Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

This discussion makes me miss my old job at the technical college: I had seven figures worth of electrical engineering lab and test equipment at my disposal... I could have setup some really cool demonstrations in response to the questions being asked here.

View attachment 758465

Nothing like having real-deal instrumentation handy....

I used to work on a former IBM campus.... big enviro test chambers, massive (for the electronics world) shaker tables..... Rgds, D.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Early in my career I did power quality measurements using Dranetz power meters. They cost a few thousand.

 

[Patrick Herd]

Early in my career I did power quality measurements using Dranetz power meters. They cost a few thousand.

I've used a couple of different power quality analysers, favourite so far is the PQ Box series by A-Eberle Network analyzer PQ-Box 150 | A. EBERLE around $20k NZd from memory.

I put it in the main switchboard during this hot changeover to generator test:

the transients were in the order of 6x nominal load current and a lot of black smoke

 

[Williy]

The only testing I ever did was testing all
the PC boards for the 25 inch TV that I
had to put all the little componets and
solder them in the PC boards and a
O-scope, design console, digital multimeter
and a few other things so I can use a
multimeter/ohm meter. I was pretty proud
of building the 25 inch tv from scratch and
when I had it all assembled it worked so no
problems. and that was in 1975
The TV's today have little pc boards just 2
of them power and the other to control tv

willy

 

[3930dave]

The only testing I ever did was testing all
the PC boards for the 25 inch TV that I
had to put all the little componets and
solder them in the PC boards and a
O-scope, design console, digital multimeter
and a few other things so I can use a
multimeter/ohm meter. I was pretty proud
of building the 25 inch tv from scratch and
when I had it all assembled it worked so no
problems. and that was in 1975
The TV's today have little pc boards just 2
of them power and the other to control tv

willy

Heathkit I'd wager

I still have a tube Heathkit audio amp around here somewhere, that somebody else built, and I remember my buddy's older brother building one of their stereo receivers....

Youngsters today hearing us..... "They are just spinning tall-tales again !"

Rgds, D.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Now a days my harmonic measurements are on electronic circuits and I use a spectrum analyzer. We generally put a filter on the 3rd, generally the 5th is outside of the frequency we are concerned with

 

[3930dave]

Now a days my harmonic measurements are on electronic circuits and I use a spectrum analyzer. We generally put a filter on the 3rd, generally the 5th is outside of the frequency we are concerned with

What product area, if I may ask....

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

I'd been pushing this issue @ work for months, after the Facility Manager balked at the generator svc company's quote for changing out two starting batteries. Yes, it was a ridiculously high quote..... but after wading thru some inter-departmental noise, they got changed out today by one of our own sr. mechanics.

Two roughly Group 31 batteries in series.... one of the old batteries tested well below 100CCA...... definitely giving Murphy waaayyyy too much of an opportunity.....

Many of you will know this, but if you are testing threaded-post battery terminals, make sure to use the post-adapters to test with..... I saw huge differences in CCA test values last year, doing it with and w/o those adapters.

Rgds, D.

 

[daugen]

here's a treat guys
a genuine Kohler too
at grange fair this morning
4 cylinder, didn't see the output, doubt very much.

I'm overhearing the Kohler rep repeatedly bash Generac
oh Generac doesn't do this
And Generac doesn't do that
They had a 60kw there, couldn't tell which V8 due to custom exhaust. Maybe a 351 Ford?

quite a pile of oil under this old gen, I wouldn't want to get it too hot...

 

[grsthegreat]

here's a treat guys
a genuine Kohler too
at grange fair this morning
4 cylinder, didn't see the output, doubt very much.

I'm overhearing the Kohler rep repeatedly bash Generac
oh Generac doesn't do this
And Generac doesn't do that
They had a 60kw there, couldn't tell which V8 due to custom exhaust. Maybe a 351 Ford?

quite a pile of oil under this old gen, I wouldn't want to get it too hot...

Thats ok, we generac guys bash kohler too.