At 21:29 -0400 10/30/10, Kevin Barth wrote: All generators are NOT created equal. Some produce MUCH cleaner output than others. Spikes and surges can destroy sensitive electronics. Square Wave-producing generators may power lights and freezers just fine, but they will not work well with computers.
Square wave producing inverters, electronic devices that convert DC to AC are common. Generators or alternators that generate electricity from a moving shaft driven by some kind of engine just don't do that. Perhaps you're thinking about a solar panel that converts DC to AC using an inverter. But the real point is that computers of the G4 time period will run fine on 160 volts or so DC of either polarity, let alone square waves. Really old stuff, think Apple II, used input power transformers and 60 Hz fans which do demand AC power. It's conceivable that very new power converters in modern electronics need sine waves because of circuitry that guarantees low harmonic content in the current drawn by the computer. That kind of circuitry is going to be required in the likes of LED and compact florescent lighting but it's not here yet. Of course any power source needs to include transient overvoltage protection. Around here at 7000 feet MSL lightning does that regularly and can appear as a kilovolt or so between the ethernet port and the power plug. Nasty, and probably worse on city power than on a local generator. -- --> Halloween == Oct 31 == Dec 25 == Christmas <-- -- You received this message because you are a member of G-Group, a group for those using G3, G4, and G5 desktop Macs - with a particular focus on Power Macs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/g3-5-list
