The success of Honda's 900 VA EU10i among yachties rebuilding and repairing their boats while afloat on a mooring and away from shorepower has been incredible. We all know that nothing matches 240V-power tools for sustained performance, and units such as the EU10i have proven invaluable aboard small keelboats not fitted with an onboard genset.

But while the EU10i is a beautiful piece of engineering, it's damned expensive for its output; and this is where the Pinnacle 1200W comes in very handy.

Although it produces 900 VA rated (continuous), the same as the Honda, at $299 recommended retail it sells for less than one fifth of the price!

In September 2003, Pinnacle released its Warrior G850P - a Chinese-built two-stroke unit based on the Yamaha ET900 that was so popular in the '80s. But Pinnacle's market research showed that customers wanted more power and four-strokes to avoid the inconvenience of mixing petrol and oil. So in September 2004, Pinnacle released two four-stroke units powered by single-cylinder OHV engines based on comparable Honda units.

Both engines have pressure lubrication, enabling them to be run with higher-viscosity oil than splash-lubrication engines, and in ambient temperatures to above 40øC.

Both gensets have 14.4V eight-amp starter-battery-charging circuits in addition to 240V output, two fuel filters and large-capacity air cleaners for engine longevity, and large fuel tanks for extended operation. Unlike the EU10i, both Pinnacle units operate at a fixed 3000 revs regardless of electrical load.

The smaller unit, known as the 1200W, has an 80.7cc 2.4hp engine and a 5.5lt fuel tank, while the 1800W (1500 VA rated) has a 163cc 5.5hp engine and a 15lt tank. The dimensions of the 1200W are 385mm long, 330mm wide and 315mm high, while the 1800W is 610 x 480 x 450mm and the dry weights are 30 and 42kg respectively. The 1800W retails for $399.

But where both units differ in design from the EU10i is their strong tubular steel frame construction, which has a much broader footprint, making the units more stable on the cambered deck of a yacht. Engine and alternator access is also much better, and the units are easier to work on than the EU10i.

RUNNING THE 1200W
In August 2004, Pinnacle supplied me with both units for evaluation, but so far time has permitted testing of only the smaller unit - which, over a total of 12.6 hours, proved completely reliable.

It normally started second pull cold, warmed quickly from cold, and running on ULP 91 RON petrol and Valvoline SAE15W40 "Diesel Extra" API-SL-grade oil never blew any oil smoke.

Because of its relatively powerful engine compared to the EU10i, which has a 50cc engine that develops 1.8hp at 5500 revs, the 1200W proved far more capable of handling widely varying loads and handling the voltage spikes created when starting induction motors such as fridges, up to 1200 VA instead of 1000 for the Honda.

The 1200W started and ran a 150W compressor camping fridge or a 400W drill/orbital sander or a 500W jigsaw (the drill and jigsaw were operated at maximum speed and full load) while already powering two 150W Portaflood lights.

But because of its fixed-speed engine, the 1200W ran best with loads above 450W, whereas with its sine-wave inverter alternator and variable-revs engine, the EU10i would run happily for hours on end at idle speed powering a 75W lightbulb.

Also, when electronics expert Richard Ardizzone connected an oscilloscope and multimeter, he found the uneven waveform made the 1200W unsuitable for powering a TV set or other voltage-sensitive equipment; and that the widely fluctuating voltage below 800W severely shortens the lifespan of incandescent bulbs.

For example, due to inadequate voltage regulation at 450W, where the 1200W averaged 0.60lt/h, the voltage ranged between 255 and 277. At 600W or four Portafloods and 0.63lt/h, it was 252-269V; and at 675W and 0.64lt/h, the voltage range was 249-262.

However at 810W or 90 per cent of rated load and 0.66lt/h, the voltage held at 246; and at 900W and 0.68lt/h the voltage was 232.

Because the engine should not be operated continuously below half rated load, this rules out using the battery charging circuit, which unlike the EU10i cannot be used in conjunction with the 240V circuit. This is a shame, as the DC output is really quite high for a portable genset.

VARYING LOADS
Following Suzuki's proven four-stroke engine break-in procedure, we varied the load every 15 minutes and didn't exceed 70 per cent of rated load for the first five hours, then limited 900W operation to no more than five minutes at a time with a "cooling" period at lower loads in between for the next five hours.

We always warmed up and cooled down the engine on no load for at least three minutes before and after applying load.

During the first nine hours and averaging 0.63lt/h with 7.5 per cent of the total running time at 900W, the fuel/oil ratio was 172:1, which improved to 192:1 over the next 3.6 hours with the same fuel consumption and percentage at 900W. These F/O ratios are comparable to equivalent-output Briggs & Stratton engines I've tested and should improve dramatically when the engine is fully run in by 50 hours.

Unusually, there's an oil filler cap/dipstick either side of the crankcase to access the 0.5lt sump, and Pinnacle says SAE15W40 oil with a minimum API rating of SF should be used for all temperatures. The company recommends changing the sump oil every 20 hours and cleaning the oiled-element air filter every 150 hours.

A standard NGK BPR7HS unit, the sparkplug is checked by unscrewing an angle bar (part of the frame) below the fuel tank, and this is recommended every 50 hours. Additional locknuts are provided to anchor the engine and alternator to the frame when using the unit on uneven ground.

The warranty for recreational usage is two years. For more information, contact Greg Bailey at Pinnacle Distributors, tel (03) 9791 9998 or email gregb@pinnacledist.com.au.