Generator Usage

[LarryGodby]

I have a Progressive Industries HW50c electrical management system on the rig.

I have never had one before and was wondering when I run my generator is there anything special I have to do to the HW50.

I think Bruce said that he shuts his down, but why and how do you do that?

Sorry for late question but quick responses would be wonderful as I will be using it this weekend.

[LarryGodby]

I have a Progressive Industries HW50c electrical management system on the rig.

I have never had one before and was wondering when I run my generator is there anything special I have to do to the HW50.

I think Bruce said that he shuts his down, but why and how do you do that?

Sorry for late question but quick responses would be wonderful as I will be using it this weekend.

[Highgturn]

Larry,

Your surge guard could be wired two different ways. Shore power only or shore power and the generator. I don't have the Progressive, but rather the TRC-3456; however, they should work the same way. Assuming yours is wired after the transfer switch where both sources of power have to pass through the surge guard, the surge guard should not know the difference in generator power or shore power. In other words, there is no reason to turn off the Progressive. I wired mine so that the TRC is only in play with shore power. The Onan has its own over and under current protection built in.

[HB Phil]

Larry, I have the same one. When I use my generator I bypass the EMS using the little switch on the remote digital readout.

I called PI Tech support and the guy there said that that is what he does when he runs his little Honda, just bypasses the EMS.

I guess there are ways to ground the generator too. For example, when I was in the Army I had a couple of High Frequency RATT Rigs (Mobile Radio teletype). The manual called for driving in an 8 foot copper grounding rod. However, in a pinch we used to drive one tire of the rig onto a braided copper grounding cable and use various means to moisten the area.

Putting a ground cable under one of the front jacks might do the same - I haven't tried this and do not know if it will work. I jsut bypass the EMS when using my Yamaha 2400 Is.

[LarryGodby]

So it won't work turned on unless you ground the genny?

[Highgturn]

Larry,

I looked on Progressive's www site and yours does monitor for an earth ground. The TRC that I have does not. In your case, if it does not see an earth ground it will not apply power to the coach.

[HB Phil]

No, it won't pass power to the rig as if the power source has a bad ground. You can bypass the EMS with the switch I mentioned, above, to get power, or, try to ground the generator.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryGodby:
So it won't work turned on unless you ground the genny? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[LarryGodby]

I found out something else about the HW50c. I had a local guy wire an inverter into the coach, the plan was to plug the inverter into the shore power cable. It worked on another coach without the HW50c but not mine. I email progressive and they said that the inverter only makes a modified sine AC power and the HW50c would not work with a modified sine wave. Then I started to think, I wonder if it would run that way if I installed a pure sine wave inverter, won't happen because they are spendy but just wondering.

[Bruce and Jenna]

Man, a guy travels for a day and loses out on a direct question. Guess I need to stay put. 'Course then I don't make it to SC home port for my turn at some fixes.

Yes, I bypass my HW50 also with the switch on the panel. I tried grounding my Honda 2000i to the bed of the truck. The HW50 would have none of that. Then I read somewhere that the Honda puts out a pure sine wave, so now I bypass. Which is confirmed by your info on the modified sine wave inverter.

How much more do the pure sine wave inverters cost? I be thinking of installing batts, solar, and inverter this summer.

[LarryGodby]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bruce and Jenna:
How much more do the pure sine wave inverters cost? I be thinking of installing batts, solar, and inverter this summer. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Modified Sine Wave 3000 watt inverter = $339.00
Pure Sine Wave 3000 watt inverter = $1300.00

Of course your mileage may vary.

I suppose if we really wanted to protect everything in the rig you should go with Pure as maybe some of the electronics would work better on Pure rather than Modified but you will have to be the judge of that.

Where did you drop the jacks tonight?

[Bruce and Jenna]

We're staying in an "RV Park" in Idaho Springs , CO, about 50 miles west of Denver. Since we didn't want to pay for utils here for two nights, the owners put us in the driveway to other RVs, next to their house. Worked out OK, cause they didn't want to hear our generators, so they gave us a 20amp extension cord.

One more night in Siebert CO, then two at Prairie Dog State Park, and we arrive for our appt.
Smith Center here we come!

[LarryGodby]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Siebert CO </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Is that at Cottonwood?

[Bruce and Jenna]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by LarryGodby:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Siebert CO </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Is that at Cottonwood? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ha ha. Yes it is.

The RV park looked nice, but we're cheap...and self-contained. So they parked us in the driveway next to the house, where you drive up to the six or so spaces in back.

Now we're in Seibert, CO, undr a tornado watch until 10pm. Shoulda stayed in Cottonwood.