Thanks for that and with the thread over in uk.d-i-y I can see why one of these tiddlies will cough on starting a fridge or freezer. Think I'll revise back to a larger model...
Presumably a 4 stroke, how often do you have to change the oil? My 4 stroke B&S engined petrol lawn mower is supposed to have the oil changed every 25hrs. Now thats not a problem with a lawn mower, works out about once a year. But a genny pressed into service in a power cut it's more or less every other day!
He's also a Radio Ham. Strange the things us engineering types are into. Last time I saw Dave was in Bristol.
ISTR the Honda runs for 100 hours between oil changes. I did modify it and fit a small hour meter so I could be exact about these things. Erm....how many power cuts do you get?? We rarely get them, and I think the longest ever was about 8 hrs
Regards
Philip T-E
Thats more like it over a week at 12hrs/day.
I'd be tempted to do that as well, not so much to be accurate to the hour but to have a clue about how long it had actually run for. Keeping track of 2hr, 4hr, 30 mins, 6hr or was it 8hrs runs spaced out over quite a period of time would be a pain. A bit of paper stuck on and have start/stop times written on but it's "another thing to do" when there are probably more pressing things to worry about.
This year one of 4.5hrs. Last year, erm I don't think we did, well not in this context. The UPS has logged a dozen or so 1 second outages though. It only takes a particulary tough bit of tree to touch the line 3 times in a minute (or something like that) for the auto recloser to give up and need to be reset manually. Considering how power arrives here it is remarkable reliable and stable.
In message , John Manders writes
That's easy, been doing it for years! Phone calls via a mobile as normal ( got to get a good tariff mind) Internet via GPRS and PCMCIA card phone gives about the same speed as dialup on a landline cost at present £25 a month unlimited bandwidth but this is about to rise as we have got to the end of the special offer. Still my wife's firm pays for this so she can have access into the office at any time!
The Society bought a cheapo 2.2kva genny about four years ago, the intent was to use it for the sound system at events where there is no mains power. Now we are Saxon house building, of course, it gets used for that too, often supplying at or above its rated output. No problems, so far ...
The engine is a GC160 motorcycle derivative SOHC Honda. It has a tricksy switch that senses oil level - very good idea in a bit of kit designed to be used by the Unknowing! However, as the tolerably brief instruction sheet doesn't mention it, it did give us a few problems until the possibility surfaced in my mind. Can you imagine the ideas that the technologically-aware brain ran through when faced with a generator which would (on that particular site) only run when placed in an east-west configuration? The fact that the ground was not board flat only occurred to me after a day of frustrating running about, plug changes etc. Top up the oil - Bingo! - fine again. So *that's* what that wire does ...............
I change the oil at the beginning of each season & use Duckhams 20/50.
Regards,
Kim Siddorn
Who are you calling strange? Sad, maybe. Strange - never.
G8RTP
Did someone mention radio???
Philip T-E
G8PTY
That nice Roger Glover chap (hi Roger!) does amateur TV as well as radio - now there's esoteric for you ;o))
Regards,
Kim Siddorn
They did - and I am a long time lurker on this most interesting and pleasant group.
JB G4JOW
In article , snipped-for-privacy@pickstockmanor.co.uk writes
Likewise, with the occasional pop-up. I normally have a handheld (on the local 2m or 70cm repeater or the calling frequency) with me at rallies.
ObSE: Perhaps this year I'll commission the rad-cooled Lister D (already mounted in its engine-house) and its 300 watt 110v alternator; tuits of the correct geometry are a tad short at present.
73, Andrew, G8BUR, M0MAA.In message , Paul E. Bennett writes
Nothing strange here....... I will get back on air one day HF from the boat now that could be interesting:-)
Julian G6LOH
Nice me?
esoteric - very unusual; understood or liked by only a small number of people, especially those with special knowledge: Kim, you sweet talker! ;-)
While I'm here, I've uploaded a PowerPoint slide show of some images that I found amazing at:
For those who might like to see them individually they are :-.
Regards Roger
Sorry forgot... It's catching!
Roger G8IUC nb. Draper
--... ...--
The length of the long wire could be a limiting factor. Anyway, don't maritime folks prefer VLF?
John
yeah, but you do have a great ground/counterpoise system. sammmmm w3cyo
In message , Roger Glover writes
Indeed it is!
Guy
GW3 Poor Old Man
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