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Author Topic: 115 or 220  (Read 15783 times)

johnny williams

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115 or 220
« on: November 23, 2007, 12:16:21 AM »
What are you guys running your heads at. I had been running at 220, well pump loves it, but all of my oyher loads are 110. Just for grins and giggles tonight I wired the head for 115. BOY WHAT A SUPRISE. No more light flicker, not bad at 220, 2.5hp radial arm saw thinks it is on "real" power. 1/2 hp air compressor starts under load as well as it does on the grid. Thinking of running a sub panel and using the ST for 110 only. Will set up a way of running a jumper to the house from the shop if the power goes out. Is anyone else doing anything like this?

Johnny

rcavictim

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #1 on: November 23, 2007, 01:29:21 AM »
Will set up a way of running a jumper to the house from the shop if the power goes out. Is anyone else doing anything like this?

Johnny

No-one on this forum is doing anything like that.  This is a place about basket weaving   ;D



...and kidding around.  Good for you.  Yes.  I ran a 3-wire, 230 volt line to the house to provide emergency power from one of my generators installed in the shop when the mains go down.  I don`t want to hear or smell any generators from my house.
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gpkull

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #2 on: November 23, 2007, 01:58:38 AM »
wire to your needs or demands. if 220 and running a bunch of 110 loads balance acc. dont know about jumper and doesnt sound good but to each there own

Tom

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #3 on: November 23, 2007, 06:52:44 AM »
I just converted mine back to 240. In 120V it ran all kinds of large stuff really well. Now it will be running the house and inverters for backup charging. Strangely I lost the original rectifier when I made this change and now it seems I lost the replacement, we will find out for sure tomorrow.

Interesting report about the light flicker. I noticed a bit when mine was wired for 120V, I'll report back if it is any worse now.
Tom
2004 Ashwamegh 6/1 #217 - ST5 just over 3k hours.

johnny williams

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #4 on: November 23, 2007, 03:01:50 PM »
GREAT rca I need a LARGE waste basket for all of my trash :D Can you build me one.

rcavictim

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #5 on: November 23, 2007, 06:55:08 PM »

GREAT rca I need a LARGE waste basket for all of my trash :D Can you build me one.


Sorry Johnny,

I`m too busy weaving my own.  I can however give you the name of an institution that allows you to book yourself in for free that has courses on basket weaving and they supply the materials no charge.  You get free psychotropical drugs too!   ;D
-DIY 1.5L NA VW diesel genset - 9 kW 3-phase. Co-gen, dual  fuel
- 1966, Petter PJ-1, 5 kW air cooled diesel standby lighting plant
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johnny williams

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2007, 01:49:24 AM »
GEE Thanks I may need that after Christmas is over. I already have too many drugs now LOL

Tom

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #7 on: November 24, 2007, 02:32:24 AM »
Well got the ST5 working again, seems a wire broke on the armature windings. Since I'm working at the home site my solder iron was not there, so I McGuyvered it. I took a 5" length of #6 ground wire and filed a point on it and then clamped it in some vice grips. I had a propane torch and solder for plumbing, so I heated and tined my new "iron". Then got it good and hot and soldered those wires right up.

The light flicker seems no different with it wired form 120/240. These are florescent lights and they do flicker a bit with both setups. one thing that did change though is the sound of the generator. It now makes a humming noise when the lights are on.
Tom
2004 Ashwamegh 6/1 #217 - ST5 just over 3k hours.

listerdiesel

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #8 on: November 26, 2007, 11:55:41 PM »
Since I'm working at the home site my solder iron was not there, so I McGuyvered it. I took a 5" length of #6 ground wire and filed a point on it and then clamped it in some vice grips. I had a propane torch and solder for plumbing, so I heated and tined my new "iron". Then got it good and hot and soldered those wires right up.

While in Phoenix last week, we found a nice little surplus store, picked up a brand new 1lb copper soldering iron, with US Govt tag from 1953, $6 plus AZ tax. Got it on my desk here at home, handy for the occasional burglar... :-))

Peter

rcavictim

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #9 on: November 27, 2007, 05:41:21 AM »
Since I'm working at the home site my solder iron was not there, so I McGuyvered it. I took a 5" length of #6 ground wire and filed a point on it and then clamped it in some vice grips. I had a propane torch and solder for plumbing, so I heated and tined my new "iron". Then got it good and hot and soldered those wires right up.

