Power backup ideas
 

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.



--
I love a good meal! That's why I don't cook.

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/26/2017 12:59 PM, KenK wrote:
Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.



I bought my generator and had transfer panel installed over 10 years ago
but would be interested in today's offerings that can do the whole house
with a generator that does not have the capacity to handle all in the
house. I do not think these systems are super expensive. I could live
with short outages with flashlights and batteries and even well not
pumping water but outages over a day in extremely cold weather can make
the home tough to live in. Also over half day lack of refrigeration
leads to food spoilage.

A few years ago when hurricane remnants were rampant you could not find
a generator to buy but after the storm was gone you might be able to buy
a returned one at half price.

Power backup ideas
 

On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

I see videos of small solar powered fans, lights; and even a air
conditioning cooler home made (require ice). Can't think of the
Youtube channel right now but he lives in the Mojave Desert. He even
has batteries to store power.

Power backup ideas
 

On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg

Power backup ideas
 

In article ,
says...

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.


Harbor Freight has a small generator for about $ 90 when on sale, or use
the 20% off coupond they put out every week.

It is suppose to be good for 700 watts and run for several hours off
the gas before refilling.

I bought one as I have an electric pole saw and wanted to power it away
from the house. Look at the Youtube videos on them.

You can mount it on a small dolly or use a hand truck to move it if you
think it is too heavy.

Sometimes they seem hard to start, so you may want to get a can of
starter fluid .

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/26/2017 12:33 PM, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.
The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the batteries.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg

Â* I bought a 5500 watt generator and charged it off to the small
business I was running at the time . I used it to power my MIG welder to
do on-site installs/modifications to AC security cages . I use it now to
back feed my main panel from the shop panel when our power goes out -
but only if it's for more than half a day (their estimates are usually
pessimistic , but if they say 3 days ...) . I can run everything but the
40 gallon main water heater . And it has enough hot water for 3-4
showers and we have a POU unit for the kitchen sink and dishwasher .

Â* --

Â* Snag

Power backup ideas
 

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Power Monster

Power backup ideas
 

In article ,
says...



I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a
bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


Years ago there was plenty of room under the hood of most cars. Now it
looks like just one chunk of stuff. No room for ahything that was not
put in at the factory. Maybe the trucks have more room.

The smaller , say about 5 kw generators are not all that expensive, but
the HF 700 watt unit is good for a few LED or CFL lamps and a small TV.
It does not use all that much gas either.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 11:38:25 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


They used to sell a regulator you could put on a car alternator that
put out 120v AC but at a very high frequency. It would run "universal"
motors (typically ones with brushes) or regular lights. I suppose it
also would work with wide mouth switching power supplies like new
electronics use.
I looked for a regulator or just a hack to make my little alternator
backup machine put out 40v or so that would charge my golf cart. That
is a big pack of deep cycle batteries that could be used in an
emergency.
So far, no joy on that. I can still use my machine to charge the
batteries 2 at a time.
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 2:54:05 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 11:38:25 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


They used to sell a regulator you could put on a car alternator that
put out 120v AC but at a very high frequency. It would run "universal"
motors (typically ones with brushes) or regular lights. I suppose it
also would work with wide mouth switching power supplies like new
electronics use.
I looked for a regulator or just a hack to make my little alternator
backup machine put out 40v or so that would charge my golf cart. That
is a big pack of deep cycle batteries that could be used in an
emergency.
So far, no joy on that. I can still use my machine to charge the
batteries 2 at a time.
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


Power blinks are the most irritating thing to me. At home I only know the power went out because the ceiling fans quit and the UPS alarms go off. I had my buddy Stinky bring me one of my APC 500 Backup units to me here at the center for my computer stuff so I don't have to go through restarting everything if the power blinks. The center has at least one big Kohler genset. I have only see one transfer switch in a connecting hallway on one side of the complex and I believe I caught a glimpse of what could have been a big genset when medical transport took me out one of the back entrances to a back parking lot. I haven't had a chance to ask one of the maintenance guys about any backup generator the center has. If it's just one, I imagine it's quite large.ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Generated Monster

Power backup ideas
 

Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.


Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/27/2017 6:52 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.

I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.

Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster

Â* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .

Â* --

Â* Snag

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/27/2017 5:50 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 2:54:05 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 11:38:25 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


They used to sell a regulator you could put on a car alternator that
put out 120v AC but at a very high frequency. It would run "universal"
motors (typically ones with brushes) or regular lights. I suppose it
also would work with wide mouth switching power supplies like new
electronics use.
I looked for a regulator or just a hack to make my little alternator
backup machine put out 40v or so that would charge my golf cart. That
is a big pack of deep cycle batteries that could be used in an
emergency.
So far, no joy on that. I can still use my machine to charge the
batteries 2 at a time.
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


Power blinks are the most irritating thing to me. At home I only know the power went out because the ceiling fans quit and the UPS alarms go off. I had my buddy Stinky bring me one of my APC 500 Backup units to me here at the center for my computer stuff so I don't have to go through restarting everything if the power blinks. The center has at least one big Kohler genset. I have only see one transfer switch in a connecting hallway on one side of the complex and I believe I caught a glimpse of what could have been a big genset when medical transport took me out one of the back entrances to a back parking lot. I haven't had a chance to ask one of the maintenance guys about any backup generator the center has. If it's just one, I imagine it's quite large.ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Generated Monster


I just put a new APC on my desktop. Old one had dead battery and
momentary power failure that crashes computer can be a real problem.
APCs are fairly cheap and easier to just get a new one than new battery.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 7:41:11 AM UTC-5, Terry Coombs wrote:
On 8/27/2017 6:52 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.

I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.

Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster

Â* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .
Â* --
Â* Snag


I've had to flash the field on plenty of gensets I repaired but I kept my pants on. The stationary NG fueled backup gensets I installed were programmed to exercise for 15 minutes a week and I tied them into standard burglar alarm panels to dial a monitoring station on a POTS line when they cranked up. That was back in the 1990's. The new home backup generators of this century are incredibly much more sophisticated. I haven't laid eyes on any of the new ones but from what I've seen on the Web, there's a big WOW factor. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Wow Monster

Power backup ideas
 

On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 7:51:26 AM UTC-5, Frank wrote:
On 8/27/2017 5:50 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 2:54:05 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 11:38:25 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


They used to sell a regulator you could put on a car alternator that
put out 120v AC but at a very high frequency. It would run "universal"
motors (typically ones with brushes) or regular lights. I suppose it
also would work with wide mouth switching power supplies like new
electronics use.
I looked for a regulator or just a hack to make my little alternator
backup machine put out 40v or so that would charge my golf cart. That
is a big pack of deep cycle batteries that could be used in an
emergency.
So far, no joy on that. I can still use my machine to charge the
batteries 2 at a time.
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


Power blinks are the most irritating thing to me. At home I only know the power went out because the ceiling fans quit and the UPS alarms go off. I had my buddy Stinky bring me one of my APC 500 Backup units to me here at the center for my computer stuff so I don't have to go through restarting everything if the power blinks. The center has at least one big Kohler genset. I have only see one transfer switch in a connecting hallway on one side of the complex and I believe I caught a glimpse of what could have been a big genset when medical transport took me out one of the back entrances to a back parking lot. I haven't had a chance to ask one of the maintenance guys about any backup generator the center has. If it's just one, I imagine it's quite large.ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Generated Monster

I just put a new APC on my desktop. Old one had dead battery and
momentary power failure that crashes computer can be a real problem.
APCs are fairly cheap and easier to just get a new one than new battery.


