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Electronics Repair (sci.electronics.repair) Discussion of repairing electronic equipment. Topics include requests for assistance, where to obtain servicing information and parts, techniques for diagnosis and repair, and annecdotes about success, failures and problems. |
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#1
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
(Yeah, I know it's not "repair" but my favorite techie types are here.) I'll be floating down a French river on a small barge in several weeks. They'll provide 220v from a Hawker Siddely Generator. I'll have a couple of expensive 110v devices that I intend to connect through a step down transformer (not purchased yet). They implied that the power might not be all that clean and they won't be responsible for voltage fluctuations. Would a surge protector and an appropriate transformer protect things or should I be looking at a voltage regulator.. or maybe voltage regulator/transformer combo? I really don't want the "magic smoke" to escape from my stuff. -- Dallas |
#2
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
Dallas Inscribed thus:
(Yeah, I know it's not "repair" but my favorite techie types are here.) I'll be floating down a French river on a small barge in several weeks. They'll provide 220v from a Hawker Siddely Generator. I'm guessing "Canal Du Midi". I'll have a couple of expensive 110v devices that I intend to connect through a step down transformer (not purchased yet). They implied that the power might not be all that clean and they won't be responsible for voltage fluctuations. My very limited experience of a canal boat (4 - 6 Berth) was that the generator was driven from the engine and charged the big 12 volt batteries which ran an inverter for the 220/230 supply. I ran the laptop without any problems but did notice that the lights dimmed when the microwave was used. All the lighting was on the battery. I think the electric heater and microwave were the only things that ran on 220 AC. Would a surge protector and an appropriate transformer protect things or should I be looking at a voltage regulator.. or maybe voltage regulator/transformer combo? If its a real generator and not an inverter, a transformer would be fine with the added advantage of spike and noise suppression. I wouldn't think a transformer would be too happy fed from an inverter. I really don't want the "magic smoke" to escape from my stuff. Enjoy your vacation. -- Best Regards: Baron. |
#3
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
Baron wrote:
I'm guessing "Canal Du Midi". Nope.. the Cher. If its a real generator and not an inverter, a transformer would be fine with the added advantage of spike and noise suppression. Gotta be a real generator. The boat's engine is listed as something else. Enjoy your vacation. Merci -- Dallas |
#4
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
Dallas wrote:
(Yeah, I know it's not "repair" but my favorite techie types are here.) I'll be floating down a French river on a small barge in several weeks. They'll provide 220v from a Hawker Siddely Generator. I'll have a couple of expensive 110v devices that I intend to connect through a step down transformer (not purchased yet). They implied that the power might not be all that clean and they won't be responsible for voltage fluctuations. Would a surge protector and an appropriate transformer protect things or should I be looking at a voltage regulator.. or maybe voltage regulator/transformer combo? I really don't want the "magic smoke" to escape from my stuff. My suggestion would be to use a power line conditioner between your transformer and your expensive devices. Search the auction site for "line conditioner" in the Business & Industrial category. The line conditioner provides significant surge and spike protection to your devices. ONEAC is a good brand; I've used them in my shops over the years without any failures in either the conditioners or connected equipment (that I could attribute to line faults). Just be sure to match line frequency, voltage and current requirements to your equipment requirements. -- David dgminala at mediacombb dot net |
#5
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
"Dallas" wrote in message m... (Yeah, I know it's not "repair" but my favorite techie types are here.) I'll be floating down a French river on a small barge in several weeks. They'll provide 220v from a Hawker Siddely Generator. I'll have a couple of expensive 110v devices that I intend to connect through a step down transformer (not purchased yet). They implied that the power might not be all that clean and they won't be responsible for voltage fluctuations. Would a surge protector and an appropriate transformer protect things or should I be looking at a voltage regulator.. or maybe voltage regulator/transformer combo? I really don't want the "magic smoke" to escape from my stuff. -- Dallas What about sticking a constant voltage transformer between the genny and your step down tranny. Loads of 'em dirt cheap on FleaBay. All surges and sags taken care of, as well as the inherent crap cleaning that you get from these devices, so you would then be getting a nice clean constant 230v or whatever into your 230v - 110v tranny. In fact this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SOLA-CONST...item4cf686892b does the stepping down to 120v as well, saving you having to buy that tranny .... Arfa |
#6
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
Dallas wrote in message
m... (Yeah, I know it's not "repair" but my favorite techie types are here.) I'll be floating down a French river on a small barge in several weeks. They'll provide 220v from a Hawker Siddely Generator. I'll have a couple of expensive 110v devices that I intend to connect through a step down transformer (not purchased yet). They implied that the power might not be all that clean and they won't be responsible for voltage fluctuations. Would a surge protector and an appropriate transformer protect things or should I be looking at a voltage regulator.. or maybe voltage regulator/transformer combo? I really don't want the "magic smoke" to escape from my stuff. -- Dallas Trouble with generators is very light loads and very heavy loads. I would suggest you permanently wire a 60 watt bulb in for a constant base load. |
#7
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
On Tue, 19 Jul 2011 02:00:26 +0100, "Arfa Daily"
wrote: What about sticking a constant voltage transformer between the genny and your step down tranny. Loads of 'em dirt cheap on FleaBay. All surges and sags taken care of, as well as the inherent crap cleaning that you get from these devices, so you would then be getting a nice clean constant 230v or whatever into your 230v - 110v tranny. Potentially a bad idea. Such CVT devices are ferro-resonant transformers, which are tuned to 50 or 60Hz. If you feed it with any other frequency, the output voltage will change. How much change varies radically with the design and manufacture. I had one (Sola) that could tolerate a +/-5% change in frequency without much change in output voltage. Another would produce huge changes in voltage for the same change in frequency. They are absolutely fabulous for controlling spikes, sags, surges, and glitches, but only from the frequency regulated mains. During a lightning storm, I was working on a computer that had a large CVT attached. I was watching the lights flicker, but the computer never missed a beat. If you think your generator is fairly well speed regulated (i.e. inverter-generator), then it MIGHT work. If you do something stupid, like start the generator with the CVT attached, you're going to blow up something. (Ham radio Field Day horror stories omitted). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voltage_regulator#Constant-voltage_transformer Output voltage varies about 1.2% for every 1% change in supply frequency. For example, a 2-Hz change in generator frequency, which is very large, results in an output voltage change of only 4%, which has little effect for most loads. -- Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558 |
#8
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
N_Cook wrote:
Trouble with generators is very light loads and very heavy loads. I would suggest you permanently wire a 60 watt bulb in for a constant base load. Won't that make it hard to sleep? grin -- Dallas |
#9
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
"Dallas" wrote in message news N_Cook wrote: Trouble with generators is very light loads and very heavy loads. I would suggest you permanently wire a 60 watt bulb in for a constant base load. Won't that make it hard to sleep? grin -- Dallas Nah. Just dangle it over the side in the water ... :-) Arfa |
#10
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Kinda OT.. Generators and voltage spikes
Arfa Daily Inscribed thus:
"Dallas" wrote in message news N_Cook wrote: Trouble with generators is very light loads and very heavy loads. I would suggest you permanently wire a 60 watt bulb in for a constant base load. Won't that make it hard to sleep? grin -- Dallas Nah. Just dangle it over the side in the water ... :-) Arfa If he likes fishing, it might attract some ! -- Best Regards: Baron. |
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