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Author Topic: Major Problem N.H. Mass.  (Read 28100 times)
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KF1Z
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Are FETs supposed to glow like that?


« Reply #25 on: December 14, 2008, 03:11:57 PM »

I bought a 6.5kw ...7.5surge  model with a 13hp motor..

It was $400. new... yup, a cheapo unit.

I have put many hours on it... I've had it for  7 years now.

The key to any of it is to run these things regularly...
Once a year just doesn't cut it.

Even the cheapo units will last a long time IF you take care of it.
If you only have it for emergencies, take it out and run it at LEAST 3 times a year, and change the oil EVERY time...

If you only fire it up once a year, and leave the same oil in there, I guarantee the lifespan will be short.
The gas ( or diesel ) needs changing every year at least... even if it's treated.


I feel for those that rely so heavy on electricity in the Winter.....
The only reason I pull out the generator is in a prolonged outage it's nice to have water to flush and wash with. and the fridge and freezer might need a charge.

We heat with wood, and the cookstove is propane...
So a short outage ( a day or two) is just a minor inconvenience.....


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w1vtp
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« Reply #26 on: December 14, 2008, 08:25:50 PM »

Very lucky here in Manchester - the only explanation why I got power back in 5 hours is that we must be on the same grid as the hospital or something and got lucky somehow - it is dark just beyond us in almost every direction.

This is bad-it is getting very cold tonight -pipes will burst, basements will flood and people will have to go to shelters all over New England. Last time (98) my boss who was in a big mini-mansion was out of power for 17 days. They are saying that this is worse.

Mike WU2D

Same here Mike (we're just a stone's throw apart for the rest of you-all).  Lost power 2 am, went back to sleep with extra covers -- slept well, got up the next AM and started up the 8 KW generator -- flipped the transfer switches and had nice hot coffee / breakfast.  Power came back on around 11 AM.

Just one tho't -- get those generators guys if you're in ice storm country!  And install the power transfer box so the guys out there working on the lines don't get hurt in case they're working on your lines and you're unknowingly feeding AC back out to the grid.

I feel sorry for the folks who were really hit hard -- Derry NH comes to mind in this area  (Townsend, Ma too, huh Steve?).

Oh yes, that "Knob and Tube" wiring is not active although I still have some in my 200 year old house.  I've had it checked out by electricians and it's a down the road project someday.

73, Al

PS: mine's an 8 KW Troy


* NEW_VS_OLD_RS.jpg (564.63 KB, 675x900 - viewed 467 times.)
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w1vtp
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« Reply #27 on: December 14, 2008, 08:37:35 PM »

Do people have natural gas to run generators with? There is also the power failure of 2003. I'd hate going to a shelter while the looters idled about the neighborhood.

Yep

http://www.norwall.com/newimages/17%20AC%20prepack%20spec.pdf

Al
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #28 on: December 14, 2008, 08:38:10 PM »


Last year the outages were so bad I was starting to look at one of the diesel powered long run generators that would run everything.  I have been keeping an eye out at farm sales for a PTO driven unit to go on the tractor but so far no happiness. 


I've been looking for one of those, too. How much are they new? (LOL)

Something like that would be heavy. I suppose you back the tractor PTO up to a driveshaft and the generator sits on the ground?

b
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WU2D
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CW is just a narrower version of AM


« Reply #29 on: December 14, 2008, 08:41:37 PM »

They popped the Emergency Broadcast System here in NH today at least twice. Even my cable box says EAS instead of the channel. The hotels that have power are full of locals and line crews, some from as far away as Michigan; and Canadian crews are here.
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Jim, W5JO
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« Reply #30 on: December 14, 2008, 08:50:46 PM »


  I have been keeping an eye out at farm sales for a PTO driven unit to go on the tractor but so far no happiness. 


