If you want to assess the quality of a generator's output, take a look at
it on the oscilloscope, The cleanest waveforms will come from generators
using a brushless alternator, or perhaps one of the sine-wave inverter
generators like the extremely quiet Honda and Yamaha units.
I know that, at
I'm sure we're about to get shut down by the moderator, but I couldn't
let this go unquestioned, so I called Generac. They say that the THD
spec for their stationary generators is 3%, so they must be using one
of the better technologies. Mine is a 14KW propane unit with a
whole-house switch.
One side topic was “how long could power be out?”
At the Carleton Complex fire in Washington, power is being restored after seven
days.
I grew up in Baton Rouge. After Hurricane Betsy in 1965, our phones were out
for seven days and power for ten days. We lived in a suburban area in the
middle
Well after hurricane Sandy I was out for well over a week. And I'm 50 miles
inland in the NW corner of NJ. A big issue was gas. Even gas stations that had
gas had no power to pump it.
I had an old Dayton with a Briggs Stratton engine.rated at 2.5kw. Ran fine for
duration but killer was 25
Baton Rouge is more than 50 miles inland. Betsy was a big storm, the first
billion dollar damage hurricane.
Now I live in earthquake country. Our power outage after the Loma Prieta
earthquake (1989) was pretty short, not even a day.
Interestingly, the Hurricane Watch Net was started by
FWIW.
Replenishing gasoline that's been depleted by emergency motor
generators may not be as easy as going down to the local Service
Station. Most often if you have lost power, so have they, and not
only will their pumps not work but neither will their cash registers
or credit card
it depends where, as you say… Here in South Florida, all gas stations are
required to have backup power. Lessons have been learned from our previous
encounters with hurricanes and himacanes.
73
Gil, W1RG
From: Chuck Smallhouse
Sent: Sunday, July 27, 2014 5:34 PM
To:
This is an issue where systems engineering comes into play. I live in
the Santa Cruz mountains, where we lose power for a few hours or a few
days a few times a year. Causes include storms that drop limbs onto
power lines, disruptions because sections of the grid are shut down to
support fire
I have a gasoline powered unit. Dismissed propane because of the cost
of the tank/tank rental and the minimum yearly fee for propane --whether
you need any or not. These costs ended up being too high for a few days
a year of generator use. We're in the sticks and don't have competition
in
: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Brian
Alsop
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 9:12 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
I have a gasoline powered unit. Dismissed propane because of the cost of
the tank/tank rental and the minimum
Clearly YMMV, and we're all trying to solve different problems.
My gasoline generators were a constant maintenance hassle because the AC
power was so reliable that they were very rarely used, and I was
constantly cleaning varnish out of the fuel system. My loads were small
enough that a
Gasoline storage is easyuse fuel stabilizer...one oz to 2-1/2
gallons of gasoline.
But you should run any gasoline engine regularly to keep it in good
working order. Once/month long enough at least to reach operating
temperature. This keeps oil in bearings and seals in good shape.
I
While this is getting to be long, I think this excerpt from a generator
manufacturer sums it up best.
Generator set exercise
Generator sets on continuous standby must be able to go from a cold start to
being fully operational in a matter
of seconds. This can impose a severe burden on engine
On 7/26/14 at 10:52 AM, k...@coldrockshotbrooms.com (Lynn W.
Taylor, WB6UUT) wrote:
My gasoline generators were a constant maintenance hassle
because the AC power was so reliable that they were very rarely
used, and I was constantly cleaning varnish out of the fuel system.
Our generator
] On Behalf Of Bill
Frantz
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2014 5:07 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
On 7/26/14 at 10:52 AM, k...@coldrockshotbrooms.com (Lynn W.
Taylor, WB6UUT) wrote:
My gasoline generators were a constant maintenance hassle because the
AC power
That makes sense and I actually like to run with the house load on
the gen. I have a manual transfer switch so I run about 5-minutes to
allow engine to warm up before applying a load in test runs. Tend to
be shorter if there is an actual power outage.
73, Ed - KL7UW
At 11:29 AM 7/26/2014,
From: K8JHR jricha...@k8jhr.com
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
Message-ID: 53d1a78d.9050...@k8jhr.com
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
How much fuel do all you guys with whole house generators keep on hand?
How much fuel
: Thursday, July 24, 2014 8:41 PM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
How much fuel do all you guys with whole house generators keep on hand?
How much fuel does one need to, say, go for 10 days? Does everyone have
that on hand?