I've never bought a UPS, all of mine are dumpster rescues including my 1kw and 750va units. I have a number of APC backups ranging from 350va to 650va and all I bought were batteries. I got the most common replacement, a 7ah 12volt, from a local electronic supply house for $16.00 ea. The batteries are very easy to change. I think I made out OK. ヽ(ヅ)ノ

[8~{} Uncle Cheap Monster

Power backup ideas
 

Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.

I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'
http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm
So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.
John T.

Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ?(?)?

* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .
* Snag


The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.

Power backup ideas
 

In article ,
says...



The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.

I have a 5 kw gen and noticed it seemed to hunt around the speed if not
loaded to about 1 K. After I drained all the old gas out and put in
some of the ethanol free gas, it seemed to not hunt around when
unloaded. Not sure if it was just the ethanol or maybe that ethanol gas
had absorbed some water.
Anyway I have started using the ethanol free gas for the last 5 years
and solved many small engine problems.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 07:14:38 -0400, wrote:



Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.

I am aware of flashing the generator.

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/27/2017 8:00 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 07:41:46 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 6:52 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.
I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.
Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ?(?)?

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster
Â* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .

We have a 20 KVA, USMC, surplus diesel generator I bought at auction
about 15 years ago for $550. I start it once every month or so and
let it run and power a several thousand watt load for about 20
minutes.

I have never had an issue with the magnets in the generator. That
said, I was interested in the flashing concept and came across this
article on how to do it.

http://www.endtimesreport.com/dead_gen.html

Terry, I am curious how you flashed your generator.


Â* It's been a while , but IIRC I connected a 12V battery across the
field winding momentarily . Biggest concern was being sure I had the
battery polarity correct . It doesn't take much of a field to
self-excite a genset , and it builds virtually instantaneously .

Â* --

Â* Snag

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 08:51:17 -0400, Frank "frank wrote:

I just put a new APC on my desktop. Old one had dead battery and
momentary power failure that crashes computer can be a real problem.
APCs are fairly cheap and easier to just get a new one than new battery.

I have a bunch of APCs around here, picked up for free because people
think like you. It takes a couple minutes to swap a battery. The
little oval plastic ones (500-600w) don't even require using any
tools. Just slide the cover off the bottom and the battery falls out.
The bigger ones have a cover in front you take off (2 screws) and he
batteries come out.
The batteries are pretty cheap online.

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/27/2017 9:26 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...


The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.
I have a 5 kw gen and noticed it seemed to hunt around the speed if not
loaded to about 1 K. After I drained all the old gas out and put in
some of the ethanol free gas, it seemed to not hunt around when
unloaded. Not sure if it was just the ethanol or maybe that ethanol gas
had absorbed some water.
Anyway I have started using the ethanol free gas for the last 5 years
and solved many small engine problems.

Â* I had an older generator that hunted under light/no load . It was
caused by a blocked idle passage in the carb . Enough load to get it out
of the idle circuit and it ran just swell . My current unit gets nothing
but NE gas , and unless it's going to be running for a while - like a
couple of days - it always gets stabilizer in the gas . Other than the
field magnetic problem it's never even hiccuped .

Â* --

Â* Snag

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 03:53:45 -0400, wrote:

On Sat, 26 Aug 2017 11:38:25 -0700 (PDT), Uncle Monster
wrote:

On Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 12:34:06 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On 26 Aug 2017 16:59:02 GMT, KenK wrote:

Yesterday my power was off for 7 hours. I survived. I thought
maybe my setup would help others come up with ideas to protect
themselves too.

Of course there are generators, but they are quite expensive
if your power outages are rare.

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger. I have a little 12V oscillating fan and a small 12V
flouresent light unit. So far this has worked well for me,
even in the 90 degree + temperature inside yesterday. When you
are old as I am the very heavy battery is hard to move around
so plan its home and your usual power outage retreat to be
close.

Perhaps if you have no power backup you might consider
something like this. The battery is by far the most expemsive
item.

