one for fridge or deep freezer lol


No, not for the fridge but how about heat?


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Dhamp40 said:


> Ok so generator are ok but what if SHTF and u cant keep generators outside or solar panels. What would you do


I think most responses here are ignoring the SHTF aspect of your question. Yes, during a SHTF event, I think the last thing you want is a "normal" generator to be running. They make too much noise & scream "I'm prepared. Come see what I have." Same goes for someone with solar power running lights at night. IMO, stealth will be critical during the first weeks of an event. After awhile... not so much. I do live far off the road but I still will be cautious.

I prep so as not to need or expect much electricity. I have generators but I seem to have horrible luck with them. They work for a while & then die. I have absolutely no skills in repairing such equipment. I don't expect them to last long. So my go to electricity, post SHTF is solar... which is silent & has no moving parts. I have a good number of big solar panels in storage with some in Faraday enclosures. I have a couple of solar generators that provide quite a bit of power for their size and can be charged daily by one or two panels... depending on cloud cover & usage during the day. I have a Grundfos flex well pump in storage, inside a Faraday enclosure, which can operate directly off of a few solar panels. Having pressurized water even when the grid is down is important to me and my survival chances. I also keep DC water heater elements so that I can directly hook a panel to a heater, without any inverters. Even in a subdivision, you should be able to hide your panels so that others don't notice them... beside some shrubs, on the ground behind a car or in a fenced in back yard. Even if seen, I don't think a solar panel attracts much attention... as opposed to a generator running.

So because of my desire to stay stealthy plus my utter lack of mechanical skills, I find solar is a better option for me. I started small and then added thru the years. Here is one panel and one solar generator.


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## Steve40th (Aug 17, 2016)

Hondas little generators are real quiet. A real muffler on a generator can be nice.


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## Pobilly Duke (May 9, 2020)

Back Pack Hack said:


> Most of us aren't. But building a simple 'dog house' is fairly inexpensive and easy to do.


Be sure to stress the need for ventilation for exhaust and fresh air to prevent overheating.


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