Thrive Off Grid

I’ve actually in recent years seen capacitor conversion kits for vintage motorcycles. Replaces the old battery and is there just to provide a constant voltage for the lights and whatnot.

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Yes they are available here they are hybrid batterys the one we bought a few weeks ago for a Nissan diesel truck was a 25AH lifepo4 battery with Maxwell super caps inside the battery box , looks just like a standard car battery but a fraction of the weight .
i also managed to collect about 20 odd lifepo4 8 AH battery packs , came out of jump starters that had faulty circuit boards , even got some complete and managed to get them working again , not too bad for scrap price as each of these jump starters sells for $700 in the local auto shops here

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I’m honestly not sure if I want to make a few individual packs of 12v or one big one.

I might just make a 4s1p and a 4s2p pack.
The 8ah pack being for my little 12v cordless chainsaw and any other 12v power tool I have laying about and the 16ah pack for a small bank. I can always expand the other pack and I probably will over time. I can 3D print those convenient holders so I could make a handy little hip mounted battery pack with a cord to go to my chainsaw.

The Black and Decker uses heavy and slowly dying pre-lithium style packs, can’t remember if they’re NiMh or what. I may in the future try to rebuild the packs themselves with 18650 or pouch cells.

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Because of this talk, I looked at one yesterday. $2199 plus tax. "7600W Running " for the 9500w model.

So I am floundering around with choices. The signeer 3000 watt inverter will run our little dinky air compressor even when it’s starting for a charged tank, while the Honda eu3000i struggles to start it in the same conditions.
My point is for price and availability, these damn inverter generators are losing ground to
the high surge capacity full sine wave inverter/chargers.


We bought this for my wife’s house, for $1,235 plus tax. 300% surge capacity.
We are waiting to deploy it, until the server rack LiFePO4 batteries come.
Phew! I am wandering all over the point.
The Lil inverter generators can quietly and cheaply charge the battery bank, and the high surge inverters can run the air/plasi table.
I used to use old heavy brush generators. They were the best deal, but parts are too hard to get. I am going back to charging batteries with car alternators or motors (spun by biodiesel Yanmars or charcoal IH engines), and welding/compressing air with the high surge inverters again.
It’s a weird dance.
ST heads anyone?

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Yeah Im using the head from central Georgia generator for my AC builds.

The only thing about the 9500 I like better than the 8750 is it has the parallel ports, so you can hook two of them up together. Other wise I dont see the value of paying that much more over the 8750.

At some point I am going to disect this thing and see what the DC output is and if its usable Ill bypass the stock inverter to direct into a battery bank / inverter system for the shop. This generator has more than enough power and I even think it has more capability than the 9000 watt standard generator. Its just the brain in this thing that is limiting it.

With a standard unit if you over load it it dont care and will keep on trucking. These inverter if the controls see it go over a set parameter it says oh he did it again!!! shut it down!!! shut it down!!! lol

I ran my cloths dryer with it and it runs that better than 9000 watt unit. The 9000 watt will struggle while the 8750 revs up and then once going it idles down like its not even there.

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Here are the M-2 Mule and M-3 Utility in RTR format. These units are not done they just have received their Fusion modules. There 4 more I am building Fusions for and then they all enter into final assembly and will be ready to ship soon!!




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That is beautiful work

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I picked up one of these for $125. I cleaned out some La Poo from inside the carburetor bowl/main jet, and started making power with it.
I got 14hrs on it. It’s reasonably quiet. Immna put 0w oil in it so I don’t have to bring it in by the stove to start it.
@Matt is this the engine you run on charcoal/wood gas?
I can’t believe I ended up here, with this thing. I can’t start the Wisconsin it has too much compression. The GX Honda turning an alternator was supposed to have one wire regulators, that I bought off eBay. That was a scam they still need to be initiated by touching the batteries. There’s no way I can start the yanmar even with the decompressor.
Do they make an electric start version of this in this size?
DF

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I generally run 400 cc range and would not even consider an engine without electric start.

The 212’s work great with an alternator but are pretty much worthless in an AC generator.

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I’ve only electric start done and seen retrofits on this small of units.
Plenty of starters available.
The problem is no available ring geared flywheel.
I’ve used the older Deco Remy 2 pole motor-generators.
Better to use the more modern, much more powerful, 4 pole Hitachi units.
Belt driving an adapted on, top of flywheel pulley.
These are double ball bearing units so can stay engaged spinning all of the time. Even independently generate starting battery re-charging.

I’ve seen others who segment notched out the tin metal cover and pivot unit engaged a friction wheel onto the flywheel smooth outer.
Use an over sized electric motor driving with an adapted boat trailer roller.
Use one of the old floorboard starter switches, pivot arm timed mounted.
One hand pivot to engage/power to spin. Once engine started; gravity or spring let go disengaged.

Hey! I finally re-found the box of goodie I was going to ship you.
Will go out today.
Regards - stay unfrost bitten
Steve Unruh

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when i first saw that photo of the generator i thought " poor bugger looks like a tree limb musta fallen on it , how the hell is it still running pheeew lucky lucky , mind you it is 4. 45 am not had my morning cuppa yet .
Take the pull starter off and use your cordless drill with a suitable sized socket for your electric start .
Dave

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I think that’s how it was made, Dave. I know. Looks weird but the tank isn’t bent. You are the one who convinced me I could start my generator with a drill. Thank you again. I would never get that crappy Generac started otherwise.

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Yes, I ve got the 400 cc Yanmar with electr start.

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My 10hp Yanmar clone also has electric start with 2 or 3 amp stator to recharge the battery.

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In parallel, caps are additive. In series, it is quite a bit more complicated, a lot of the banks use both serial and parallel. But since I would screw up the description of serial connections. This is a better explanation. :stuck_out_tongue:
https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/capacitor/cap_7.html

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What a great day to wood gas an engine!! Today was a scorching HOT 62 degrees. Todays victim was the new Predator 8750 Inverter genny. That thing ran great!! I did some load test and I was able to set my welder where I set it running gasoline. This was a bit challenging in the past running the standard versions. But then again this was only the first run with virgin filters.

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Matt bar none you definitely have an eye for aesthetics without sacrificing practicality. Nothing on your units aren’t meant to be on there and are considerate of future expansions.

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Yeah the art of designing manufacturing process into the product while making it look good.!
Manufacturing process is what drives nearly all the machine design beyond the core functions for this revision. These machines are the first ever to achieve this design level, where before my focus was more to the development side and core functions without considering manufacturing concepts for mass production.

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Kind of amazing how fast you start making gas with that unit. very impressed. I think you must be getting a certain amount of power drop from that much cord. I’m guessing the average guy just running a welder, table saw or grinder that it would be even more efficient. Enjoyed the video. Easy to understand what you were doing.

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Hey Matt Ryder, one of your best videos yet.

TomH. better to have a bit’o voltage and power loss in that electrical cord and keep the carbon monoxide Makers; and the carbon monoxide Consumers outside.
Safety first.
The before engine running, gasifer venting. After engine shut off, hot still active gasifier leaking.
Engine running not all fuel input carbon monoxide will be consumed. And the engine will make a bit more CO too. ~1% exhaust CO on a small engine’s exhaust without a catalytic converter and a secondary air (into the exhaust stream). Poison.
And the engine will make +/- 11% carbon dioxide. An asphyxiant.
Long term combusting in a really sealed tight space will oxygen deplete. Even a large volume space.
Ha! Ha! Old drafty housed and big doors shops are wood stove heating safe.
Fully modern, code houses are not. They need air exchanger systems. It’s code here.
Regards
Steve Unruh

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