I have an old Yamaha 2600 watt generator. When I bought it years ago it was
awesome. I was even able to run my compressor off of it in a pinch. It was
clean too. Computers TVs. No issue. I haven't fired it up in several
years, but last year we had a power failure at the house for 3/4 day, and I
tried to run our fridge off of it, The fridge never started. It ran lights
just fine. and I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This meter very reliabley shows
household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.

Where do I start looking to fix the generator?

On Thu, 21 Jul 2011 09:41:44 -0700, Bob La Londe wrote:

I have an old Yamaha 2600 watt generator. When I bought it years ago it
was awesome. I was even able to run my compressor off of it in a pinch.
It was clean too. Computers TVs. No issue. I haven't fired it up in
several years, but last year we had a power failure at the house for 3/4
day, and I tried to run our fridge off of it, The fridge never started.
It ran lights just fine. and I was able to run my table saw or my band
saw, but they just didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack
meter flipped it to frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This
meter very reliabley shows household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out
in left field.

Where do I start looking to fix the generator?

Is it an inverter model? If it isn't, then it's been 400Hz all along.
If it is, then somehow the inverter board has gotten the notion into it's
little electronic head that you want 400Hz (it must have been designed in
as an option for avionics use).

Whether it's a processor that's just gone completely wonky, or a jumper
that fell out (or got shorted from age and corrosion), or what -- I
dunno. A new inverter board is probably the best answer, but if you're
handy with electronics then a schematic, some careful measurements, and
thinking until elbow grease drips out your ears may lead to a solution.

--
www.wescottdesign.com

On Jul 21, 12:41*pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
I have an old Yamaha 2600 watt generator. *When I bought it years ago it was
awesome. *I was even able to run my compressor off of it in a pinch. *It was
clean too. *Computers TVs. *No issue. *I haven't fired it up in several
years, but last year we had a power failure at the house for 3/4 day, and I
tried to run our fridge off of it, The fridge never started. *It ran lights
just fine. and I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. *I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. *Yep 400 hz. *This meter very reliabley shows
household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.

Where do I start looking to fix the generator?

It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.


Dave

"Dave__67" wrote in message
...
On Jul 21, 12:41 pm, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
I have an old Yamaha 2600 watt generator. When I bought it years ago it
was
awesome. I was even able to run my compressor off of it in a pinch. It was
clean too. Computers TVs. No issue. I haven't fired it up in several
years, but last year we had a power failure at the house for 3/4 day, and
I
tried to run our fridge off of it, The fridge never started. It ran lights
just fine. and I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they
just
didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This meter very reliabley shows
household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.

Where do I start looking to fix the generator?

It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

Dave

=========

I keep an old telechron electric clock around just for this purpose.

A crappy waveform would usually yield a frequency multiple of the base
frequency, though. 400Hz doesn't divide by 60 well or by 120Hz either.

400 Hz was a very common frequency used in avionics, especially on the
planes.

Open the beast up and look for a jumper or loose wiring. A careful look may
reveal something, if only some printing on the PCB card to indicate make,
model, freq or other spec.

All this assumes your engine hasn't gone crazy in speed to do this. I think
you would notice it screaming, if that was the case.

-----------


"PrecisionmachinisT" wrote in message
news:tYudncg0aOnWX7XTnZ2dnUVZ_vSdnZ2d@scnresearch. com...
It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

On Jul 21, 5:57*pm, Dave__67 wrote:
++
I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. *I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. *Yep 400 hz. *This meter very reliabley shows
household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.


It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

Dave
The fact that you could run your table saw and band saw, make it
unlikely that it was really 400 hz. The saws would be running at
about 7 times their normal speed if it were really 400 hz.

Dan

" wrote:

On Jul 21, 5:57 pm, Dave__67 wrote:
++
I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This meter very reliabley shows
household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.


It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

Dave
The fact that you could run your table saw and band saw, make it
unlikely that it was really 400 hz. The saws would be running at
about 7 times their normal speed if it were really 400 hz.


They may have universal motors. If not, they would definitely run
fast, if at all. The fridge has a starting capacitor, and needs
something very close to 60 HZ to start and run. He needs to put a
resistive load on the generator and recheck the frequency. Also, it
should tell the frequency on the name plate.


--
It's easy to think outside the box, when you have a cutting torch.

Michael A. Terrell was thinking very hard :
" wrote:

On Jul 21, 5:57 pm, Dave__67 wrote:
++
I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This meter very reliabley
shows household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.


It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

Dave
The fact that you could run your table saw and band saw, make it
unlikely that it was really 400 hz. The saws would be running at
about 7 times their normal speed if it were really 400 hz.


They may have universal motors. If not, they would definitely run
fast, if at all. The fridge has a starting capacitor, and needs
something very close to 60 HZ to start and run. He needs to put a
resistive load on the generator and recheck the frequency. Also, it
should tell the frequency on the name plate.

Would not a scope do a much better job of giving the real answer? :-Z

--
John G

On Jul 22, 1:38*am, John G wrote:

Would not *a scope do a much better job of giving the real answer? :-Z

--
John G

Yes it would. I did not bother to recommend that as I figured if he
had access to a scope, he would not have posted here.

Dan

John G wrote:

Michael A. Terrell was thinking very hard :
" wrote:

On Jul 21, 5:57 pm, Dave__67 wrote:
++
I was able to run my table saw or my band saw, but they just
didn't sound right. I pulled out my old Radio Shack meter flipped it to
frequency mode and checked it. Yep 400 hz. This meter very reliabley
shows household 110 at 59-60 so I know its not out in left field.


It could be it is still 60Hz, but an extremely crappy or dirty
waveform is tricking the meter. That might change the diagnosis/
troubleshooting procedure.

Dave
The fact that you could run your table saw and band saw, make it
unlikely that it was really 400 hz. The saws would be running at
about 7 times their normal speed if it were really 400 hz.


They may have universal motors. If not, they would definitely run
fast, if at all. The fridge has a starting capacitor, and needs
something very close to 60 HZ to start and run. He needs to put a
resistive load on the generator and recheck the frequency. Also, it
should tell the frequency on the name plate.

Would not a scope do a much better job of giving the real answer? :-Z


As long as he knows how to use it, and doesn't try to power it from
that generator.


--
It's easy to think outside the box, when you have a cutting torch.