Honda EU2000 Companion

**grill-n-go** · 10-14-2008, 05:54 AM

For those of us considering a second Honda EU2000. Honda has just released the Companion version. It has a built in 30 Amp. outlet and built in paralleling capability.

http://www.hondapowerequipment.com/p...lid=EU2000IAN1

**Bill** · 10-14-2008, 08:14 AM

Interesting. I'm not entirely sure why this is better than the original EU2000i setup - you still need a parallel power cable, which is unconscionably expensive in my opinion. And the built-in 30-amp outlet is not a standard RV outlet (the Honda has a twist-lock connector), so you'll still need an adapter. (The old parallel cable provides the correct outlet.)

For an added $120 on the MSRP, I would probably decide to pass it up.

Bill

**grill-n-go** · 10-14-2008, 10:54 AM

The paralleling cables cost around $40.00

Honda's idea is to do away with the paralleling box which I've seen for about @200.00
The DIY version I think can be put together under $50.00 + (your ingenuity).

Wavery · 10-14-2008, 11:24 AM

I purchased the parallel kit when I bought my 2, generators. I later decided that I didn't need my 2, EU2000i generators and I sold one to my brother.

I still have the parallel kit, if anyone is interested. $100 + S&H.

**ShrimpBurrito** · 10-14-2008, 11:25 AM

I don't have a generator, but am familiar with the Hondas.....what exactly do the $40 cables do? I understand that you need the $200 box if you want to draw 30 amps, and presumably, the $40 cables don't allow you to do that. So what exactly do they do?

Dave

Wavery · 10-14-2008, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShrimpBurrito

I don't have a generator, but am familiar with the Hondas.....what exactly do the $40 cables do? I understand that you need the $200 box if you want to draw 30 amps, and presumably, the $40 cables don't allow you to do that. So what exactly do they do?

Dave

They allow the 2 generators to communicate, to keep the motor RPM the same.

Mr. Adventure · 10-14-2008, 08:56 PM

More than just communicate, the Honda generators have to be smart enough to make the power from unit #2 exactly match up to unit#1 in phase before the connection is made, and they have to keep their frequency exactly matched so that they can't fade in and out of phase with each other no matter what happens to the electrical load, engine horsepower, or anything else. This is critical in order to avoid significant and sudden electrical fireworks, by all accounts.

In my ancient Navy days, the electricians proved that 59.999 cycle power would work perfectly well for long periods of time running most things, even though it made ordinary electric clocks run slow by about 1 1/2 minutes per day (convincing them that my $2 clock was more accurate in this regard than the meter in their panel was more than a $2 task, as it turned out). At the time, I learned that this was why the power company had rules requiring the hard on-off switchover instead of letting them do the more graceful match up and fade in to/from ship/shore power. They probably use automatic Honda controllers today, maybe they just have faster fuses, or maybe they still have that rule.

03-25-2009, 06:37 AM

The Companion doesn't have any more electronics in it than the Standard eu2000. The only extra is the 30 amp socket.

**rickst29** · 03-25-2009, 11:40 AM

Last night I guessed that the "Companion" included fancy phase-matching electronics, present in the expensive cable kit and left out of the cheaper "Companion to regular eu2000ia" cable.
I was wrong-- Bruce actually knows about this. In a PM, he told me:

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroBruce

I own 2 eu2000 generators. I parallel them with a homemade connector that just connects the 2 outputs together. There is no magic in the connection. It is all in the generators.

I'm surprised, but I'll believe. Thanks!

**ShrimpBurrito** · 03-25-2009, 01:40 PM

So Bruce, are you saying that you can pull 30A through your homemade connector joining the 2 EU2000s? I presume the parts were pretty cheap...maybe $20-$30?

Dave