Distance to Generator

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.

"ddutton" wrote in message

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.

200 feet is a fer piece for an extension cord.
http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html
Based on 20 amps your going to need #8 wire. Yikes that will cost as much as the genny.
I do not have a clue on the 12 v, but lower the voltage and keep the distance you going to need some pretty good sized wire for it as well, guessing #10 stranded, perferably MTW.
Hondas are pretty quiet it would be a lot easier to move the genny closer to the house.

You would be better off using a 120v powered battery charger near you batteries than trying to run 200' of wire at 12v. You might consider running some cat5 in the same channel in case you want to setup a remote starter.
"ddutton" wrote in message

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.

ddutton wrote:

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.

Running 12v over 200' isnt the best option. If you do do it, use a 4 wire remote voltage monitoring setup. This means its the v on the battery thats regulated, not the v on the feed end. The v drop on the cable will be substantial, and the cable heavy.
NT

"ddutton" wrote in message

I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.

12V DC can trickle-charge at 1 amp over a distance of 200 feet if you use 10 guage wire, with a loss of about 5%. For 2 amps, you would need 6-guage wire (battery cable size) This is according to the power-loss tables provided by this link: http://www.windsun.com/Hardware/Wire_Table.htm
To provide 3000W at 120V AC at 200', you would also need to use 6-guage wire.

"SQLit" wrote in message

"ddutton" wrote in message I have a Honda 3500EX generator. What distance can I run to my cottage. I'd like to leave the gen in shed ~200 ft from the cottage. What size wire should I bury and can I go that distance(120 V)? I'd also like to carry the DC output from the generator to the cottage to charge batteries, I'll eventually get solar. Can I go this distance, what size wire also. Thanks.
200 feet is a fer piece for an extension cord.
http://www.electrician.com/vd_calculator.html
Based on 20 amps your going to need #8 wire. Yikes that will cost as much as the genny.

#8 at least, yeah. However, might consider aluminum. Also, think it out - doesn't have to be "THHN" or any thing formal. Shop around - Wall Mart, Harbor freight, and the like has cheap extension cords - maybe a "network" of cheap, inexpensive extension cords. What, two, or three 14-gague cords soldered up, and taped up ? For the 12-volts, your limited to 8 Amps, so 12-gague would probably do it. Speaker cable maybe? 4-5 runs of super cheap speaker cable might do it (if its gonna be in conduit). 3500 is a lot of soup, so calculate it out. I've seen 250-foot rools of Romex at HomeDepot for very reasonable prices. Just might have to double up on the smaller stuff.

I do not have a clue on the 12 v, but lower the voltage and keep the distance you going to need some pretty good sized wire for it as well, guessing #10 stranded, perferably MTW.
Hondas are pretty quiet it would be a lot easier to move the genny closer to the house.

"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message
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in conduit). 3500 is a lot of soup, so calculate it out. I've seen 250-foot rools of Romex at HomeDepot for very reasonable prices. Just might have to double up on the smaller stuff.

Mr Wizard, please dust off your copy of the NEC. The smallest conductor that can be paralleled is 1/0. Parallel circuits can be complicated, and if not installed properly problem occur when there is a fault.
Romex would not be a good choice underground. You would be looking for UF cable for underground/outside use. Even UF will harden and crack when exposed to direct sun light for a period of time.
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"Mr Wizzard" wrote in message

#8 at least, yeah. However, might consider aluminum.

OK, but you will need a larger size.

Also, think it out - doesn't have to be "THHN" or any thing formal.

Actually, it does.

Shop around - Wall Mart, Harbor freight, and the like has cheap extension cords - maybe a "network" of cheap, inexpensive extension cords. What, two, or three 14-gague cords soldered up, and taped up ?

Please don't do this! You don't need underground splices and if you are going to all the trouble to dig a trench, you may as well do the job right and use cable that is made for the application.
Don't dig a trench without putting conduit in the ground, even if you go ahead and "direct bury" your cable right under the conduit (assuming it is type UF or otherwise designated for direct bury) Digging that trench is a big job and you don't want to ever dig it up again. PVC pipe is cheap and dropping it in your open ditch is a trivial task. Think ahead! Water? TV coax? Telephone? Compressed air? What if a something goes bad in the future? Put tubing in the ground right now that will meet all of your future needs.
Vaughn