The first time I drove my truck up near the house, ran 2 inverters off
of the battery and every once in a while I started the truck to
recharge the battery.
After that I made this to top up a battery.
http://gfretwell.com/electrical/redneck_power.jpg


I recall seeing a 120/240 vac alternator that could be installed under the hood of a pickup truck or SUV that was driven off the vehicle's engine and it was meant to be an emergency generator for your home. I saw it in Popular Science or Popular Mechanics many years ago and the thing was quite large which is why it was meant to go under the hood of a large vehicle with a lot of room under the hood. I searched a bit and found generators for service trucks but nothing like I remember seeing in the magazine. ?(?)?


They used to sell a regulator you could put on a car alternator that
put out 120v AC but at a very high frequency. It would run "universal"
motors (typically ones with brushes) or regular lights. I suppose it
also would work with wide mouth switching power supplies like new
electronics use.
I looked for a regulator or just a hack to make my little alternator
backup machine put out 40v or so that would charge my golf cart. That
is a big pack of deep cycle batteries that could be used in an
emergency.
So far, no joy on that. I can still use my machine to charge the
batteries 2 at a time.
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.
Those kits did NOT put out high frequency AC. They did not bypass
the diodes, as doing so would produce 3 Phase AC. I installed quite a
few of them over the years. My Sas used them on his trucks to run the
drill to do electrical rough-ins on houses where grid power was not
available. They only worked on cetsin alternators with external
regulators as what they did was disconnect the output ftom the
vehicle, redirecting it to the attatched outlet, anf full-fielding the
alternator. There was no regulator involved (at least on the
BellTronics units) and voltage regulation was by adjusting the
throttle. There was a voltmeter on the unit and an adjustable throttle
block - basically a stick between either the seat or the steering
wheel and the accellerator that was adjustable. A vernier throttle
cable (newfy cruise control) was available as an option.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 07:14:38 -0400, wrote:



Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.
SOMETIMES they require a re-flash - but generally not from sitting.
More likely from improper shut-down. (Shutting of the generator under
full load is almost guaranteed to yield a dead generator).

Different methods for brush type and brushless excitation - Be
carefull!!

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 10:10:46 -0400, wrote:


Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.

I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'
http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm
So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.
John T.

Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ?(?)?

* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .
* Snag


The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.
Just don't let the engine stall under full load - or you WILL be
re-flashing the field.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 10:26:41 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...



The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.

I have a 5 kw gen and noticed it seemed to hunt around the speed if not
loaded to about 1 K. After I drained all the old gas out and put in
some of the ethanol free gas, it seemed to not hunt around when
unloaded. Not sure if it was just the ethanol or maybe that ethanol gas
had absorbed some water.
Anyway I have started using the ethanol free gas for the last 5 years
and solved many small engine problems.
Hunting is usually indicative of running too lean - and ethanol fuel
WILL cause an engine to lean out. If the (older) engine has an
adustable jet, open it 1/8 to 1/4 turn or as much as required to get
it running smoothly.. On "emission controlled" "tamperproof" carbs,
switching fuels is about the only solution.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 09:56:08 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 8:00 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 07:41:46 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 6:52 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.
I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.
Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ?(?)?

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster
* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .

We have a 20 KVA, USMC, surplus diesel generator I bought at auction
about 15 years ago for $550. I start it once every month or so and
let it run and power a several thousand watt load for about 20
minutes.

I have never had an issue with the magnets in the generator. That
said, I was interested in the flashing concept and came across this
article on how to do it.

http://www.endtimesreport.com/dead_gen.html

Terry, I am curious how you flashed your generator.


* It's been a while , but IIRC I connected a 12V battery across the
field winding momentarily . Biggest concern was being sure I had the
battery polarity correct . It doesn't take much of a field to
self-excite a genset , and it builds virtually instantaneously .

* --

* Snag
And if using the DC method, BE SURE to disconnect the regulator first
- and do the "flash" with the engine not running. This is "generally"
required on brushless exciters.

