Honda does make a genset with a built in inverter .... I don't know
about the "Nortstar 8000W" unit. The inverter puts out pure sine wave
and is supposed to be very well regulated. BTW, I just replace a
traditional genset in a TV production truck with an Auragen unit. This
generator belts off the truck engine and puts out some high voltage
which runs an inverter. Wow, what a great unit. Power is very, very
clean, even when the AC is starting. The problem is that the Auragen is
pretty pricey, about $5K wor a 5.5KW unit and the vehicle must be
modified. Auragen people did the install included in the above price.

Larry Caldwell wrote:

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.