For about four years we've had good service from our Honda 160cc engined 
240/110 volt generator. At 2.2 kva, it has rarely been stretched but the 
other day suddenly stopped producing electricity. We were running a line of 
low energy fluorescent bulbs & they drew a tad under 500 watts. Suddenly, 
they went out. No perceptible changes, no smell of old fish, no smoke, no 
drama.

We tried changing the load with various power tools & as we can see the 
diodes through the 'oles in the casing, checked them out too. Still no joy 
on either voltage.

Any ideas anyone?

regards,

Kim Siddorn

Kim Siddorn  wrote:
> For about four years we've had good service from our Honda 160cc engined 
> 240/110 volt generator. At 2.2 kva, it has rarely been stretched but the 
> other day suddenly stopped producing electricity. We were running a line of 
> low energy fluorescent bulbs & they drew a tad under 500 watts. Suddenly, 
> they went out. No perceptible changes, no smell of old fish, no smoke, no 
> drama.
> 
> We tried changing the load with various power tools & as we can see the 
> diodes through the 'oles in the casing, checked them out too. Still no joy 
> on either voltage.
> 

There is almost always a tripswitch on those things somewhere.
Look for an innocent looking little button poking out.

On 29 Jul 2008 23:03:20 GMT, crn@NOSPAM.netunix.com wrote:

> There is almost always a tripswitch on those things somewhere.
> Look for an innocent looking little button poking out.

I suspect Kim isn't that daft as to have not to have tried reseting the 
overload trip or any RCD or the main breaker.

Bear in mind that the power factor from 500W of CFL lighting is probably 
horrendous so the peak currents could be considerably higher than that 
indidcated by the power.

It's a well used genset, maybe a screw has worked loose and a wire fallen 
off?

-- 
Cheers
Dave.

Our Man Paul said this ...............

"Strangely the first thing I did was press the circuit breaker reset button!
I also waggled the 240v/110v selector switch back and forth.  The selector
switch being set to the wrong voltage is the usual cause of output failure.
I have tested the output from the main coil before the breakers on both the
240v and 110v sides.  I detected no voltage at all.

The starting current for the fluorescents will be high but not as high as
old type strip lamps.  The modern compact fluorescents use an electronic
ballast which is why they do not flash as they come on.  Electronic ballasts
are not as furious as the older magnetic ballasts.

The generator output failed during sustained load.  Ian and I where using it
to run lights in the hall and they went out while the generator was running
and not at start.  There where 8 lights at 25 watts each giving a load of
200 watts.  Even assuming a 10 fold increase at start (as a rather silly
figure I think) that would only be 2000 watts within the generators capacity
of about 2200 watts (at a power factor of 1)."

So no help there then. I see a spare Honda engine & a new Chinese genny 
coming up!

regards,

Kim Siddorn

On 30 Jul, 09:46, "Kim Siddorn"  wrote:
> Our Man Paul said this ...............
>
> "Strangely the first thing I did was press the circuit breaker reset button!
> I also waggled the 240v/110v selector switch back and forth.  The selector
> switch being set to the wrong voltage is the usual cause of output failure.
> I have tested the output from the main coil before the breakers on both the
> 240v and 110v sides.  I detected no voltage at all.
>
> The starting current for the fluorescents will be high but not as high as
> old type strip lamps.  The modern compact fluorescents use an electronic
> ballast which is why they do not flash as they come on.  Electronic ballasts
> are not as furious as the older magnetic ballasts.
>
> The generator output failed during sustained load.  Ian and I where using it
> to run lights in the hall and they went out while the generator was running
> and not at start.  There where 8 lights at 25 watts each giving a load of
> 200 watts.  Even assuming a 10 fold increase at start (as a rather silly
> figure I think) that would only be 2000 watts within the generators capacity
> of about 2200 watts (at a power factor of 1)."
>
> So no help there then. I see a spare Honda engine & a new Chinese genny
> coming up!
>
> regards,
>
> Kim Siddorn

Kim, is there a thermal fuse anywhere, probably close to the windings
on the genny?  These can often be "repaired" with low melting point
solder.

Fred

On Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:46:02 +0100, Kim Siddorn wrote:

> "Strangely the first thing I did was press the circuit breaker reset 
> button! I also waggled the 240v/110v selector switch back and forth.  
> The selector switch being set to the wrong voltage is the usual cause of 
> output failure. I have tested the output from the main coil before the 
> breakers on both the 240v and 110v sides.  I detected no voltage at all.

I'd look for a loose wire, not sure how these self exciting alternators 
work but I bet you can find it on the web. I've read that one left for a 
long time may not have enough residual magnetisium left to work without a 
little help. This won't apply here as it was working but failure in a 
winding or connection to from is a possibilty.

When the lights went off was it just straight to off like a switch or any 
flickering?

-- 
Cheers
Dave.

Kim Siddorn  wrote:
> 
> So no help there then. I see a spare Honda engine & a new Chinese genny 
> coming up!

If it is only for lighting Makro have their 850 watt "Pro User" fellas
for 49.99 +vat. Reasonably quiet 2 stroke generic chinese jobbie, sold
under many labels. Mine works OK providing light in the garage, at that
price you can treat them as disposable.
Also seen occasionally at Aldi, probably plenty on EBay as well.

Dave Liquorice  wrote:
> 
> I'd look for a loose wire, not sure how these self exciting alternators 
> work but I bet you can find it on the web. I've read that one left for a 
> long time may not have enough residual magnetisium left to work without a 
> little help. This won't apply here as it was working but failure in a 
> winding or connection to from is a possibilty.

I had a similar problem once, there was a diode providing DC to the 
exciter winding hidden in some shrinktube. The diode had popped, cost
a few pence to replace.
Some of the fancier modern alternators have electronic voltage regulators,
if the magic smoke escapes from these you are stuffed.

Thanks for the thoughts all & when we get to it in August, we'll try them 
out. I suspect I may have a Honda engine to hand if the worst comes to pass, 
just in time to replace the smokey little Villiers SV that powers our ditch 
pump.

We've got a Chinese 500watt two stroke genny & it is man enough to run our 
PA system (Nominally, two 350 watt power amps plus the double CD deck - 
don't ask me, it just does!) all day long on a tank of two-stroke premix, 
but the 2.2 kva is/was generally used for power tools. Come to think of it, 
this year it has needed the load changing to make it go on several 
occasions. Hmmm.

There was a beast of a pump at Aldi a few weeks ago for £150 but we don't 
need one ATM. Sorely tempted I was..........
.
regards,

Kim Siddorn

"Kim Siddorn"  wrote in message 
news:6fcihjFavavpU1@mid.individual.net...
.
>
> We've got a Chinese 500watt two stroke genny & it is man enough to run our 
> PA system (Nominally, two 350 watt power amps plus the double CD deck - 
> don't ask me, it just does!)

I think they're actually rated at 800 or 900 watts - I've got one too, the 
wife calls it little stinky!

They are 50Hz output for the UK, but if you tweak the governor they will go 
to 60Hz which is their spec for the American market. So if you're using 
stuff that isn't particularly sensitive to frequency (like the wife's 
toaster and hairdryer) then just increase the revs and you get more waft 
from the thing!

Julian.