While in Phoenix last week, we found a nice little surplus store, picked up a brand new 1lb copper soldering iron, with US Govt tag from 1953, $6 plus AZ tax. Got it on my desk here at home, handy for the occasional burglar... :-))

Peter


I`ve never had a problem with the occasional burgler breaking in and robbing my soldering iron, even though it does contain copper.  Oh crap now the world knows I have a copper tipped soldering iron too.  I`ll have to install an alarm system.  Oh, oh, that will contain copper as well.  I`m trapped in a loop.   :o
-DIY 1.5L NA VW diesel genset - 9 kW 3-phase. Co-gen, dual  fuel
- 1966, Petter PJ-1, 5 kW air cooled diesel standby lighting plant
-DIY JD175A, minimum fuel research genset.
-Changfa 1115
-6 HP Launtop air cooled diesel
-Want Lister 6/1
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mobile_bob

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #10 on: November 27, 2007, 06:43:49 AM »
here's an interesting soldering iron for the survivalist

many years ago i saw this type of iron and it had been in use in a starter/generator rebuild shop for many years


you take a wooden handle #2 philips screw driver

pull the steel shaft out of the handle,  and drill thru the handle so that the steel shaft can be pushed clear thru

you then hammer and flatten the back end of the shaft, and drill it to attach a #8 stranded copper lead with a large aligator clamp on the other
end,,, the length of the lead on that one was about 6 ft long.

you then push the steel shaft back into the handle

on the working end you install a 1/4" copper tubing ferrule type union, torque down tight on the steel shaft

you then use a 1/4 inch carbon rod, (he got his out of an old carbon zinc D battery, but the rods are available at a welding shop)
he used a pencil sharpener to point the end of the rod,

cut the rod off at about an inch or a bit longer

install this carbon tip into the other end of the ferrule union and snug it up enough to keep in from falling out

you then attach the alligator clip to a 12 volt battery, and touch the tip to a convenient ground (not directly to the battery of course
it is under the bench and that is why the lead is 6 ft long)

in a second or two the carbon will glow red hot, and you can solder alot of connection before it cools
i watched the old guy solder up armature commutator connections pretty quickly with it, touch the ground and heat the tip
solder one or two, reheat, and repeat.

dirt cheap and very effective, no sal ammoniac, and no tinning required

anyway one to add to the end of the world files

bob g
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jzeeff

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2007, 09:54:16 PM »

Why flicker?  I'd get a "Killawatt" and see if you are right at 60Hz and 120V.  Your generator shouldn't be any different than utility power.


Quinnf

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2007, 10:30:57 PM »
That's right.  However it's belted to a slow turning long-stroke single cylinder diesel engine.  So it speeds up and slows down with each power stroke and subsequent compression stroke to the tune of about 5.4 Hz which causes a voltage fluctuation which the eye can definitely see.  Incandescent lights and compact fluorescent lights don't show much flicker, but regular fluorescents flicker noticeably.

Quinn
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ZackaryMac

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #13 on: December 12, 2007, 01:47:48 AM »
... and compact fluorescent lights don't show much flicker, but regular fluorescents flicker noticeably.

Quinn

If I may ask a off-topic question about compact fluorescent lights that's been puzzling me...What makes them so tollerant to uneven or odd power? What I mean by that is, I have an old Honda generator (E80) that I recently managed to make run, and wanted to test it. I read somewhere else on here about CFLs and how they worked well on unclean generator power, so Ii decided to try it. Plugged the light in, worked fine. The generator wasn't running too smooth, so RPM was up/down a bit, and the light never changed in brightness till before the motor almost stopped. Not only all that, but the generator puts out 180hz, or so Honda claims. Didn't want to risk plugging in the Kill-A-Watt and killing it to find out the Hz, which was supposed to be out of range for the KAW anyway. Do they convert to DC, then back again to AC or what goes on in there? I've Googled but found nothing conclusive.
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Doug

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Re: 115 or 220
« Reply #14 on: December 12, 2007, 03:53:06 AM »
This should help explain things much better than I can....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluorescent_lamp

All lights with a gas tube work on the principle that electrons moving from one end of the tube to the other bash into atoms of other stuff. This bashing about changes the energy state the outer shell of electrons and causes light to be released. The amount of current needed to make the light opperate properly is regulated by the ballast. The ballast makes the CFL work a little more consistantly so you don;t notice the flicker as much.

Depending on the stuff in the tube and what if anything ht etubes are coated with you can get some differennces in colour.

I myself am kind of fond of the old magnetic CFL because they are simple and the bulbs are easily replaced.
I also like the dark colourless yellow type of lights from another type of lighting called a low Presure Sodium. Welll not so much because of the light but because I like the simplicity and reliability of LPS over FL and other HID lighting systems.
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