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Home > Archive > Alternative Power sources > January 2007 > 2 stroke generator review?
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2 stroke generator review?
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| Daniel Who Wants to Know 2007-01-26, 5:25 pm |
| I seem to recall someone on here having bought one of those cheap 2
stroke/cycle generators and had pictures of it with the covers off and a
video of it powering a toaster oven. I am asking because I can't find it
with a google search and I have a friend that was generator shopping about a
month ago and passed on buying one in favor of a 4 stroke model.
| |
| hchickpea@hotmail.com 2007-01-26, 5:25 pm |
| On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:34:35 GMT, "Daniel Who Wants to Know"
<danielthechskid@merrychristmasi.com> wrote:
>I seem to recall someone on here having bought one of those cheap 2
>stroke/cycle generators and had pictures of it with the covers off and a
>video of it powering a toaster oven. I am asking because I can't find it
>with a google search and I have a friend that was generator shopping about a
>month ago and passed on buying one in favor of a 4 stroke model.
>
I bought one from Harbor Freight for about $100. Although rated for
1200 watts, it puts out only about 850 watts according to a KAW. Let
me rephrase that so it is more meaningful... Here are the actual
Kill-a-watt comparison readings of household AC to the generator,
using a three settings resistance space heater with a small fan as a
load. I have no idea how accurate the wire cutting of the resistance
wire was to the nominal ratings, but there is a drop-off in
performance at higher wattages in both AC and generator operation that
explains why load A (500 watts) plus load B (950 watts) does not equal
the 1450 watt combined load of (C) that you might expect.
House current Generator
no load
0 amps 60 hz .01 amp 53 to 60 hz (A)
12 watt fan load only
12 watts 122.2 volts 11 watts 123 volts
..15 amp .13 amp 58 hz
Heater setting A: nominal 500 watts + 12 watt fan
509 watts 118 volts 454 watts 111 volts (B)
4.26 amp 60 hz 4.0 amps 59 hz
Heater setting B: nominal 950 watts + 12 watt fan
909 watts 115 volts 790 watts(+-) 106 volts (C)
7.93 amps 60 hz 7.28 amps 59.9 to 60.9 hz
Heater setting C: nominal 1450 watts + 12 watt fan
1260 watts 111.19 volts 811 to 841 watts 88 volts (D)
11.47 amps 60 hz 9.34 amps 52 hz
(A) noticable "hunting" for frequency.
(B) within reasonable tolerance - heater and generator paired well
(C) drop of nearly 120 watts compared to house current as generator
starts to labor
(D) fully 1/3 of the wattage is lost, the voltage is unnacceptably
low, and the engine is laboring hard enough that it has slowed and the
frequency dropped to 52 hz. There was no noticeable increase in heat
coming out of the heater between the second and last resistance heater
settings. The engine on the generator lugged a little more but not
much.
Conclusion:
The unit is lightweight, relatively quiet, a gas sipper at low wattage
loads, fine for loads up to 500 watts, adequate for loads of up to
about 850 watts if you can accept some reduced power, and a
use-at-your-own risk power source for anything over 850 watts or
expecting a regulated frequency. Neon John also has said that he
expects that the waveform is bad enough to be a danger to some
equipment.
Its limitations are best expressed by describing it for what it is
designwise - a modified medium duty car alternator driven by a little
2 cycle scooter motor. It is a clever idea that has been well
executed with a single lightweight major casting instead of a
bolt-together lash-up, but don't expect more than it can deliver.
Oh yeah, toss the 1200 watt rating out the window as hype from the
marketing department.
If your friend had serious power needs, he may have made a good
decision to go with a larger unit. If he just needed a lightweight
portable source of power for a drill, saw, or a few lights, he may
have overbought.
| |
| hchickpe@hotmail.com 2007-01-26, 5:25 pm |
| On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:34:35 GMT, "Daniel Who Wants to Know"
<danielthechskid@merrychristmasi.com> wrote:
>I seem to recall someone on here having bought one of those cheap 2
>stroke/cycle generators and had pictures of it with the covers off and a
>video of it powering a toaster oven. I am asking because I can't find it
>with a google search and I have a friend that was generator shopping about a
>month ago and passed on buying one in favor of a 4 stroke model.
>
I bought one from Harbor Freight for about $100. Although rated for
1200 watts, it puts out only about 850 watts according to a KAW. Let
me rephrase that so it is more meaningful... Here are the actual
Kill-a-watt comparison readings of household AC to the generator,
using a three settings resistance space heater with a small fan as a
load. I have no idea how accurate the wire cutting of the resistance
wire was to the nominal ratings, but there is a drop-off in
performance at higher wattages in both AC and generator operation that
explains why load A (500 watts) plus load B (950 watts) does not equal
the 1450 watt combined load of (C) that you might expect.
House current Generator
no load
0 amps 60 hz .01 amp 53 to 60 hz (A)
12 watt fan load only
12 watts 122.2 volts 11 watts 123 volts
..15 amp .13 amp 58 hz
Heater setting A: nominal 500 watts + 12 watt fan
509 watts 118 volts 454 watts 111 volts (B)
4.26 amp 60 hz 4.0 amps 59 hz
Heater setting B: nominal 950 watts + 12 watt fan
909 watts 115 volts 790 watts(+-) 106 volts (C)
7.93 amps 60 hz 7.28 amps 59.9 to 60.9 hz
Heater setting C: nominal 1450 watts + 12 watt fan
1260 watts 111.19 volts 811 to 841 watts 88 volts (D)
11.47 amps 60 hz 9.34 amps 52 hz
(A) noticable "hunting" for frequency.