I've been looking for one of those, too. How much are they new? (LOL)

Something like that would be heavy. I suppose you back the tractor PTO up to a driveshaft and the generator sits on the ground?

b

I believe DR Power Tools sells one that hitches to your tractor 3 point and attaches to the PTO.  I would bet expensive.
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KF1Z
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Are FETs supposed to glow like that?


« Reply #31 on: December 14, 2008, 09:01:41 PM »

http://www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com/style/PTO.php?source=goog&keyword=pto+generator&gclid=CKLzkbrDwZcCFQQCagodYE10SA
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #32 on: December 14, 2008, 10:16:03 PM »

Beautiful gear.
I'll be calling Santa.
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Patrick J. / KD5OEI
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« Reply #33 on: December 15, 2008, 10:01:02 PM »

Groban supply has a lot of surplus honda and military generators.. In Chicago.

My set is a 40KW Mankato 3-phase, converted to single phase 240V @ 30KW. It's powered by a 4-cylinder Perkins diesel and I've put 130 hours or so on it since I got it. It had 125 hours and 10 years on it then. The transfer is a Zenith 175A unit. It does use about 3/4 gallon per hour, load or not, but it has been fairly reliable. I've had to change the battery in a rain storm to start it once, and also had to step inside the enclosure, open the control panel, and tap a certain relay to get it to crank a couple times. But I test it every month, including a 10 minute run time.

If I could devise a way to run it on natural gas I would love that. Natural gas is cheap here in TX.

The only thing I need for it is a control for the coolant heater for when it is cold. I don't like starts in 30 degree weather with cold oil and instantly going to 1800RPM. It's built for that, but still it can't be good for it. It has a heater in the coolant line but it is 1KW and seems oversized, starts to boil the coolant. It keeps it at 180 degrees allright, but that's not necessary. I'd be happy to keep it at 60 degrees. I have tried different thermostaic switches from everything from a water bed to a space heater, but they have eventually failed due to vibration.
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WA2TTP Steve
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« Reply #34 on: December 16, 2008, 12:23:05 AM »

I was lucky here in Saratoga County NY in that I didn't have any damage but the power was out for 58 hours at my house. National Grid and NYSEG had 200+k customers out in the Capital district and some areas just south of me, 3 or 4 miles had major damage due to hugh trees down on houses, roads and power lines.

I don't have generator but I do have an inverter system powered by 2 125 amp hour batteries to run my furnace, a few CF lights, garage door openers and the all important coffee maker. I had designed this system to supply my emergency needs for about 16-20 hours based on winter loads. The longest winter outage in 25 years was only 16 hours to date but this 58 hour outage really caused me a problem due to the need to recharge the batteries in a timely mannor. I tried connecting them via a 40 foot heavy cable to my truck but that only gave me about 7 amp charge rate. I finally had to put another inverter up at the truck and feed 120 volts down to battery charger in the basement which gave me about 25 amps. I left the truck running for about 7 hours in this mode that gave me what I needed to make it until the power came back.

I think I'll be looking for generator to get thru the day and evening and use the inverter overnight to keep the furnace going.

Hope everyone gets there power back soon.

Steve
WA2TTP
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WB2YGF
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« Reply #35 on: December 16, 2008, 11:42:25 AM »

A 300 dollar generator will only get you 1-2 KW.  That will run one of the ceramic heaters for her.  Remember to keep the refrigerator going and have a hot plate for warming food and a couple of lights, you are going to need something that gives you at least 5 KW.  Do as the boys have said, add up the necessities and buy that.
Anything less is just a waste of money.

Might ought to do something soon, another storm is over the Dakotas and Minn. right now headed your way.  It promises to be a bogger too.
I agree, one needs no less than a 5 KW generator. My 6 KW guy is adequate to run our propane fueled heating system, water pump, fridge, computers, teevee and lights. Not enough for the big transmitter + R-390A and the electric dryer.
Really?  It depends on what appliances you have.  I lived for many years in two old houses each with 30A services.  That's 3.5 KW.  Even ran a 7500 BTU AC in one of them.  Even though I upgraded to 200A 15 years ago, my stove and dryer are propane, and my boiler and hot water are oil fired.  I bet I rarely exceed 3KW for everything except air conditioning.
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Bill, KD0HG
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« Reply #36 on: December 16, 2008, 12:33:51 PM »

The 1-1/2 HP water pump is the problem when both the refrigerator and freezer are running.
Otherwise, as you state, it all depends on one's circumstances.
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KF1Z
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Are FETs supposed to glow like that?


