Does anyone have experience, or opions of these things?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=250156143280

I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often, times
the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

Thanks,

Neil

In article ,
News wrote:
Does anyone have experience, or opions of these things?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=250156143280

I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often,
times the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

If all you need is lighting surely a calor gas light would be better?

I'd also be concerned about the noise if you have neighbours. They
carefully don't quote it.

--
*Dancing is a perpendicular expression of a horizontal desire *

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:15:02 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often,

Complain to your REC, power shouldn't be going off more than once a year
and then for no more than a few seconds. High up exposed and all the lines
overhead that is all we get and then mostly in the early summer when the
trees grow and short the line out.

If all you need is lighting surely a calor gas light would be better?

For lighting yes far better than having trailing leads about the place in
the relative dark for a generator positioned *outside*... Get a camping
gas light with piezo ignition and you can light it in the dark without
having to hunt matches etc. Run times are excellent on a single cartridge
costing a couple of quid. Sod all maintenance as well.

I'd also be concerned about the noise if you have neighbours. They
carefully don't quote it.

I'd do a google on the model number. I'm surpised to see they say it's a 4
stroke rather than a 2 stroke that these small generators normally are but
then they are also normally a direct drive alternator rather than invertor
design. It could be fairly quiet but I'd expect them to crow about it if
it was. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

On 21 Aug, 16:08, "Dave Liquorice" wrote:
On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:15:02 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often,

Complain to your REC, power shouldn't be going off more than once a year
and then for no more than a few seconds. High up exposed and all the lines
overhead that is all we get and then mostly in the early summer when the
trees grow and short the line out.

If all you need is lighting surely a calor gas light would be better?

For lighting yes far better than having trailing leads about the place in
the relative dark for a generator positioned *outside*... Get a camping
gas light with piezo ignition and you can light it in the dark without
having to hunt matches etc. Run times are excellent on a single cartridge
costing a couple of quid. Sod all maintenance as well.

I'd also be concerned about the noise if you have neighbours. They
carefully don't quote it.

I'd do a google on the model number. I'm surpised to see they say it's a 4
stroke rather than a 2 stroke that these small generators normally are but
then they are also normally a direct drive alternator rather than invertor
design. It could be fairly quiet but I'd expect them to crow about it if
it was. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

I got a chainsaw off Ebay with this name - the part number tracked
back to a Chinese company. The saw has been excellent - don't know
how long it will last mind you !. Not much use concerning a generator
I know but at least I can say something positive about the name.

Rob

"News" wrote in message
...
Does anyone have experience, or opions of these things?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=250156143280

I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often, times
the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

I've got one of the (similar sized) two-stroke ones with conventional
alternator. I have used it mainly for running power tools (when the battery
stuff doesn't have the umph) when down the fields etc.

It's great for that, or running lights, telly and radio etc but will not
make microwaves work and also hasn't enough guts to start up a fridge or
freezer compressor.

Your link points to a 4-stroke example with inverter technology, in theory
it should be better than mine and if drawing only a fraction of its rated
output the engine should be almost at idle - so very quite.

Julian.

"Julian" wrote in message
...

Sorry, answering my own posts!

Just checked the postage, suspect you'd find a similar deal from Screwfix,
Wolf-online or Machine Mart.

Julian.

In message et, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:15:02 +0100, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often,

Complain to your REC, power shouldn't be going off more than once a year
and then for no more than a few seconds. High up exposed and all the lines
overhead that is all we get and then mostly in the early summer when the
trees grow and short the line out.
Really? Any kind of reference or pointer to regulations for this? I ask
because ours goes off much more often than this, we've had dirty great
big container sized generators parked outside our local substation
several times this year after outages that have lasted for hours rather
than seconds. I have a Camping Gaz lantern which has been pressed into
use on these occasions

--
Clint Sharp

On Tue, 21 Aug 2007 20:14:21 +0100, Clint Sharp wrote:

Complain to your REC, power shouldn't be going off more than once a
year and then for no more than a few seconds.

Really? Any kind of reference or pointer to regulations for this?

I doubt you can find anything referring to repeated outages, particularly
short ones. Trouble is most of the system is not monitored, I doubt that
the trips caused by tree growth of the auto recloser on our 11kV line is
noticed by the network. Until there are more than 3 in 1 minute (or is it
3 mins) which will cause it to lock out, requiring a man to come in a
reset it. Minimum of 6 hours outage then.

