Generator Sound Dampening

[53orbigger]

A Honda is not in the budget, so I will have to get by with the generator I have now that is quite loud. Any thoughts on ways to restore some quiet while on the ice?

Thanks

[Professional Edge]

Would love to see a picture if somebody is using one. I have a small 1200 watt that is not very loud but I would still like to build a box for it.

[iffwalleyes]

If you can leave it in the back of the pickup so it isn't directly on the ice and is not rattling out of the back end that would help alot

[blue_healer_guy]

Well, since you asked. i personally dont think it effects not catching or catching fish if its not on the ice. There are people, including me, that fish tho to get away from work, the hussle and bussle, the wife etc. To relax. Nothing is worse than a loud generator to ruin that. My feeling is if you are there first, I move if i dont like it, and vis versa.

[BigDogRob]

I used to worry about mine all the time thinking I would get a late night knock on the door, but then I figured out I sleep with a radio on and love having my furnace fan blow with the 110 juice thrown through it...now I just plain don't care...I do however roll my tonneau cover up and leave the tailgate up to be neighborly! If you don't think it's quiet enough...I usually have earplugs along...lol I think mine is not much louder than the Hondas though.

[Professional Edge]

I use a suburban to pull my house do I do not have a bed to put it in. The generator isn't loud but if I have a way to make it quieter I would give it a try.

[ozzie]

long extension cord, put in the back of the truck and cover somewhat. Nothing worse then being a ice fisherman and having loud generators start up at dusk!! U wouldn't want me out there blaring rap music or heavy metal all day why would I want to listen to your obnoxious generator cause you don't want to use your batteries? I get not everyone can have a Honda or quiet generator but try to muffle the sound and try not to use it during the more prime hours of fishing...

[harvey lee]

In my expierence, I have not seen a generator shut a bite off from noise unless I am in like 5fow. Mine is not that loud and I do have a box over it. I typically go off by myself and if another parks very close to me oh well. I do try very hard to only run it from like 11am till 3 or so and then shut it down till after the evening bite, I have never had anyone say anything to me about noise. If I did, to b honest I would tell them they should not have set up so close to me.

[leech~~]

I have seen guys out on Mille Lacs make a small 3 sided box with one end open for air intake and exhaust. They put the generator inside and turn the open end away from the house so the sound gets thrown the other way.

[53orbigger]

Thanks Guys. Are these just wooden boxes or do they line them with foam or something else to help deaden the sound?

[iced over]

YouTube has some good ideas. Search generator muffler.

[harvey lee]

I made a wood box with a hole for exhaust and one to plug a cord in and for controls, I did not insulated it. I did this mainly to keep snow or rain off the generator. Did a little experiment on generator noise and effecting the bite. Been on Upper Red the last 3 days and with the generator on the ice or in the pick up box, I saw no difference in the bite . The walleye's were hitting very well starting about 6pm till 9 pm. I did not have the generator running and I went out and fired it up on the ice running it almost wide open and the eyes continued to bite as fast as I could ice them . I have no fears of them sitting on the ice and spooking fish. I have done this test in the last days in 6-8 and 11fow and all the results were the same, didn't bother the fish one bit. Now all I have to be concerned about with the noise is people who park next to me.

[CaptSpike]

There is a material they use called sounddown. Not cheap but works well.

Sounddown

Spike

[53orbigger]

Thanks for the suggestions. We were on Red this past weekend and were able to get away from the crowds so the noise didn't bother anyone except us and we also found that the noise didn't seem to impact the bite at all, which was fantastic.

[leech~~]

Thanks Guys. Are these just wooden boxes or do they line them with foam or something else to help deaden the sound?

Sorry for not getting back to you on this. I'm still getting lost on which forum I'm on and can't see replies!

Yes most of them that I had seen were just home made wood boxes and a few did have the inside lined with that heavy pink foam insulation to help deaden the sound. I've also seen small food vendors do the same setup at outdoor events when they are powering their food trailers.

[slammer]

You need some of that foam with the cone shapes that you would see in a recording studio or labs where noise is an issue. I have seen this in a couple different hardware/surplus stores where they sell upholstery and fabric. A box lined with that should help a lot.

[leech~~]

You need some of that foam with the cone shapes that you would see in a recording studio or labs where noise is an issue. I have seen this in a couple different hardware/surplus stores where they sell upholstery and fabric. A box lined with that should help a lot.

Well since there is a good chance the box would be sitting on the ice during winds or a snow storm, not sure how well that would work if it sucked up all that water? The pink stuff is for construction and is pretty weather proof. I think that's why a lot of guys use it?

[JSK76]

I use a Honda 1000 for ice fishing but bought Champion 3200 watt this summer to run the AC on my Ice Cabin. The Champion is a suitcase type with wheels so it's not as loud as open frame types but I camp between 2 lake homes in the summer so I wanted to quiet it down as much as possible, in fact I still run my honda when not using the AC.

This is the box I built with the top removed, the top is made from the same buffalo board as the sides. It works pretty good. You really notice how well it works if you go in a house and have someone remove the box. The problem I ran into is if it so hot I need to run the AC the generator gets very hot running inside it. Out on the ice I think it would be just fine and possibly good to keep it somewhat warm. Sorry for the upside down pic, it's right side up when I upload it.

[JSK76]

If your not into building your own look at Super Gen Tent, I thought about buying one but had like $16 into building mine.

[leech~~]

I use a Honda 1000 for ice fishing but bought Champion 3200 watt this summer to run the AC on my Ice Cabin. The Champion is a suitcase type with wheels so it's not as loud as open frame types but I camp between 2 lake homes in the summer so I wanted to quiet it down as much as possible, in fact I still run my honda when not using the AC.

This is the box I built with the top removed, the top is made from the same buffalo board as the sides. It works pretty good. You really notice how well it works if you go in a house and have someone remove the box. The problem I ran into is if it so hot I need to run the AC the generator gets very hot running inside it. Out on the ice I think it would be just fine and possibly good to keep it somewhat warm. Sorry for the upside down pic, it's right side up when I upload it.

Here ya go. You could cut in a few round vent holes and add long cloths dryer collapsible tubes on it to let air in and out. The longer tubes baffle the sound a bit. Kind of like those shotguns with a 5 foot barrels on them they use near towns for Goose hunting.

[leech~~]

If your not into building your own look at Super Gen Tent, I thought about buying one but had like $16 into building mine.

I wonder if this is just a weather cover for when not in use? She seems like she would melt or burn up if left on when running?

[JSK76]

It's for sound dampening, It has accustic tiles inside the fabric to dampen the noise.