For starters or enthusiastics…
Found this online, bought it, loving it…
Engine with Permanent magnet generator / inverter.
Over here electric is 220 v at 50 Hz, so the build in inverter keeps it at 220 v 50 Hz.
I tried it in the RPM range 3800 to 2300, no change in voltage / Hz ( perfect sine wave )
Which makes it, imho, very suitable for playing around with small gasifiers for power generation.
( no need to tune perfect rpm for desired hz output )
If need more power, just ramp up the rpm, for less power need, just let it idlle.
This model comes with "fixed"throttle level ( no automatic up or down rpm for high or low load.
For me, thats perfect, just make a easy hand adjustable throttle…
Here is a good illustration of how I’ve used our now four inverter-generator units.
Our two remaining functional family’s R12 food long storage deep freezers units:
These need a true 4 amps of 120 VAC, 60 cycles.
Efficiency-manics will scream at their wattage requirements. Greens scream at their use still of planet killing R-12.
Here’s the real deal. Set at maximum cold the food has come thru fine in 3-4 day power outages. Keep them full for the the best carrying-over cold mass.
I and every other family member trying to use more modern space saving upright long storage foods freezers have lost it all due to 3-4 days power outages. Door frosts building up and holding door seals open, and losing cool. Shelved food shifting just enough to keep the door cracked open.
Ha! Chests alway gets stuff stacked on top. Hold those lids down tight. The set down rack of jar canned fruits.
I have loaded tested, broken-in the small 2-cycle 650 watt Chinese/Yamaha generators for one tank of fuel ran out (~3, 3 1/2 hours) twice a day for each freezer re-chilling down for 7-10 days.
Did not kill the refergernt pump compressors. Kept the food frozen down safe.
The jars on the floor are over 10 year old heat canned cherries.
Lefthand side of the picture is the old non-functional small chest freezer we use now for long term rice storage.
One of the two big enough to woodgas (certainly able to be charcoal gas fed) inverter-generators hidden stashed under the tabled against the far wall. Promised the wife once we are for-sure living here 24/7/365 full-time the expensive inverter-generators, big chainsaw and 2-cycle brush cutter WILL be moved out to an out building.
The best part about an R12 system is you can recharge with duster gas, which is a safe refrigerant, R152A. There’s guides on how to do it, you use a percentage of the original recommended weight. If you have old R12 recharging equipment with the old can piercing adapters you’ll be golden.
But if it’s not leaking then you’re not hurting a thing. Better than letting them rot and eventually leak.
That aside, my next generator will definitely be an inverter. More than enough examples here that they are worth every penny.
As a man with a refrigeration license I learned that even if a unit has a tiny leak that was not a big problem, they would cut the refrigeration lines with a hacksaw and let 200 pounds fly. It was a dollar a pound. It does not apply to todays systems that have large hermetically sealed compressors and components that are sealed. As far as the 152a, I have done it and it is great, even for 134a auto replacement. The only thing is to make sure the oil is compatible and charge adjustment for pumping efficiency will be just a bit less energy friendly. Please don’t put in propane. The garbage mix we burn is not the same as refrigerant grade which is awesome.
Sean, I know the type. Generally speaking they have lots of money and no understanding.
Audio frequencies are <25khz. My “cheap” home scope is 250Mhz, so I’m getting 10,000 samples from each sine wave cycle at audio frequencies. AC power is 60 or 50 hz. A hobby scope will be getting millions of samples in each cycle. In some ways these modern home scopes are better than the 2GHz scope on trained on and cost more than my tuition back in the day (They are still $20k+!).
These audiophiles are the same middle age dudes that went to 100 dB Kiss concerts and smoked their ears 30 years ago.
I have used cheap test equipment. I have used cost-no-object test equipment. Mostly these days, unless you have to certify equipment for government inspectors, the “Rigols” of the world work fine, thank you. If you have money burning a hole in your pocket, buy Tek, HP/Agilent, Rohde & Schwarz, Fluke, etc. Work just bought a Rigol RF (3GHz) spectrum analyzer to replace our aged and broken Tektronix. I love the Rigol, better than the old (1980’s) Tek. Very affordable for the capabilities it has. Perfect? no. Must re-boot once in a while, it gets confused. more than gets the job done!
Edit: Added Rigol link…
Actually this era/capabilities oscilloscope talk does relate back to KoenVL’s inverter generator-engine recommendation.
And then add in another topics recent war-came concerns.
And add in ChrisS’s recent put up, ground temperatures map.
I have been roundly criticize minimal here on the DOW, but severly off-DOW by survivalist aquantneces for locking myself into a make electricity, electronics dependent solution.
You see these inverter generators while simple See-Do in the engine; and simple See-Do in their spinning permanent magnet generator sections ARE very complex in in their sensing, logic, and power electronics sections.
They modern windmill-like produce a three-phase wild frequency and wild voltage from the PM head power output section.
Know hobby level of power electronics - audio/Ham; know automotive electronics and I (YOU) can mix-match, swap the inverter assembly from any one of my four to another.
Hasn’t been an automotive car, truck with a non-electronic charging system made new since the late 1960’s. They all since then have had needing power diodes alternators with at least detached analog electronic voltage regulators. Digital logic voltage regulators starting in the late 1970’s. Daily working with these back then, and since, a smart fellow learned quick to just handle them for inputs, to get desired outputs. Screw the fine internal circuitry details.
“An EMP will fry all modern digital chips electronics!” A scare lie. Said for the effects on you.
Broadcast waves in all forms shows you well about distances, ground terrains and mass blocking shadow effects. Never, ever, is an ALL. Make yourself to be the exception. That is what makes you exceptional.
Koen’s found inverter-generator is even less electronics dependent than mine as not having an engine RPM sensing; and ramping up and down control.
As he shows it is manually adjusted.
So fellows there is another learning task for you all . . .
Set aside the drones and robots and the graphene playing arounds; and self-teach yourself to mix-match and make-happen with the best of yesterdays and todays, mass manufactured components to make safe useable amounts of electricity.
The make useable electricity Artificers will be a valued skill in any We-All-Fall-Down.
A challenge. Your challenge. I’m there already.
Ha! And I still do have a 1980’s dumb-dumb all mechanical (except the charging alternator) three cylinder J.D/Yanmar Ag tractor. And a 10kW brushless MeccAlta generator head. 10,000 hours solutions. Five years minimum at two four hour cycles day 7/365.
Steve Unruh
that is kind of what I figured, Rigols are listed as one of the top budget scopes, but I am looking at sub-rigols, because I have like 2 projects that could use one, but neither requires super high accuracy. And the accuracy over the last couple of years has gone up on the very low-end. i don’t know if that is an improvement or they are claiming better results then they actually get.
Is that the FNIRSI-1014d scope? do you like it?