Good customer service should mean that complaints about repeated outages
are treated seriously but actually getting customer services to log each
complaint in a manner that'll reach someone who can do something about it
is another matter. Probably better to report each one but also keep your
own log of dates/times/durations then send that to the MD of the REC. Note
REC, this may not be who you buy your power from, you want the company
responsible for the local lines/distribution.

I ask because ours goes off much more often than this, we've had dirty
great big container sized generators parked outside our local substation
several times this year after outages that have lasted for hours rather
than seconds.

That sounds more like they are aware of a problem and are doing something
about it. Next time you see the gensets and people there have a *polite*
word.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

In message et, Dave
Liquorice writes
I doubt you can find anything referring to repeated outages, particularly
short ones. Trouble is most of the system is not monitored,
I'm not bothered by short outages, it's the ones that last hours I'm
bothered by, three or four times this year outages of over 20 minutes
(shortest) to almost 14 hours which affected over a hundred homes and
businesses, it's not a rural area either.
I doubt that
the trips caused by tree growth of the auto recloser on our 11kV line is
noticed by the network.
You may be surprised what level of detail the network control centre can
see, I know I was impressed when I got the tour.
Until there are more than 3 in 1 minute (or is it
3 mins) which will cause it to lock out, requiring a man to come in a
reset it. Minimum of 6 hours outage then.

Do you have to ring them or do they turn up?
Good customer service should mean that complaints about repeated outages
are treated seriously but actually getting customer services to log each
complaint in a manner that'll reach someone who can do something about it
is another matter.
At the level I'm seeing problems and the fact that a generator has to be
shipped out, I suspect that the fault has been noticed by someone who
can do something about it, the generators aren't the sort of thing they
carry in the back of the van and I suspect authorisation from a much
higher level than helpdesk is required to deploy one.
That sounds more like they are aware of a problem and are doing something
about it. Next time you see the gensets and people there have a *polite*
word.
Oh they're definitely aware of the problem but the generators only turn
up after the power has gone off, they're not a permanent fixture.


--
Clint Sharp

On Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:07:16 +0100, Clint Sharp wrote:

I doubt that the trips caused by tree growth of the auto recloser on
our 11kV line is noticed by the network.

You may be surprised what level of detail the network control centre can
see, I know I was impressed when I got the tour.

This recloser is up a pole in the middle of a field, I guess they could
use power line signaling but that hardly seems worth it or monitor the
load on the line at the 33kV substation 1/2 a mile up stream.

Until there are more than 3 in 1 minute (or is it 3 mins) which will
cause it to lock out, requiring a man to come in a reset it. Minimum of
6 hours outage then.

Do you have to ring them or do they turn up?

I normally ring 'em once I've sorted things this end. Shutting down PC's
to conserve the UPS battery for the PABX etc. More often than not they are
already aware (other callers) but don't know what the problem is and want
to know where I am.

Oh they're definitely aware of the problem but the generators only turn
up after the power has gone off, they're not a permanent fixture.

Cheaper to bring in one of their gensets than pay the statutary
compensation? It doesn't take many customers to make that economic. Sounds
as if the development of the area has outstripped the orginal power
provision. The roughest power, in terms of reliabilty and voltage
fluctuations, always seems to be in urban areas.

--
Cheers
Dave. pam is missing e-mail

Julian wrote:
I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often, times
the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

I've got one of the (similar sized) two-stroke ones with conventional
alternator. I have used it mainly for running power tools (when the
battery stuff doesn't have the umph) when down the fields etc.

It's great for that, or running lights, telly and radio etc but will
not make microwaves work and also hasn't enough guts to start up a
fridge or freezer compressor.

Agreed about the power tools - the "800W" two-strokes can easily handle
a mains drill or an angle grinder.

On a limited sampling of a medium-sized fridge, a small freezer and
large fridge-freezer, the Wolf 800 (earlier model with no meter, no 12V)
has enough guts to start any one of them. The large fridge-freezer makes
it grunt for a moment, but the generator wins. It will also power the
OFCH, allowing us to have heating and hot water.

Running the generator periodically to 'recharge' the fridge, freezer and
radiators, and with camping gas and a small stove for hot drinks and
cooking, we can manage for several days in some comfort. From that point
of view, the generator was money well spent.

