Tailgater
- Thread starter nwisneski
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I have a big plastic tub that I put the tailgater, receiver, remote, cables, 26" LED and external speakers in. The only thing that doesn't fit is the generator. We throw this in the back of a truck along with tables, tent, chairs and grill and head to the game. Everything is set up within 20 minutes.
I used mine for the 1st time at Nebraska's opening game. Aside from the extra time it took to activate the receiver everything was pretty straightforward and easy. A couple questions for ya'll....
We just plugged a 400w inverter into the "cig" lighter and ran my truck off and on. I don't want to do that again. I assume a small cheap generator from Harbor Freight will work just fine? Or should I go and buy a battery to hook it up to? We're running the tailgater with a 26" LCD TV.
Finally, I deactivated the receiver after that 1st weekend so I wouldn't have to pay the $7/mo. Is it an issue to activate and de-activate throughout the season? Thanks!
We just plugged a 400w inverter into the "cig" lighter and ran my truck off and on. I don't want to do that again. I assume a small cheap generator from Harbor Freight will work just fine? Or should I go and buy a battery to hook it up to? We're running the tailgater with a 26" LCD TV.
Finally, I deactivated the receiver after that 1st weekend so I wouldn't have to pay the $7/mo. Is it an issue to activate and de-activate throughout the season? Thanks!
If you're going to use it all season I wouldn't waste time activating and deactivating, unless you're that hard up for cash. I recommend buying a quality generator. The Honda ones are very reliable and super quiet. I think I bought mine for around $600. It can last a good 6 hours without refilling.
I would suggest continuing to use the inverter. Just set your truck up with dual batteries like a boat. Use one battery for starting and the other for the tailgating setup. You can get the switch and cabling you need at a marine supply store. Use a deep discharge battery to run your accessories.
Generators are noisy and require lots of maintenance. Just be sure to check your load using a kilowatt meter to be sure you are not overloading the inverter.
Generators are noisy and require lots of maintenance. Just be sure to check your load using a kilowatt meter to be sure you are not overloading the inverter.
jimdandyvi said:
I agree keep using the inverter. Get a deep cycle bat. How many watts does your LCD use?
Generators are great but they put out dirty power. So do the cheap inverters go with a pure sine wave inverter.
Generators are a lot of maintenance? What crappy generators are you using? My generator is very quiet and extremely easy to use. I am terrible at taking care of most things with an enigine but have no problem managing the honda generator.
We use to use an inverter and batteries and that was a pain in the butt. Wasn't the most reliable either. That's just my experience though.
We use to use an inverter and batteries and that was a pain in the butt. Wasn't the most reliable either. That's just my experience though.
You might want to check out some simple mounts. They can elevate and keep the antenna stable, especially in crowded football parking lots. I use the VuQube MB400 RV ladder mounting bracket from King Controls. It's a plate that the rubber feet of the antenna fit into, secured by a locking ring. The MB300 is similar, but attached to you car/truck window sort of like a drive-in movie theater speaker.
I can't remember. That was about 8 years ago. I just remember lugging 2 car batteries with us along with a picture tube TV and full dish 500 antenna on a pole. I do not miss trying to set that mess up anymore. We all grew up some and got smart since then. Now we have equipment that takes up less space, sets up fast and runs very well.
Honda generators are great, quiet 58Db and put out good power but any gasoline fueled piece of equipment needs maintenance. Gasoline needs to have stabilizer added if you leave it in the tank over thirty days, etc.
Maintenance is not a big issue if you are using a generator for recreational purposes but if you depend on it for standby emergency power, your maintenance needs to be top flight. You want to be able to start your generator quickly and have it run for days if necessary. I use synthetic oil and change it every 60 hours of run time.
Also while the Honda at 58Db is quiet it is still much louder than an idling vehicle.
Honda generators are expensive and most people end up spending less money and buying an el cheapo generator which is less reliable and at least 10Db louder which is a lot nosier since DBs are measured on a logarithmic scale.
A generator needs to be run regularly to keep the carburetor working well. I learned the hard way last year because we went to use our seldom used generator during a storm, it wouldn't start. We seldom use the generator because our inverter system works so well. The repair was a new carburetor.
The repair facility was very adamant about not using ethanol gasoline in engines not run regularly. Fuel stabilizers don't handle the water combining with the ethanol well. That is a real challenge as it can be very hard to find non-ethanol gasoline. When we winter in Mission Texas, the closest source of non-ethanol gasoline is Corpus Christi. Luckily, here in Hayward Wisconsin, the three gas stations in town all have non-ethanol premium gas, so we stocked up.
The repair facility was very adamant about not using ethanol gasoline in engines not run regularly. Fuel stabilizers don't handle the water combining with the ethanol well. That is a real challenge as it can be very hard to find non-ethanol gasoline. When we winter in Mission Texas, the closest source of non-ethanol gasoline is Corpus Christi. Luckily, here in Hayward Wisconsin, the three gas stations in town all have non-ethanol premium gas, so we stocked up.
So the cheapest route will be to buy a deep cyle marine battery but the ideal solution may be a generator? I think my LCD (cheap Dynex) 26" TV only pulls less than 100W so the 400w inverter was plenty since the 211k doesn't require much wattage. Had a tailgate a few cars from us and he had the tailgater and an inexpensive ($125) small generator that he's used for two years with no problems.
As for activating and deactivating....I wish I didn't deactivate it because it will take an extra 20 minutes or so to activate it Saturday. Might just set it up quickly Friday at home and activate it then...and then keep it activated all season long.
As for activating and deactivating....I wish I didn't deactivate it because it will take an extra 20 minutes or so to activate it Saturday. Might just set it up quickly Friday at home and activate it then...and then keep it activated all season long.
I have a couple of generators I need to replace the carbs on, I cleaned them myself but still no luck... I bought a propane powered generator to eliminate that problem, but it would be too big for tailgating. http://www.tractorsupply.com/sportsman-4000-watt-portable-lp-propane-generator-1012003
Very, turn on propane, starts first pull so far... plus the fact I live in the country and can fill my own bottles and propane is much easier to haul than gas, for hunting I'm either getting a 50 lb bottle or taking one of my 100 lb's ... I am considering a tailgater as I have a 211k, I normally take my Directv dvr and a Directv receiver, but it takes time to set up.
are you filling them yourself from your home tank or are you taking them to a refill center?
