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[kel mcguire]

A buddy who has a Honda EU2000 asked about using my Wen 2000(basically a Yamaha) together. If each is doing different chores yet tied together with interconnected wiring (like XLRs), Would you need to sync the two generators or would grounds-only be enough?

He wants one for mains and FOH, the other for back line and a few powered monitors.

[Chris Hindle]

A buddy who has a Honda EU2000 asked about using my Wen 2000(basically a Yamaha) together. If each is doing different chores yet tied together with interconnected wiring (like XLRs), Would you need to sync the two generators or would grounds-only be enough?

He wants one for mains and FOF, the other for back line and a few powered monitors.

My first reaction would be to bond them............
BUT....
In a previous life, i did a World Cup ski competition with a dozen Yammi's running up the side of a mountain. Moved the whole mess nightly to another section of the hill.
Dumb and stupid back then, NOTHING was grounded, or bonded, largely because "The Guy" from CBC TV told us to do it that way.
Anyway, it all just worked. Nice and quiet.
There was a mini-mixer and mic at the top of the hill, sending cues down to our tape operator.
I call it beginners luck, and today, I'd bond the crap out of everything.
<or>
Get a bigger Genny.
Chris.

[Mike Sokol]

My first reaction would be to bond them............

I've actually done exactly what you describe. If you're using inverter generators under 5KW they most likely have a floating neutral. So I always bond the neutral to each generator's chassis ground. Then I bond both generators together. Then I tie the chassis ground of one of the gennys to an earth grounding rod. Now, you likely can get away not bonding anything and it might work fine. That is until something goes wrong and one of the extension cords shorts stage or an amplifier develops in internal short to chassis. Then it's possible to pass fault current through some of your XLR shields interconnecting gear which can lead to all sorts of problems in your system. Now, in theory you can get away without earth grounding your system, and that's safe up to a point with a single stage. But as soon as you distribute genny power to a FOH console or secondary stage, then without an earth ground it's possible for a short to chassis on one stage to energize all the grounds, and possibly the metal on the second stage or FOH console. It really is the safest to G-N bond each generator, then bond the generators together, then bond the generator chassis to an earth ground rod.   

[Frank DeWitt]

BTW  You didn't ask but the internet seems equally divided on paralleling two different brands 

Half have not tried it and say it can't be done.

Half have tried it and say it works fine.  They have even paralleled battery input inverters with inverter generators.

First one running is master.  The generator looks for a master when started (AC voltage at its output.  If not found, then it becomes the master.

[Mike Sokol]

BTW  You didn't ask but the internet seems equally divided on paralleling two different brands 

Half have not tried it and say it can't be done.

Half have tried it and say it works fine.  They have even paralleled battery input inverters with inverter generators.

First one running is master.  The generator looks for a master when started (AC voltage at its output.  If not found, then it becomes the master.

Frank, I don't think he's talking about running them in parallel. It would be two separate circuits each with their own load. The question is about bonding the two generator chassis together.

[Frank DeWitt]

Frank, I don't think he's talking about running them in parallel. It would be two separate circuits each with their own load. The question is about bonding the two generator chassis together.

Yes, I understand.  I started with "You didn't ask but"  It occurred to me that if you are tying the neutrals together, and the grounds together It might make sense to tie the hots together.  That way the generators are in phase.  BTW The two parallel terminals on these generators are connected directly to the hot and neutral. 
http://circuitswiring.com/honda-eu2000i-1600-watt-portable-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/
http://www.wiringdiagrams21.com/2014/02/20/yamaha-ef2000is-1600-watt-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/

[kel mcguire]

Yes, I understand.  I started with "You didn't ask but"  It occurred to me that if you are tying the neutrals together, and the grounds together It might make sense to tie the hots together.  That way the generators are in phase.  BTW The two parallel terminals on these generators are connected directly to the hot and neutral. 
http://circuitswiring.com/honda-eu2000i-1600-watt-portable-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/
http://www.wiringdiagrams21.com/2014/02/20/yamaha-ef2000is-1600-watt-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/

Both our generators have the same pushpin style parallel jacks. I haven't tried but I bet my Honda parallel cable kit fits my Wen 2k. But that is a consideration ...and question too. I've seen two brands of 2k genies paralleled.

[Frank DeWitt]

Both our generators have the same pushpin style parallel jacks. I haven't tried but I bet my Honda parallel cable kit fits my Wen 2k. But that is a consideration ...and question too. I've seen two brands of 2k genies paralleled.

Note that neither the jacks nor the paralleling kit are polarized, so tie either the neutrals together, OR use the paralleling kit, but not both, unless you meter and label the jacks and kit.

[kel mcguire]

Note that neither the jacks nor the paralleling kit are polarized, so tie either the neutrals together, OR use the paralleling kit, but not both, unless you meter and label the jacks and kit.

good point, thanks

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Yes, I understand.  I started with "You didn't ask but"  It occurred to me that if you are tying the neutrals together, and the grounds together It might make sense to tie the hots together.  That way the generators are in phase.  BTW The two parallel terminals on these generators are connected directly to the hot and neutral. 
http://circuitswiring.com/honda-eu2000i-1600-watt-portable-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/
http://www.wiringdiagrams21.com/2014/02/20/yamaha-ef2000is-1600-watt-inverter-generator-wiring-diagram/

I would definitely not assume you can tie hots and neutrals together - phase synchronization requires electronic coordination. I also don't see the benefit of tying hots together. Put half the load on one, half on the other. Bond the generator grounds together.

[ProSoundWeb Community]