Micro-Air easy start

Even with the EasyStart, my 15A circuit was not adequate due to other things being on that circuit. I finally installed a 30A RV outlet next to the outside breaker box and use a heavy-duty 30A extension cord to get power close enough to the RPod to plug in. It was less expensive to do it that way as the cost for electrical cable was rather steep and the cost would have been higher to put the RV outlet box near the RPod. If I had paid an electrician to do the job, it would have been in the neighborhood of $400+ to do the job.

I'm sure the Honda 2K is quieter than the Generac iX2000, especially in ECO mode. While the iX2000 is pretty quiet, it still is plenty loud, especially when under the load of the AC, but not nearly as loud as the a commercial generator would have been.

With all that being said, I would not mind it at all if I could find a suitcase solar panel setup at the right price. That would eliminate the generator noise, but there have been some places I have camped where sunlight was not that plentiful but rain was. Unfortunately, a small fuel cell power supply is not currently available AFAIK.

Edit:  I just came across this:  Watt Fuel Cell

No mention of price or availabilility though.

I realize that the AC would be nearly impossible to run on either solar or fuel cell at this point. There isn't enough room on the R-Pod to mount sufficient solar panels and a fuel cell large enough to run the AC would likely take up half the available space in the RPod. I saw that about Roadtrek and I saw information about the methanol fueled one.

The only outdoor outlets I had before installing my 30A RV outlet were wired into a 15A breaker (why? I don't know). 20A would have made more sense.

A friend from 5 years back on a alternative energy site developed a 12v AC system for his sailboat he was living on and traveling in. Even on his system the issue was startup draw. That's where the start capacitors came into play.

He's been unreachable for years, basically meaning what he developed worked and is marketable. Last I heard from him was 4 years back and he was living on a yacht in the South China Sea enjoying life. 

Is there more to the Easy-Start then meets the eye? Of course there is. It has to pass government regulations of safety. Is it more than just a start capacitor? Ya, but not much. 

If I had a AC unit, I'd look into this more before I spent $300.. 

If I wanted AC, I'd dig a bit deeper into smaller DC units that work efficiently for freezers or refrigerators and work upward from there.

  

I am enjoying the conversation here!