Generator

[john in la]

What did I get here?

Give $100 for this generator because it started on first pull and was very quiet.
Has some minor problems but both 110 plugs work and I have heard Honda generators are the best.
I want it to use on my boat to run a small battery charger.
All my boat lights are 12v and rather than buy more batteries I am going to try and charge the ones I have.

Do not know what happen to that top plug but the plastic is soft.
It still works but hopefully parts are still available and I will replace it.

Have no idea what this window if for.

Your comments welcome.

 

[grizz02]

looks like someone silicone it in place

 

[john in la]

All of the plug face does not look to be there.
More like it broke (or maybe melted) and they used silicone to hold the pieces together.

 

[timcasbolt]

Good, reliable piece of equipment. It should serve you well.

 

[Steve@Advance]

The window is a frequency meter. On a standard generator, the frequency is controlled by the RPM. But that one might be an inverter type, where it is controlled electronically.

This should help with any questions:
Shop Manual

 

[Two Dogs]

That top plug looks like I feel early in the morning. TDF

 

[john in la]

Thanks Steve.
That will help a lot.

 

[john in la]

Found out the top and bottom plug are all one piece.
Found it online for less than $30 with shipping.
I will see if my local dealer can come close to that price and order one.

 

[Billy Shafer]

Honda does make some very good units. I would clean it up and take care of it. Replace the AC plug. That window is the Freq or Hertz meter. Tells you if the power output is correct. That one should be at 60 Hertz.Some of the small units take a long time to charge a fully dead battery. They are made to put back what they are using. But you should't have any problems.

 

[Billy Shafer]

Forgot to add. You might want to put it under lock and chain. They have a bad habit of walking off.

 

[Oliver 500 Wa]

.....heard Honda generators are the best........


Your comments welcome.

Best or not, I don't know. I've only ever had one generator and it's a Honda. Bought it second hand 23 years ago and other than a couple oil changes, it has never needed any work done to it. I don't use it often, just when the power goes out or the rare field job where I need 110.

I drain the tank and run the carb dry after every use. Need to use it, all I have to do is pour in fresh gas and about 4 pulls on the rope and it's going.

Other brands might give the same good service, but I'm kind of doubting it.

 

[Russ from MN]

I don't think you need a battery charger, it has a 12v output.

 

[wrenchere85]

The 12v output is only 8.3 amps. You might need to plug in a battery charger also.

 

[Russ from MN]

I would think Home Depot would have one that would fit for $1.49!

 

[JDEM]

$100 seems a lot of used 550 watt conventional generator. Hey, if it runs good and does what you want? My experience is the DC battery charge function is kind of useless if you hook to a discharged battery. Just trips the 8 amp breaker over and over.

I have also found that these older non-inverter gensets do not run AC powered battery chargers very well. AC voltage is too low. Maybe your experience will be better. Shop-type 120 VAC battery chargers need 170 volts to work correctly, like grid AC has. Many of the smaller portables peak out at 150 volts instead of 170, and this really cuts back on the rate of charge unless you have a high-end electronic battery charger.

 

[Destroked 450]

No 150 volt ac around here, let alone 170 volt.
Utility companies here are limited to 10% tolerance up or down, nothing under 108 volts or over 132 on a 120 volt outlet.
Most computerized equipment won't tolerate high or low voltage conditions.
Had our utility company adjust the taps on the transformer at a local sawmill a few weeks ago, power was 3 volts under the carriage computers max limit of 255 volts but it would shut randomly. Power is now 240 volts and computer is working great.

 

[JDEM]

120 volt grid power is an average of the lows and peaks of the Hertz Cycle. The lows and peaks are a standard 170 volts from the grid that
we call "120 volts." That is the standard all over the USA.

Shop battery chargers tend to rid just the tips of the waves within the 150-170 volt range. Many portable generators peak at 150 volts. Thus
the reason why most things work fine from such a generator but not conventional battery chargers.

 

[JDEM]

Here is a diagnostic chart for a 120 volt AC input conventional battery charger showing how much the charge rate drops when the peaks and
valleys get lower then 170 volts.

 

[Destroked 450]

Don't know about the peaks and valleys but my Fluke meter has never shown me over 130 volts on a single phase line or over 150 volts on any one line of a 240 volt 3 phase system after going thru a step down transformer from the common 480 volt 3 phase we have.
Guess my meter just shows the average

 

[JDEM]

I think they all show an average, but there are certainly differences between a standard AC voltmeter and a so-called "True RMS" voltmeter.

I likely would of never heard of the battery charger issue if I hadn't been involved with off-grid solar-power setups. Poor electric power
from portable generators used to be a big issue for people charging battery banks. Take someone with a 120 amp rated battery charger and
having it only charge at a max of 30 amps - and you notice real fast. There used to be equipment sellers that kept lists of generators
known to make good power and those that did not. There also used to be step-up transformers sold to enhance the performance of the
gensets. I had a problem last summer with a 5000 watt Generac that could barely make my 50 amp charger do better then 20 amps. On that, I
just raised the RPM to 3850 and it made a huge difference. I am sure I messed up the 60 Hertz sine wave - but for a battery charger, the
cycles did not matter. Now adays - at least with large battery banks - the new chargers are fully electronic and are no longer a problem
when run from small conventional generators. I say "conventional" since I have not seen any of the same issues with inverter generators.
At least, not yet.

 

[John T]

Mornin John, hope to see you again at another Flywheelers someday.

Hey $100 for a good working Honda Generator sounds like a good deal to me. Fix that ratty looking outlet and keep her serviced and you should should get a good return on your investement

John T

 

[JMOR]

Average is wrong word for sine wave, as sine wave average is zero.