DIYbanter - View Single Post - Using portable generator to power furnace fan (AC/PSC motor)

Ralph Mowery

In article ,
says...

The electronic regulators are probably on the larger generators and
newer ones. If you call 10 or 20 years newer.

I had on OLD Onan genset - so old it did not have a recoil starter and
was an 1800RPM single - and the voltage barely changed from 1200 to
2000 RPM, but the frequency sure did. The governor was mis-adjusted
when I got it and it over corrected seriously - it would surge like
crazy under load. I finally got the linkage corrected and it was
pretty much rock steady under load after it was warmed up. Voltage was
steady untill loaded beyond it's maximum current rating - where the
engine would tend to bog down and stall. When the generatoe went into
a surge the light intensity did change ernough that you could see it -
but not seriously

My Coleman 5 kw I bought about 1999 does not have a any electronic
regulation. It is just controled by the govenor. I did set the speed
under a portable heater of about 1500 watts and 120 volts for a load.
The speed control changd both the frequency and voltage. I used an old
viberating reed frequency meter and a true RMS Fluke meter to do the
adjusting.

My newer dual fuel I bought a few months back does have the electronic
regulator module. It was very close, so I did not look for adjustemnts
on it.

My B&S 5 kw generator does not show any electronic regulator either on
the wiring diagram. It is about 10 years old. Hate to say it, but I
have not even ran it. I bought it when I thought the first one had
engine problems, but turned out it did not .