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#1
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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. |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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 |
#7
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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 |
#8
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Power backup ideas
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#9
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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. |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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. |
#12
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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 |
#13
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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 |
#14
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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. |
#15
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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 |
#16
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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 |
#17
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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. |
#18
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Power backup ideas
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#19
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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. |
#20
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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 |
#21
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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. |
#22
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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 |
#23
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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. |
#24
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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!! |
#25
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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. |
#26
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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. |
#27
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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. |
#28
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Power backup ideas
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#29
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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. |
#30
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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. |
#31
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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. |
#32
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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 |
#33
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#34
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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 |
#36
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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 |
#37
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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. |
#38
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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. |
#39
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#40
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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? |
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