DIYbanter - View Single Post - Northstar 8000 W Honda generator, feedback

In article ,
(m Ransley) says...

OK larryc, his gen may be CRAP - for home electronics, if I
understand you.

It depends on the electronics. A computer, for instance, uses a solid
state switching power supply that is good for almost any wave form,
anywhere between 90 and 230 volts, anywhere between 50 and 100 Hz. An
APC UPS puts out what they euphemistically refer to as a "modified sine
wave", which is actually a square wave with rounded edges, about 50%
THD.

With a generator, as with commercial line power, the electronics killer
is a high voltage transient. Any high power switch opening, like a pump
switch or water heater switch, can create transients large enough to fry
solid state power supplies. Your little $9.95 Wal-Mart surge protector
will not do the job, assuming the generator is even grounded.

Buying an expensive generator buys you nothing for protection. If you
want to run sensitive electronics, buy one of the solutions available
for conditioning dirty power in an industrial installation, or keep your
heavy loads off the generator while you are using your electronics.
Continuous loads are fine. It's the switch opening that creates the
transients.

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http://home.teleport.com/~larryc