I'm not sure if this might be more applicable in the electrical section; it seems to be more about a power source than actual wiring, so I'll leave it here.
I have a few medium-small gigs where I need reliable generated power. Now the generator I normally use is owned by a friend of mine; it's a 68kVA diesel setup on a trailer that weighs about 6,000 pounds all said and done with 200 gallons of fuel. Sure, it's great and stable for big shows where I'm running lighting, sound, and who knows what else, but for a small setup, it's a bit of overkill.
This has me thinking: how can I generate enough power to run a small rig without renting and having to tow that beast of a generator around? I don't trust small generators. Should I buy one of the acclaimed $3000 Honda inverter jobs that will give me about 2 circuits worth of power?
Well, if an inverter generator is acceptable, then why not use an inverter with another power source? Like my truck, with its twin 1000 cranking amp batteries and 200-amp alternator?
This had me looking into power inverters for vehicles, and it seems I can relatively cheaply ($500) get a 5000 watt inverter and run it off the truck. I can tune the truck so it runs at any RPM I want so I can keep the alternator making big power; I can even install a second alternator since that was a factory option. In fact, most inverters have a peak rating of double their continuous rating, so that 5000 watt inverter could handle a 10000 watt load on bass peaks or whatever else I may throw at it.
Inverters come in true-sine and modified-sine varieties. I'm pretty sure I used a 3000 watt modified-sine inverter years ago for a parade gig and it worked fine. I can't think of one reason I need true sine output (I'm not running any motors, electric clocks, or other frequency-dependent loads). In fact, I think every piece of audio gear we'd ever use just takes AC and rectifies it to DC anyway...they don't care at all what they're fed with.
So, the big question: any reason why I can't set up a 5000 watt inverter on my truck to power a small sound rig?
I have a few medium-small gigs where I need reliable generated power. Now the generator I normally use is owned by a friend of mine; it's a 68kVA diesel setup on a trailer that weighs about 6,000 pounds all said and done with 200 gallons of fuel. Sure, it's great and stable for big shows where I'm running lighting, sound, and who knows what else, but for a small setup, it's a bit of overkill.
This has me thinking: how can I generate enough power to run a small rig without renting and having to tow that beast of a generator around? I don't trust small generators. Should I buy one of the acclaimed $3000 Honda inverter jobs that will give me about 2 circuits worth of power?
Well, if an inverter generator is acceptable, then why not use an inverter with another power source? Like my truck, with its twin 1000 cranking amp batteries and 200-amp alternator?
This had me looking into power inverters for vehicles, and it seems I can relatively cheaply ($500) get a 5000 watt inverter and run it off the truck. I can tune the truck so it runs at any RPM I want so I can keep the alternator making big power; I can even install a second alternator since that was a factory option. In fact, most inverters have a peak rating of double their continuous rating, so that 5000 watt inverter could handle a 10000 watt load on bass peaks or whatever else I may throw at it.
Inverters come in true-sine and modified-sine varieties. I'm pretty sure I used a 3000 watt modified-sine inverter years ago for a parade gig and it worked fine. I can't think of one reason I need true sine output (I'm not running any motors, electric clocks, or other frequency-dependent loads). In fact, I think every piece of audio gear we'd ever use just takes AC and rectifies it to DC anyway...they don't care at all what they're fed with.
So, the big question: any reason why I can't set up a 5000 watt inverter on my truck to power a small sound rig?