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 10:56:12 -0400, wrote:

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 08:51:17 -0400, Frank "frank wrote:

I just put a new APC on my desktop. Old one had dead battery and
momentary power failure that crashes computer can be a real problem.
APCs are fairly cheap and easier to just get a new one than new battery.

I have a bunch of APCs around here, picked up for free because people
think like you. It takes a couple minutes to swap a battery. The
little oval plastic ones (500-600w) don't even require using any
tools. Just slide the cover off the bottom and the battery falls out.
The bigger ones have a cover in front you take off (2 screws) and he
batteries come out.
The batteries are pretty cheap online.
A heck of a lot cheaper just down the street than paying shipping, for
me. I have at least 4 wholesale suppliers I deal with within a 15
minute drive across town and one retail establishment within easy
walking/cycling distance where I can buy them - getting them
IMMEDIATELY for the same or less than online pricing including
shipping - and in Canadian Dollars vs American (20-30% difference).
I have 7 units here - 3 of them full "on-line" units that DO give
100% clean isolated power, at least one other being "line interactive"
and 2 being "commercial/indistrial" models - not cheap"domestic duty"
or "commodity" types.
I service about 35 APC Back-Ips units for one customer - and they are
pretty crappy. They generally outlast 2 battery changes - but aften
die during the life of the 3rd or 4th battery - and some of them (the
250 va units iirc) require a "backwards" battery that is difficult to
source other than from APC, and significantly more expensive. They
also appear to be simple square wave devices (reading in the low 80s
AC volts on a typical voltmeter) while the better "stepped" or "quasi
sine" units read in the nineties - (and my onlines, being full sine
wave reat 117 to 127 depending on how rhey are adjusted)

Power backup ideas
 

On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 10:01:02 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 9:26 AM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...


The other thing that I heard about the test-running - is put some
electrical load on the generator - for the magnetic-ness ..
I test my Honda 5000 for 10 - 15 minutes, every 4 or 5 months or so
with a couple portable heaters plugged in 1200 - 1500 watts each
The one time I neglected the test-run for 6 or 7 months -
the engine "hunted" up & down for several minutes ..
John T.
I have a 5 kw gen and noticed it seemed to hunt around the speed if not
loaded to about 1 K. After I drained all the old gas out and put in
some of the ethanol free gas, it seemed to not hunt around when
unloaded. Not sure if it was just the ethanol or maybe that ethanol gas
had absorbed some water.
Anyway I have started using the ethanol free gas for the last 5 years
and solved many small engine problems.

* I had an older generator that hunted under light/no load . It was
caused by a blocked idle passage in the carb . Enough load to get it out
of the idle circuit and it ran just swell . My current unit gets nothing
but NE gas , and unless it's going to be running for a while - like a
couple of days - it always gets stabilizer in the gas . Other than the
field magnetic problem it's never even hiccuped .

* --

* Snag
Mine runs on propane, Natural gas, OR gasoline. Natural gas only for
long term, and power reduced, running. Gives full power on both
Propane and Gasoline. 7500 watt steady - 9200 watt surge - 5200 watt
on Natural Gass. I always have non-ethanol premium around for the
mower/snow-blowe that gets replaced seasonally - running the old gas
through the Ranger if there is any left. Generally 3 5 gallon (us)
cans in the shed at any time.

Power backup ideas
 

Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.


I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'
http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm
So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.
John T.


SOMETIMES they require a re-flash - but generally not from sitting.
More likely from improper shut-down. (Shutting of the generator under
full load is almost guaranteed to yield a dead generator).
Different methods for brush type and brushless excitation - Be
carefull!!


Mine has run out of gas a few times under load
probably not full load with no issues.
I do try to catch it and shut down before this happens ..
.... not sure about the excitation on my Honda EM5000 ?
ps: I once worked at the 25 Hz generating station at the
foot-of-the-Falls .. Niagara that is - the exciters were the size
of a bloated 45 gallon drum ; the governors were on the mezzanine
above - powered by a huge long flat belt - quite-the-classroom !
John T.

