[jyl]

Tell me about portable generators.

Our neighborhood association puts on a neighborhood picnic in the park every year and we hire a band, rent the sound equipment, and rent a generator to power it.

My wife is running the event this year. She's going to hire a friend's band that is very good and have their own sound equipment; save a little $. I'm thinking about buying a generator for myself, and using it for the event; save a little more money.

I don't know how hefty a generator is needed to run a band's amps. Any idea? Of generators that size, what would you recommend?

I don't have any obvious personal use for a generator, but I thought maybe it could come in handy for a long power outage, natural disaster, etc. Just to charge a battery to recharge cellphones or run a freezer for a couple hours. I realize the fuel will will be exhausted in a day or two of continuous running. Though I don't really want to store a bunch of gasoline so would prefer diesel?