Switch-mode PSUs don't seem to like the output waveform unless the
generator is heavily loaded with some other resistive load. However,
that isn't a major problem, for when we do have an extended power cut,
we tend to go into slow, low-tech mode and abandon the computers and TV.


--
Ian White

"Ian White" wrote in message
...
Julian wrote:
I only want something inexpensive for the occasional, but too often,
times
the mains goes off, to power a light or similar.

I've got one of the (similar sized) two-stroke ones with conventional
alternator. I have used it mainly for running power tools (when the
battery stuff doesn't have the umph) when down the fields etc.

It's great for that, or running lights, telly and radio etc but will not
make microwaves work and also hasn't enough guts to start up a fridge or
freezer compressor.

Agreed about the power tools - the "800W" two-strokes can easily handle a
mains drill or an angle grinder.

On a limited sampling of a medium-sized fridge, a small freezer and large
fridge-freezer, the Wolf 800 (earlier model with no meter, no 12V) has
enough guts to start any one of them. The large fridge-freezer makes it
grunt for a moment, but the generator wins. It will also power the OFCH,
allowing us to have heating and hot water.

That's interesting, mine is one of those generic ones off e-bay with the CE
marking but no hint of manufacturer, it has the DC output. I wonder if
that's why yours is better at starting fridge compressors. When I try with
mine it just makes the engine labour, but the compressor won't go over top
dead centre and start up.


Running the generator periodically to 'recharge' the fridge, freezer and
radiators, and with camping gas and a small stove for hot drinks and
cooking, we can manage for several days in some comfort. From that point
of view, the generator was money well spent.

For the cash you just can't go wrong. The wife also uses it to run the
toaster and hairdryer when she's away with the nags.

I now purchase special petrol for it, (and my chainsaw) It's designed to
remain fresh for years and not go stale in weeks like modern petrol - this
overcomes starting difficulties that one often encounters with small petrol
engines that are little used.

http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.uk/aspen.htm

Julian.

Huge wrote:
On 2007-08-22, Julian wrote:

I now purchase special petrol for it, (and my chainsaw) It's designed to
remain fresh for years and not go stale in weeks like modern petrol - this
overcomes starting difficulties that one often encounters with small petrol
engines that are little used.

http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.uk/aspen.htm

Hmmmm. Sounds very dubious to me.

I run the garden machinery on super unleaded these days, partly because I keep
quantities of it "in stock" for my race car and partly because I've found it
makes everything easier to start, presumably because of the higher proportion of
low boiling point constituents. I've never noticed any deterioration in properly
stored petrol.



Mmm. When I rebuilt my house, the poor ole ride on mower hadn't been
touched for two years. The battery was dead, and the thing even with a
new one, wouldn't start.

It had about 1/0th tank of petrol..I filled it up with fresh, and after
a bit of cranking on full choke, plus pauses between to to remove and
dry the , the fresh petrol found its way through and with a huge bellow
of blue smoke, it rumbled into life.

It got stolen shortly afterwards. ;-)

In message , The Natural
Philosopher writes
Huge wrote:
On 2007-08-22, Julian wrote:

I now purchase special petrol for it, (and my chainsaw) It's
designed to remain fresh for years and not go stale in weeks like
modern petrol - this overcomes starting difficulties that one often
encounters with small petrol engines that are little used.

http://www.chainsawspecialists.co.uk/aspen.htm
Hmmmm. Sounds very dubious to me.
I run the garden machinery on super unleaded these days, partly
because I keep
quantities of it "in stock" for my race car and partly because I've found it
makes everything easier to start, presumably because of the higher
proportion of
low boiling point constituents. I've never noticed any deterioration
in properly
stored petrol.


Mmm. When I rebuilt my house, the poor ole ride on mower hadn't been
touched for two years. The battery was dead, and the thing even with a
new one, wouldn't start.

It had about 1/0th tank of petrol..I filled it up with fresh, and after
a bit of cranking on full choke, plus pauses between to to remove and
dry the , the fresh petrol found its way through and with a huge bellow
of blue smoke, it rumbled into life.

It got stolen shortly afterwards. ;-)

What do you expect if the petrol tank was infinitely full

.... a bit like a never ending bottle of guinness ?


--
geoff