« Reply #37 on: December 16, 2008, 01:00:13 PM »

The 1-1/2 HP water pump is the problem when both the refrigerator and freezer are running.
Otherwise, as you state, it all depends on one's circumstances.

Start-up surge on that  1 1/2hp would be pretty rough on a small generator....especially with any other load....

Luckily my well pump is only 1/2hp... so no trouble there....
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WQ9E
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« Reply #38 on: December 16, 2008, 01:52:10 PM »

Our well driller friends have been installing a lot of the variable speed well pumps in the last couple of years and one of the advantages of these is low startup draw.  They initially had a lot of issues with the controllers after electrical storms but better surge suppressors seem to have cured that problem.  I am not sure that the additional cost and complexity is worth it but if you factor in generator pricing it might make more sense.  We had our new (240 foot deep) well drilled 7 years ago before these pumps were common so our pump is a traditional deep well pump and you can definitely tell when it starts as the generator deals with the load.

Rodger WQ9E
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Rodger WQ9E
WB2YGF
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« Reply #39 on: December 16, 2008, 03:05:37 PM »

I recently got an RV with a 50 gallon gas tank and an Onan 4KW generator on board.  Would be nice to somehow plug the house into it, but I am afraid an electrician to do it right would cost a small  fortune.  Smiley
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WA1GFZ
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« Reply #40 on: December 16, 2008, 04:18:08 PM »

Just run a #12 gauge extention cord in the house and plug in the stuff you need to run.
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WB2YGF
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« Reply #41 on: December 16, 2008, 05:26:47 PM »

Just run a #12 gauge extention cord in the house and plug in the stuff you need to run.
Well, not too practical for the boiler and the water pump which would be the #1 priority.  I wonder if I could put (relatively) small transfer contactors on the furnace and water pump and run an independent circuit.  (Then I don't have to mess with the mains.) There is a nice 30A receptacle in the RV which is how the RV plug is powered from the generator when not on "shore" power.
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Patrick J. / KD5OEI
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« Reply #42 on: December 16, 2008, 08:55:24 PM »

I've looked at these but the only DPDT ones are 24V coils.
http://www.surplussales.com/Relays/REcontacts.html

but check out the DPDT 60A switch:
http://www.surplussales.com/Switches/SWPowerTap.html
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WB2YGF
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« Reply #43 on: December 16, 2008, 10:12:06 PM »

I've looked at these but the only DPDT ones are 24V coils.
http://www.surplussales.com/Relays/REcontacts.html
The 25A DPDT contactor in combination with a cheap 115/24VAC transformer looks like a winner.  I need to check to see if the pump and burner are wired for 115 or 230.
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WA1GFZ
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« Reply #44 on: December 18, 2008, 12:29:56 PM »

You could just put a line cord on each with a plug then just transfer the plug to an extention cord. Relays would need a lot of extra wiring. I guess the frequency of use would be the driving motivation. A single transfer switch at the breaker panel sounds a lot easier than a bunch of relays.
Gee I hope all you guys have power by now. We have 3 days of snow coming here in Ct.
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W1JS
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« Reply #45 on: December 18, 2008, 01:09:54 PM »

As of this morning, Thursday, there are still over 50,000 without power in NH. 
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73 de
W1JS
Jack
No. Weare NH
Steve - WB3HUZ
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« Reply #46 on: December 18, 2008, 01:58:36 PM »

Why isn't this all over the national news? Where's FEMA? How can this happen? Doesn't the government care? Oh the humanity!

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