What next, if you run out of fuel
If you want quiet I would stay away from Generac. We had a 5K one for backup
power for our house in Colorado. First time I fired it up for a test my
neighbor from 1/2 mile away came down to ask me what was wrong. We've since
used the Honda quiet generators in Quartzsite for several years and
Propane, in a sealed tank under pressure, tends to have good shelf-life.
Gasoline, stored in a vented tank, tends to turn to varnish.
A tank of diesel will support bacteria growth, which clogs the filter
(when you need it most).
If we're talking about an emergency generator that is used
We are considering the installation of a generator here for times when,
for one reason or another, commercial power is unavailable.Our
electrician has recommended a Generac generator.
I would welcome comments from this august and knowledgeable group about
these generators regarding
I would also recommend that. Very little trouble.
On Thursday, July 24, 2014 6:30 AM, John Scott sco...@sandycove-ns.ca wrote:
We are considering the installation of a generator here for times when,
for one reason or another, commercial power is unavailable.Our
electrician has
John
What size of a generator are you going to use? Also what kind of loads are
you going to be running?
I have experience with all different types, styles, and sizes of generators
because of off grid living. Although mine are now used to only charge the
battery bank in multiple days of bad
really happy with this setup.
73, Terry, WB4JFI
-Original Message-
From: Philip Carter
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 8:00 AM
To: John Scott ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
I would also recommend that. Very little trouble.
On Thursday, July
@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
I would also recommend that. Very little trouble.
On Thursday, July 24, 2014 6:30 AM, John Scott sco...@sandycove-ns.ca
wrote:
We are considering the installation of a generator here for times when,
for one reason or another
] OT GENERAC generators
I would also recommend that. Very little trouble.
On Thursday, July 24, 2014 6:30 AM, John Scott sco...@sandycove-ns.ca
wrote:
We are considering the installation of a generator here for times when,
for one reason or another, commercial power
: Thursday, July 24, 2014 6:30 AM
To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
We are considering the installation of a generator here for times when, for
one reason or another, commercial power is unavailable.Our electrician has
recommended a Generac generator.
I would
Other excellent U.S. companies making generators are Winco
(www.wincogen.com) and Gillette (www.gillettegenerators.com). I'm sorry,
I don't have direct experience wrt RFI. Maybe contact the manufacturer
directly for info.
73,
Josh W6XU
On 7/24/2014 3:30 AM, John Scott wrote:
We are
and KX3), but have mostly wire antennas.
73, Terry, WB4JFI
-Original Message-
From: wb4...@knology.net
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 8:36 AM
To: Philip Carter ; John Scott ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
We also have a Generac generator, and ATS
I cannot comment one way or another on the Generac, though I see them
often advertised with farming equipment, so probably they are
sturdy. I think my Dad had one he ran with the tractor pto.
We chose to add a generator to our home after a cheaply built foreign
model was unable to supply
How much fuel do all you guys with whole house generators keep on hand?
How much fuel does one need to, say, go for 10 days? Does everyone have
that on hand?
What next, if you run out of fuel...
[--Note - not an argument, a serious question. I know lots of guys with
generators, but I bet
My 20 KW whole house Generac runs on natural gas.
Earl N5ZM..
On 7/24/2014 7:40 PM, K8JHR wrote:
How much fuel do all you guys with whole house generators keep on hand?
How much fuel does one need to, say, go for 10 days? Does everyone have
that on hand?
What next, if you run out of
Good question.
OK here are the stats on my 30 KVA Generac. Consider a normal day winter time
and the power goes out at commute time. After the calls to PGE (in my area),
we settle down to a evening without power, UNTIL. The word comes that the
power will be off for up to 24 hours. The
15 KW Generac with 550 gal propane tank. Live out in the country and have
gone 14 days without power. I'm good for 2-4 weeks, depending on load.
Mike KD8RQE
__
Elecraft mailing list
Home:
We have what ever is in the 500 gallon propane tank. If it were generator only,
I don't know long it would last. Add in the furnace and it would probably only
last a few days. Getting more would be a call to the propane company if they
were still operating.
Joshua Gould
K8WXA
Sent from my
Mine too. Unless Charleston has another earthquake, I should be okay.
Terry, WB4JFI
-Original Message-
From: Earl
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2014 9:18 PM
To: K8JHR ; elecraft@mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] OT GENERAC generators
My 20 KW whole house Generac runs on natural gas
] OT GENERAC generators
How much fuel do all you guys with whole house generators keep on hand?
How much fuel does one need to, say, go for 10 days? Does everyone have
that on hand?
What next, if you run out of fuel...
[--Note - not an argument, a serious question. I know lots of guys
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