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Portable Generator Power Quality Questions
- Thread starter Fusionstate
- Start date
I may have one of those. The one I have is a Chonda, its a big engine for the generator size, but that's okay. I doubt it is a 25% THD gen head more likely 5% or better. The Champion's are 5%, so who's standard is Firman talking about? I looked into the Firman's, when Costco started carrying them. They looked attractive, until I extracted the THD spec from them, which was not easy. The 5% THD generators I have, run everything very nicely.
Safest way would be to use a two channel scope in differential mode so you dont need to attach the probes ground clip to neutral while looking at the hot lead. If there is a voltage on the neutral with respect to scope ground and you connect the two, the power will go through the scope ground and potentially do damage.
One thing I always do is probe what i am about to attach the ground lead to before connecting the probes ground lead. If there is voltage with respect to scope ground, it will appear on the scope and I would know not to attach the probe ground lead. Sometimes there is a measurable voltage but the current is so small it wont hurt anything, but its best to play it safe unless you know for sure.
With using two probes and having the scope display the difference, there is no need to connect the probe ground clips and you avoid all chances of putting power through the scope's ground.
I wouldn't recommend a chinese knock off either, but I run a
I powers up everything I need in my fifth wheel RV, and does a good job when we have power outages for the basics around the house, although I just run extension cords for the house.
I'm not surprised. Robin stuff is competing directly with Honda. It is right up there in the top tier in quality.
Well I'll throw a wrench into the gears. Generators or inverters on any forum always get conflicting replies based on who is replying. I've used a Coleman 5500 to run power to the house or rv. I ran computers, amps, and radios from 11m to 80m with no problems. Was it clean on a scope? Probably not. But the computer was good and recieve and transmit was fine on the radios. Inverters are smaller, lighter, and quieter and I really like them. Just recently had a Honda 3000 take a dump at less than 100 hours while camping. Guy down the road had a predator 3500 with 786 hours on it he loaned us. Ran the rv and ran the radios for two weeks without a hiccup. Just because one person says it's junk, don't make it gospel truth.
Kinda like trout fishing. When I was a kid I caught more trout with a cane pole and velveta cheese than the guys with $500 fly rods with a special hat, vest, net, and special hand tied flys. I was told I might be catching trout, but I wasn't doing it right. If it doesn't effect your transmit or recieve, just run it and let the purest bitch about how it looks on a scope.
Kinda like trout fishing. When I was a kid I caught more trout with a cane pole and velveta cheese than the guys with $500 fly rods with a special hat, vest, net, and special hand tied flys. I was told I might be catching trout, but I wasn't doing it right. If it doesn't effect your transmit or recieve, just run it and let the purest bitch about how it looks on a scope.
That my friend is completely insane ! I had one of those to run my well pump.....that's all I ran on it.
I once measured its output with a 1000 watt load and over a ten minute period I had a range of 90 to 150 VAC output, and the frequency ranged from at least 45 to 70 Hz.
If you want a good laugh, run a digital clock on one of those for an hour and watch time fly LOL!
It is nothing short of miraculous that your radios and computers survived undamaged! You must have a small flock of guardian angels......
Consider yourself very very lucky, and don't do anything that stupid again !
(I'm not kidding).
You haven't even been a member here a year, yet you feel as though you are the authority in all matters. When the Almighty BC Coyote speaks, all must bow down. Many of your posts are condescending, arrogant, and self righteous. Just because you don't agree with something, doesn't mean the other person is wrong. And just because you have an opinion, doesn't mean you're always right.
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How many field days, have I participated in, before there were inverters and pure sine wave gensets? Hmm....a lot. We didn't have stuff blowing up all over the place and we didn't care if it did!
Agree with the Inverter Generators but saying "Honda Only" ..... well not everybody can afford those and there are other brands that are very good.
I do the gas generator thing mostly for Storm Power Outages. Switch to LED bulbs for lighting .... at 5-7-9-11 watts per bulb .... you can light up the whole neighborhood.
I have a DuroMax 3,500W Honclone. Just love the thing. Must be clean power. Have run computer, TV's off of it while powering the other things. Never any issues. Large California Grade muffler runs quiet. 4 gal. tank runs all day and into the night. 7HP.
I stopped using petrol/gasoline generators after Sandy. LED lighting, TV's ets sure do reduce the loads. I run natural gas only to the standby generator. I have modified them in various ways from gasoline to NG.
I have a similar unit as my main unit. It is an AllPower 7HP chonda, 3300W rated on gasoline (I run on NG) It runs my house, but had a struggle last week when I lit up an 8000 BTU AC unit. I need to look into that some more, but it may have just been a fuel/air mixture issue. I have a much larger unit in place as a backup, but it consumes 2x the fuel of the smaller unit at idle, but if I need it, it's ready.
In the long run you will save money by buying the Honda. Those 'other brands' may be fine for a few years, but then they become unreliable and need to be fiddled with and parts replaced (which takes time, and time is money). Then after four or five years those 'other brands' generators die and you need to replace them with another new 'other brand' generator.
Honda's do cost more but they last a REALLY long time. I have several Honda's including a 2000 watt 'suitcase' one that I bought new in 1986. It still works perfectly and fires right up whenever I need it. That's 38 years and going strong. Pretty sure you won't find another brand with that kind of longevity.