Generator Reviews.

vaakseun said:
I have a Medupi VI "Rodentia" generator. Runs on seeds (about 200g per day), nuts and water. Costs about 20 bucks, VAT included.
Can generate up to 75 watt on a good day. Very economical and eco friendly. No real service required except for cleaning it's litter once a day.

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So, a cfl for 3 minutes a day?
 
Why is everyone buying copies of a Honda and not the real McCoy?
 
AstroTurf said:
...
Ellies FBG2800CX
View attachment 192189
2.8kW Petrol Generator ...
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We've used that exact one at our church, however, I was unable to run my APC SmartUPS SUA1000i (670W/1000VA) off it, even though it had only like 150W of load on it at the time. My UPS kept on switching back and forth between battery and generator every few seconds. I'm not sure if its due to incorrect frequency or voltage, because on the LCD of the generator it stayed on like ~232V.
I'll see if I get time to hook up a Voltcraft Energy Monitor 3000 to it tomorrow to monitor both its voltage and frequency.

So instead of risking damaging very expensive equipment, such as an LS9-32 sound desk, we just ran a 2nd and very cheap sound setup off it and it worked great. The setup was basically: amplifier, 2x 400W speakers, Alto ZMX122FX mixer, Roland FP-4 digial piano.

So now I'm on the lookout for a better and stronger generator that can power probably 5kW with a stable voltage + frequency output so that I can use an UPS to protect the expensive equipment.
 
i have a kipor 3phase job, the thing is silent, but the great thing about it, is that it kicks in the moment as eskom reminds us of their gross incompetence - there is literally a flick of lights as power goes off and kippie fires up
 
Pada said:
We've used that exact one at our church, however, I was unable to run my APC SmartUPS SUA1000i (670W/1000VA) off it, even though it had only like 150W of load on it at the time. My UPS kept on switching back and forth between battery and generator every few seconds. I'm not sure if its due to incorrect frequency or voltage, because on the LCD of the generator it stayed on like ~232V.
I'll see if I get time to hook up a Voltcraft Energy Monitor 3000 to it tomorrow to monitor both its voltage and frequency.

So instead of risking damaging very expensive equipment, such as an LS9-32 sound desk, we just ran a 2nd and very cheap sound setup off it and it worked great. The setup was basically: amplifier, 2x 400W speakers, Alto ZMX122FX mixer, Roland FP-4 digial piano.

So now I'm on the lookout for a better and stronger generator that can power probably 5kW with a stable voltage + frequency output so that I can use an UPS to protect the expensive equipment.
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Smaller gennies run better with a basic load (lights or fan as an example).
150w is not enough to let it stabilise.
 
AstroTurf said:
Smaller gennies run better with a basic load (lights or fan as an example).
150w is not enough to let it stabilise.
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Thanks. I'll give that a try next time.

When I just added a single 300W light, the I measured 229V, 52.38Hz. So perhaps my UPS is faulty or it does not like the frequency being off by even a small fraction.
 
I bought a TradePower 2kw Inverter generator over the weekend. Will post a review here soon - if it does not blow up and kill me.
 
grantza said:
i have a kipor 3phase job, the thing is silent, but the great thing about it, is that it kicks in the moment as eskom reminds us of their gross incompetence - there is literally a flick of lights as power goes off and kippie fires up
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Wow you have an automatic changeover switch that works pretty quickly. Most take 10 seconds or so.
 
tRoN said:
I would rather buy a cheaper established original brand rather than a cheap clone.
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I you are going to back-feed exclusively via a wall plug on the odd occasion that you are at home when loadshedding comes (like most), let alone have the skill to properly service/maintain the genny, why pay 3x the price for a Honda? The 5KW Hondas do not even come with wheels, which is almost unacceptable given that a new EG6500CX is northwards of R14,500 new.
 
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lcbxx said:
I you are going to back-feed exclusively via a wall plug on the odd occasion that you are at home when loadshedding comes (like most), let alone have the skill to properly service/maintain the genny, why pay 3x the price for a Honda? The 5KW Hondas do not even come with wheels, which is almost unacceptable given that a new EG6500CX is northwards of R14,500 new.
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That whole "backfeed from a wallplug" thing freaks the living daylights out of me.
 
AstroTurf said:
That whole "backfeed from a wallplug" thing freaks the living daylights out of me.
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:wtf: Ditto...scary stuff. If you have a power failure because some guys are doing maintenance down the road. What happens if you "forget" to switch off your main breaker ? Will it not back feed into the grid through transformers etc?
 
eddief1 said:
:wtf: Ditto...scary stuff. If you have a power failure because some guys are doing maintenance down the road. What happens if you "forget" to switch off your main breaker ? Will it not back feed into the grid through transformers etc?
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What happens if you accidentally touch one of the ends and they are live. Or if you have ****ty wiring and overload the wall plug and burn down your house.

Scares the bejeeeezus out of me.
 
I agree with you gents.
It's not known as a dead man's cord or suicide cable for nothing.
 
Yup - portable generators are called portable for a reason. You are supposed to connect appliances directly to the generator, not connect the generator to your household grid... That's also why they come with plug sockets, to plug your appliances into the generator :D

Anything over a 3kVA generator connected to a plug socket through an extension cord is asking for trouble IMHO. And then yes, you still have the issue with serious backfeed as well without a transfer switch and/or manually isolating your house from the grid through your mains isolator.
 
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