Power backup ideas
 

wrote:

I service about 35 APC Back-Ips units for one customer - and they are
pretty crappy. They generally outlast 2 battery changes - but aften
die during the life of the 3rd or 4th battery - and some of them (the
250 va units iirc) require a "backwards" battery that is difficult to
source other than from APC, and significantly more expensive. They
also appear to be simple square wave devices (reading in the low 80s
AC volts on a typical voltmeter) while the better "stepped" or "quasi
sine" units read in the nineties - (and my onlines, being full sine
wave reat 117 to 127 depending on how rhey are adjusted)

APC used to be the best in consumer UPS; but they've been cashing in the
brand name for a while, and now they're just overpriced. I switched to
Cyberpower a few years back. Their cases aren't quite as sturdy as
APC's, and they might not last any longer, but the units and batteries
are cheaper.

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/27/2017 3:52 PM, wrote:
On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 09:56:08 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 8:00 AM, Stormin' Norman wrote:
On Sun, 27 Aug 2017 07:41:46 -0500, Terry Coombs
wrote:

On 8/27/2017 6:52 AM, Uncle Monster wrote:
On Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 6:10:54 AM UTC-5, wrote:
Since then I did get a regular 5500w generator that I have never used
in 6 years. It is still in the box.
I'm not sure if it's true or not - I once heard that after years of
un-use - the magnets field magnets ? can lose their
magnetic-ness or sumpthin'

http://www.engineersedge.com/motors/...d_flashing.htm

So your unused engine might still work fine but the generator won't.

John T.
Al he has to do is drop his pants to flash the generator and shock it back into working again. ?(?)?

[8~{} Uncle Shocked Monster
Â* Actually that's not amusing . I fired mine up one day when the power
went out , only to discover no output . The residual magnetic field had
dissipated , leaving me without power . I did figure out how to flash
the field and get it running again - IIRC it was with some help right
here . Now I fire it up at least every couple of months to refresh it .

We have a 20 KVA, USMC, surplus diesel generator I bought at auction
about 15 years ago for $550. I start it once every month or so and
let it run and power a several thousand watt load for about 20
minutes.

I have never had an issue with the magnets in the generator. That
said, I was interested in the flashing concept and came across this
article on how to do it.

http://www.endtimesreport.com/dead_gen.html

Terry, I am curious how you flashed your generator.


Â* It's been a while , but IIRC I connected a 12V battery across the
field winding momentarily . Biggest concern was being sure I had the
battery polarity correct . It doesn't take much of a field to
self-excite a genset , and it builds virtually instantaneously .

Â* --

Â* Snag
And if using the DC method, BE SURE to disconnect the regulator first
- and do the "flash" with the engine not running. This is "generally"
required on brushless exciters.

Â* This unit is not brushless , it uses slip rings to excite the rotor .
Looking at the schematic it also varies field strength to control
voltage . I don't recall if I had it running or shut off when I did that
- probably off , because IIRC I had the control box open to get at the
terminalsÂ* .

Â* --

Â* Snag

Power backup ideas
 

Power backup ideas
 

I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger.

Buy a cheap digital voltmeter and check the battery voltage while it is charging.

If it goes much above 13.8 Volts and you leave it that way 24/7, it will loose water.

The better trickle chargers regulate to 13.8V or less.

If it is much below 13.5V 24/7 the battery will sulfate.

The float voltage is critical for long shelf life.

m

Power backup ideas
 

Power backup ideas
 

m



Measured it yesterday. 12.9 to 13.0 volts DC on battery terminals.

To avoid sulfation I assume I need a new charger. Trouble is, who knows
what the output voltage will really be? Can't trust package or ad info on
line. Too late to find out after I unwrap it and plug it in. I suppose I
could buy a big fancy expensive charger with output voltage control, if
such a thing exists. sigh






is there no load on it?

let it sit a few days and see if the voltage comes up.