(B) within reasonable tolerance - heater and generator paired well
(C) drop of nearly 120 watts compared to house current as generator
starts to labor
(D) fully 1/3 of the wattage is lost, the voltage is unnacceptably
low, and the engine is laboring hard enough that it has slowed and the
frequency dropped to 52 hz. There was no noticeable increase in heat
coming out of the heater between the second and last resistance heater
settings. The engine on the generator lugged a little more but not
much.
Conclusion:
The unit is lightweight, relatively quiet, a gas sipper at low wattage
loads, fine for loads up to 500 watts, adequate for loads of up to
about 850 watts if you can accept some reduced power, and a
use-at-your-own risk power source for anything over 850 watts or
expecting a regulated frequency. Neon John also has said that he
expects that the waveform is bad enough to be a danger to some
equipment.
Its limitations are best expressed by describing it for what it is
designwise - a modified medium duty car alternator driven by a little
2 cycle scooter motor. It is a clever idea that has been well
executed with a single lightweight major casting instead of a
bolt-together lash-up, but don't expect more than it can deliver.
Oh yeah, toss the 1200 watt rating out the window as hype from the
marketing department.
If your friend had serious power needs, he may have made a good
decision to go with a larger unit. If he just needed a lightweight
portable source of power for a drill, saw, or a few lights, he may
have overbought.
| |
| Daniel Who Wants to Know 2007-01-26, 5:25 pm |
| <hchickpe@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:e6rkr2tumi99g1gppli3ejs0kc1jjiugoe@4ax.com...
> On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 19:34:35 GMT, "Daniel Who Wants to Know"
> <danielthechskid@merrychristmasi.com> wrote:
>
>
> I bought one from Harbor Freight for about $100. Although rated for
> 1200 watts, it puts out only about 850 watts according to a KAW. Let
> me rephrase that so it is more meaningful... Here are the actual
> Kill-a-watt comparison readings of household AC to the generator,
> using a three settings resistance space heater with a small fan as a
> load. I have no idea how accurate the wire cutting of the resistance
> wire was to the nominal ratings, but there is a drop-off in
> performance at higher wattages in both AC and generator operation that
> explains why load A (500 watts) plus load B (950 watts) does not equal
> the 1450 watt combined load of (C) that you might expect.
>
> House current Generator
>
> no load
> 0 amps 60 hz .01 amp 53 to 60 hz (A)
>
> 12 watt fan load only
> 12 watts 122.2 volts 11 watts 123 volts
> .15 amp .13 amp 58 hz
>
> Heater setting A: nominal 500 watts + 12 watt fan
> 509 watts 118 volts 454 watts 111 volts (B)
> 4.26 amp 60 hz 4.0 amps 59 hz
>
> Heater setting B: nominal 950 watts + 12 watt fan
> 909 watts 115 volts 790 watts(+-) 106 volts (C)
> 7.93 amps 60 hz 7.28 amps 59.9 to 60.9 hz
>
> Heater setting C: nominal 1450 watts + 12 watt fan
> 1260 watts 111.19 volts 811 to 841 watts 88 volts (D)
> 11.47 amps 60 hz 9.34 amps 52 hz
>
> (A) noticable "hunting" for frequency.
> (B) within reasonable tolerance - heater and generator paired well
> (C) drop of nearly 120 watts compared to house current as generator
> starts to labor
> (D) fully 1/3 of the wattage is lost, the voltage is unnacceptably
> low, and the engine is laboring hard enough that it has slowed and the
> frequency dropped to 52 hz. There was no noticeable increase in heat
> coming out of the heater between the second and last resistance heater
> settings. The engine on the generator lugged a little more but not
> much.
>
> Conclusion:
> The unit is lightweight, relatively quiet, a gas sipper at low wattage
> loads, fine for loads up to 500 watts, adequate for loads of up to
> about 850 watts if you can accept some reduced power, and a
> use-at-your-own risk power source for anything over 850 watts or
> expecting a regulated frequency. Neon John also has said that he
> expects that the waveform is bad enough to be a danger to some
> equipment.
>
> Its limitations are best expressed by describing it for what it is
> designwise - a modified medium duty car alternator driven by a little
> 2 cycle scooter motor. It is a clever idea that has been well
> executed with a single lightweight major casting instead of a
> bolt-together lash-up, but don't expect more than it can deliver.
>
> Oh yeah, toss the 1200 watt rating out the window as hype from the
> marketing department.
>
> If your friend had serious power needs, he may have made a good
> decision to go with a larger unit. If he just needed a lightweight
> portable source of power for a drill, saw, or a few lights, he may
> have overbought.
He was looking to run his refrigerator, lights and possibly his computer so
I think he made a good choice. He lives in Canada.
I have noticed that (from experiments with a 0-132V variac) unstable voltage
is hard on the regulation and stability of ATX power supplies and noisy
power would probably be hard on the bridge rectifier diodes and DC rail
filter caps in the supply. I myself have my computer plugged into an APC
Back-UPS Office 500VA (325 watt) and my TV and DVD home theater ETC. are
plugged into an APC Back-UPS Pro 650VA (420 watt IIRC) it also has the stock
11/12AH VRLA AGM battery replaced with a 17/18/20AH VRLA AGM.
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