Easystart vs. Softstart for AC

manyman297

So it turns out my Westinghouse iGen 2500 will run the Cool Cat AC at our house but it failed to work at a campsite about 1k higher in elevation. With 95-100 degree weather it made for a pretty miserable time. The hardwired Hughes Power Watchdog wasn’t letting the generator run the AC as the initial surge had the voltage dropping below the 104 volt cutoff. 

Looks like I need a soft start. For those who’ve had experience with them, is there a brand you prefer? The Easystart has a Bluetooth interface with data tidbits that could be useful but I’d rather install the best performing option. 

ChrisFix

@manyman297
Not sure how many people have used both to be able to compare, but I can only tell you that the SoftStart RV that I installed last month works great. Easy to install, and seems to do the trick with allowing my Champion 2500 Dual Fuel running off propane to power the T@B - although @rhyno reported he had problems with the Watchdog cutting power due to low voltage when running the air conditioner with a SoftStart RV with his Champion 2500 dual fuel using propane. So I guess YMMV.
BTW, I have a hardwired Watchdog installed as well...and haven't yet seen the low voltage cut off running the air conditioner from the generator (but did see it frequently happen at an RV park we stayed at - so I know it works).
Performance wise, I don't think there is any significant difference between EasyStart and SoftStart...They really are pretty much the same product, however having a bluetooth interface to see the actual voltages/watts coming across the softstart would be a nice to have in my opinion.

manyman297

What would happen is the AC would kick on and then I'd hear the clamping (or whatever it is) noise...like a chatter...coming from the Watchdog and then the low voltage warning on my phone. Sometimes it would still continue to run the AC and other times it would cut off power. So it's borderline not enough oomph to run it. 

I think the Softstart has a better warranty, is a little cheaper and is readily available. The Micro Air has a bit of a wait time. The bluetooth functionality would be nice but I don't know how important that is. 

rhyno

I don't know that either of SoftStart or EasyStart could prevent a low voltage condition. If your compressor starts, then you hit low voltage a few minutes later, you might just need a beefier compressor, at least for that altitude. 
My Champion dual fuel 2500 didn't work reliably on propane with eco mode enabled at 1000 feet, but was fine running in non-eco mode. When the Watchdog tripped low voltage each time, the Cool Cat's compressor had been running for a while. 
I would contact support for both to confirm if their solutions can ease both amperage and voltage drawdowns. 

rhyno

@ChrisFix I am seeing that grounding issues can cause voltage variations. What brand of neutral bonding plug are you using? I have a generic one from Amazon and maybe that is contributing to my issue. 

ChrisFix

rhyno said:

@ChrisFix I am seeing that grounding issues can cause voltage variations. What brand of neutral bonding plug are you using? I have a generic one from Amazon and maybe that is contributing to my issue. 

I bought the one Hughes Watchdog sells...

Hughes Autoformers Ground Neutral Plug https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08HZGMRB1/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_WXPE5903X3EJNW5064EG

NorthIsUp

I can't tell you which is better, but we have had an Easy-Start installed since last fall. I took the 400 cross-country to uCamp in June and back west in July. Works great everywhere. It really quiets down each compressor start, so you don't hear the A/C cycling on and off at night. In our travels, we were in the 7000-plus foot altitude range in Wyoming in very hot weather. We use a Honda eu2200i inverter generator for power off the grid. No hiccups at all. 

manyman297

Installed the SoftstartRV today. Easy install. Might take longer to button everything up vs. installing it. A few discrepancies in the manufacturer’s installation manual was quickly cleared up with this video:

https://youtu.be/9STBu55QZaU

Tested it at my home’s elevation (4400ft) and I can even start the AC in eco mode which was impossible before. I want to try it at higher elevations but I’m guessing if it starts in eco mode here it should work higher up. 

One strange thing I notice is that it takes a while for the compressor to kick on (like 3 minutes…the manual wants about this but I thought that was only on the initial startup). I can live with that if it means not having to buy a larger or more expensive Honda generator. 

manyman297

Just thought I’d post an update. Took the generator up to 8500 feet camping just to test it out and the soft start worked flawlessly even on eco mode. Pretty excited to finally have AC using a small generator. 

ChrisFix

manyman297 said:

Just thought I’d post an update. Took the generator up to 8500 feet camping just to test it out and the soft start worked flawlessly even on eco mode. Pretty excited to finally have AC using a small generator. 

That's great news - and a great test. HOPEFULLY you won't need the air conditioner much above 8,500 ft!
It's amazing the generator didn't complain at that altitude just in general - no less running the air conditioner.
The SoftStartRV seems to work very well - glad I installed it too.

manyman297

@ChrisFix Yeah. Probably won’t ever need AC at that altitude but I was impressed that it still worked. 

manyman297

For those interested we went on a weekend two-night trip and gave the softstart a workout (probably 5 hours of continuous use) using the Westinghouse igen 2500 and it worked great. These things are game changers. I know the Predator 3500 is a popular choice here but it’s overkill and impossibly heavy compared to just using a 2k-2.5k generator at half the weight. Long term we’ll see but right now it appears this may have been the best $300 spent on the trailer. Definitely recommend it.