If the battery was discharged and the charger is small, it can take a while for the voltage to come up,,,, a while..... as in days.



m

Power backup ideas
 

On 8/26/2017 11:59 AM, KenK wrote:

What I did,
After checking around for replacement batteries and messing around
with the idea of using a car battery instead ... I put a car battery in
an old milk crate and attached a 400 watt inverter on the side and a
little volt meter to ride heard on it all when I use it and to check the
status of the battery. It powers the TV for 12 hours but it's an old
battery, I thought about getting a deep cycle one but I'd never deep
cycle it enough to keep it happy. I charge it up every once in a while
with a smart charger or use a battery maintainer sometimes. Over the
air TV and a small LED TV till the power comes back. Some small TVs
have a 12v DC jack and that's probably the way to go but no more than
the power goes out here what I'm doing ought to be good enough. And and
LED drop light and power bank things for the lights. The fridge will
just have to wait till the power comes back on. What I've not gotten
around to yet is a 12 volt generator run off the a nice round back tire
of one of the scooters. I've got the stuff I just haven been motivated
to getting around to doing it. Mainly because we have pretty dependable
power here. I've used the battery/inverter a couple of times because
it's handy and easy to unplug the tV from the wall and into the
inverter. I also have couple of "emergency" books" to read, living
without the internet is downright painful. I think I'm up to page 10 in
6 years on book one.
As cheap as things are now days nobody should be without
TV/radio/lights when the power goes out. Maybe the question ought to
be, what do you use for the internet when the power goes out. I
actually sit here and stare at the useless monitors and listen to the TV
till the power comes back on. Sign of a true addict.

Power backup ideas
 

On Wednesday, August 30, 2017 at 1:03:12 PM UTC-4, KenK wrote:
wrote in
:



I use a 12V deep discharge battery and a wall-wart trinkle
charger.

Buy a cheap digital voltmeter and check the battery voltage while it
is charging.

If it goes much above 13.8 Volts and you leave it that way 24/7, it
will loose water.

The better trickle chargers regulate to 13.8V or less.

If it is much below 13.5V 24/7 the battery will sulfate.

The float voltage is critical for long shelf life.

m



Measured it yesterday. 12.9 to 13.0 volts DC on battery terminals.

To avoid sulfation I assume I need a new charger. Trouble is, who knows
what the output voltage will really be? Can't trust package or ad info on
line. Too late to find out after I unwrap it and plug it in. I suppose I
could buy a big fancy expensive charger with output voltage control, if
such a thing exists. sigh





--
I love a good meal! That's why I don't cook.

I've use Delran Battery Tenders for years on the batteries for my
boat and motorcycles. They are a well recognized name and I think
your batteries are safe with them. You could also spend some time
looking into the specs for the various alternatives and I'm sure there
are plenty of resources online.

Power backup ideas
 

Power backup ideas
 

On Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 12:54:07 PM UTC-4, KenK wrote:
wrote in
:


m



Measured it yesterday. 12.9 to 13.0 volts DC on battery terminals.

To avoid sulfation I assume I need a new charger. Trouble is, who
knows what the output voltage will really be? Can't trust package or
ad info on line. Too late to find out after I unwrap it and plug it
in. I suppose I could buy a big fancy expensive charger with output
voltage control, if such a thing exists. sigh






is there no load on it?

Just the battery.

let it sit a few days and see if the voltage comes up.

Nope. as of 9/4 still 12.9 to 13 VDC on the bettery terminals.

If the battery was discharged and the charger is small, it can take a
while for the voltage to come up,,,, a while..... as in days.



Not clear exactly the whole situation here. But the smart battery
tenders have charging algorithms and are not simply dumb trickle
chargers like they were years ago. I think they raise the voltage
to charge, then when fully charged they back off and monitor,
then charge again when and if needed. MEaning what you see there
isn't necessarily static. Have you pulled up the specs on whatever
the actual charger is and how it's supposed to operate?