When did a battery become a generator? RANT

[newbury]

When did they first start advertising a battery with electronics as a "generator"?
Did it start in the US?

 

[mrmikey]

I was walking thru Costco last week and they had a battery power pack there that was called a generator. If that's not an out and out lie I don't know what is. So you run the battery down to 0, how's your 'generator' working now.
I'd call that deceptive advertising.
Here's a screen shot from a question I posed to Google. People that believe all on the internet fall for this type of deception.

 

[bcp]

Here's my new air compressor. No gasoline or electricity needed.

And my new water pump.

Bruce

 

[bdhsfz6]

Jackery gets away with it by adding a solar panel and calling it a solar generator.

I witnessed a funny conversation between a Lowes sales clerk and a customer who wanted to know where the gas cap was. I didn't hang around long enough to find out if the customer was just jerking the clerk's chain or not but the poor clerk was getting pretty exasperated trying to explain it didn't run on gas.

 

[oosik]

I've seen those solar powered contraptions advertised on TV. So... you run a few appliances... then what do you do at night.

Some folks will fall for just about anything.

You live down south and need your air conditioning - day and night. How long do you figure a heavy duty battery converted from 12V to 120V will run your AC. Maybe four hours - ???? Then for the remaining 20 hours - you sweat like a pig.

 

[dodge man]

I must be missing something. I think they’d be ok for a lot of people. Probably not much good for more than a day or two though. Calling them a generator is just words so the people that don’t understand things can comprehend. Battery backup power supply is just to many words.

 

[Hay Dude]

I would think you could get the same/similar results with an inverter from your truck/tractor.

 

[mrmikey]

Calling them a generator is just words so the people that don’t understand things can comprehend.

I respectfully disagree with that statement. I think it is out and out deception praying on people that don't have a clue.

I would think you could get the same/similar results with an inverter from your truck/tractor.

You could for sure but then you'd have people with dead batteries unable to start their vehicles. Either that or they'd be running their multi cylinder engines burning multiple times the fuel you'd be burning with an actual generator running on a simple one lunger.
IMHO a generator is a generator that generates power not stores it, power goes out you want an actual generator not a battery. To each his/her own

 

[Hay Dude]

I respectfully disagree with that statement. I think it is out and out deception praying on people that don't have a clue.

it is

You could for sure but then you'd have people with dead batteries unable to start their vehicles. Either that or they'd be running their multi cylinder engines burning multiple times the fuel you'd be burning with an actual generator running on a simple one lunger.
IMHO a generator is a generator that generates power not stores it, power goes out you want an actual generator not a battery. To each his/her own

I can idle a diesel tractor pretty cheaply compared to running a propane generator.
Those little solar generators with the battery jump pack are a joke for anyone needing real power for refrigerators, etc.

 

[mrmikey]

I can idle a diesel tractor pretty cheaply compared to running a propane generator.

Even counting the quantity of oil required for oil changes, the detrimental effect of idling or running a diesel at less than optimal rpm, the initial cost compared to a stand alone generator? I guess tho you can't really count the initial cost of the tractor as you're not going to buy it solely for generator use.
But, playing devils advocate, you have one less engine to maintain, there's nothing sitting around for months or years at a time not being used.
Mehhh, I'd still go with a stand alone generator. You could buy a good one a far sight cheaper than than the wear and tear on your tractor engine, least ways in my mind .

 

[CalG]

One could make a case for the chemical conversion to electricity as a "generator". Ultimately, an engine powered generator is doing the same thing, just with several additional "conversions".

Remember when Carbon Zinc batteries were the popular ones? These days we have become accustomed to rechargeable batteries, but that is only of late.
Lead Acid being the exception.

Who here has encountered Iron- Nickle batteries?

 

[CalG]

Even counting the quantity of oil required for oil changes, the detrimental effect of idling or running a diesel at less than optimal rpm, the initial cost compared to a stand alone generator? I guess tho you can't really count the initial cost of the tractor as you're not going to buy it solely for generator use.
But, playing devils advocate, you have one less engine to maintain, there's nothing sitting around for months or years at a time not being used.
Mehhh, I'd still go with a stand alone generator. You could buy a good one a far sight cheaper than than the wear and tear on your tractor engine, least ways in my mind .

How do you calculate "wear and tear"?

I have never "worn out" a tractor. And my oldest one was built in 1950.

Most troubles with them are associated with "just sitting".

 

[ponytug]

One could make a case for the chemical conversion to electricity as a "generator". Ultimately, an engine powered generator is doing the same thing, just with several additional "conversions".

Remember when Carbon Zinc batteries were the popular ones? These days we have become accustomed to rechargeable batteries, but that is only of late.
Lead Acid being the exception.

Who here has encountered Iron- Nickle batteries?

I don't miss carbon zinc batteries one bit. Not one. I didn't like them then for their pathetic durability, and not now for their minimal capacity. Better than carrying a burning torch around, just.

It has been a long time since I had an iron nickel battery! Long time. Thanks for the reminder. Built like tanks and durable as all get out.

Nickel–iron battery - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

But OMG heavy.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ultrarunner]

I was walking thru Costco last week and they had a battery power pack there that was called a generator. If that's not an out and out lie I don't know what is. So you run the battery down to 0, how's your 'generator' working now.
I'd call that deceptive advertising.
Here's a screen shot from a question I posed to Google. People that believe all on the internet fall for this type of deception.
View attachment 2213297

It’s when you add the solar panel charge option.

Maybe to comply with proposed ban on gas and diesel powered generators.

I also have a very compact 2-stroke generator charger I’m sure would drive a few crazy with the 2-stroke bans.

 

[mrmikey]

How do you calculate "wear and tear"?

I have never "worn out" a tractor. And my oldest one was built in 1950.

Most troubles with them are associated with "just sitting".

Point taken
I'll still stick with the generators tho

 

[Hay Dude]

Anyone who owns a tractor with a PTO is 1/2 way to owning a generator. You already own the “power” side of the generator.
If you go on FBM, you can find a 1/2 dozen new/used tractor PTO generators.

 

[jyoutz]

I think they would be handy on a remote job site to run any corded tools during the day or maybe charge batteries for cordless tools.

 

[ericm979]

A lot of people use them for camping, mostly to power electric coolers. I have seen some SoCal folks recently using them to run their fridges and lights during their power outages.

Even though we have a generator my wife bought a small Jackery on sale. It's been more useful than I expected. Not only running the camping cooler but during outages at home we can power some lights when the generator is off.

The "generator" term is a misnomer for sure but I'm not sure what else to call it. "backup battery" implies it's not portable and sounds too technical to most people.

 

[5030]

Batteries become generators when naïve consumers think they are through deceptive advertising.

 

[grsthegreat]

the only use i can see on these things are for people that need cpap machines and the like, but dont want to power the entire house over night.

thats my story and im sticking to it.