Author Topic: Flapping in the wind  (Read 6087 times)

bandmiller2

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Flapping in the wind
« on: May 30, 2012, 01:27:03 AM »
Should have listened to you guys when you were talking about the cheap ST dog houses,ran up my ST-10 today that cheap piece of tin was bouncing so bad I thought it would break the variable resistor.I'll do a search on the subject, but has anyone tried making a 1/4" steel or aluminum plate to slide under the box.?? Holes for wires could be drilled with a slot to slide it under. Frank C.
Fast cheap and easy are seductive sirens,its a rare man that does not court their pleasures.

ronmar

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #1 on: May 30, 2012, 01:32:13 AM »
IMO, it would be just as easy to replace the box with a heavy off the shelf steel enclosure as to spend the time cutting and fitting a support plate for the existing cheesy box...  That is what I did, and I havn't looked back...
PS 6/1 - ST-5.

Tom

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2012, 01:49:10 AM »
I did an entire delete with just a flat plate with the rectifier in it. Now that an AVR is coming (got one of the Chinese ones on ebay for 19.95 shipping included) I'll need to mount a metal box there.
Tom
2004 Ashwamegh 6/1 #217 - ST5 just over 3k hours.

38ac

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #3 on: May 30, 2012, 02:42:16 AM »
Here is a nice heavy box I got at Home Depot. The terminal block came from Grainger. Bite the bullet and get rid of the whole shabang and do her right is my advise.. Lots of fellows here can help you get it connected back up right if need be. It is actualy a whole lot less confusing once done like this.
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BruceM

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #4 on: May 30, 2012, 05:54:13 AM »
I agree, 38AC, the standard junction boxes you can get at any electrical supply house are a very good choice and are often priced right.   I used a die cast aluminum box with lid that I had on hand.  I put the bridge in a bigger box on the wall with my homebrew AVR, it's 240-120 step down transformer and the adjustable power resistor for the harmonic backup system; I figured why vibrate the bridge and it's spade connections when I don't have to.  The wall box also has a DPDT switch for brush polarity reversing, a switch for AVR or Harmonic selection and the manual flash field buttons.  I should have put the voltage, current and frequency meters in that box but they predated the homebrew AVR.




38ac

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #5 on: May 30, 2012, 11:27:10 AM »
I figured why vibrate the bridge and it's spade connections when I don't have to. 



I absolutely agree,  I think ultimately everything that does not have to be attached to the engine/frame/gen head unit should be hanging on the wall in a perminant iinstallation. 
 
My unit is portable so I have some compromises. :(   Since the initial installation and pictures I had to solder the spade lugs to the bridge rectifier terminals to keep them attached. One of my problems is that at 60 Hrtz the 1115 is not quite at it's sweet spot for smooth operation. The right pulley is manufactured and available but $90 :( and I am cheap.
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ronmar

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #6 on: May 30, 2012, 03:05:22 PM »
I used the same box as 38ac, only I stood it on end. It covers the generator access/box foundation perfectly.  I put circuit breakers and hour meter in the top end(pointing up), put a western style rectifyer in the middle of the large side of the box(opposite the cover) and my rectifyer filter caps set in the bottom. Cables come out of the front end to feed the the loadbank distribution switch and the feedline that runs to my main panel when I need the generator to power the house.  It has worked great so far.  I have a 4 way outlet at the load bank distribution switch and I keep a killowatt plugged into that for instrumentation:)
PS 6/1 - ST-5.

bandmiller2

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #7 on: May 31, 2012, 01:39:01 AM »
Well that settles it a better box to be installed.How important is cooling in the box,your replacements are a tite box, the origional has some small vent holes and as the gen.fan pulls air in its bound to pull some through the box.My new ST-10 comes with a knob adjustable reostat to adjust voltage and a potted square bridge rectifier,do they generate much heat.??Thanks Frank C.
Fast cheap and easy are seductive sirens,its a rare man that does not court their pleasures.

rleonard

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #8 on: May 31, 2012, 11:21:15 AM »
A comment regarding cooling.  The two ST's I had, had plenty of air going through them and heat was never an issue.  The perforated band at the brush end has big enough holes to let the mice in.  Insulation was tasty enough and I had chewed wires.  Solution?  Put hardware cloth with 1/4 holes under the band and air outlet vents.

Bob
Faster - Better - Cheaper  You can have any two, but not all three

ronmar

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2012, 03:15:46 PM »
A comment regarding cooling.  The two ST's I had, had plenty of air going through them and heat was never an issue.  The perforated band at the brush end has big enough holes to let the mice in.  Insulation was tasty enough and I had chewed wires.  Solution?  Put hardware cloth with 1/4 holes under the band and air outlet vents.

Bob


+1, my ST has an open hole under the pully end of the generator.  Perfect access for rodents.  Had a mouse in my generator shed who moved into the generator to thankfully only store seeds.  No damage, just a mess that had to be blown out...  Added some 1/4" expanded metal mesh(used for backing for stucco) over that opening.  As for cooling, I doubt all that much air is drawn down thru the box.  The stock rectifyer on mine was mounted to a plastic circuit board.  It is now mounted to a metal box, way better heatsinc potential. IF the reostat circuit is setup properly, it shouldn't make much heat, but again, way better heatsinc potential mounted into a metal box... 
PS 6/1 - ST-5.

38ac

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Re: Flapping in the wind
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2012, 06:03:45 PM »
I have never had enough steady and heavy load on mine to know if I have a heat sink problem.  23 HP and 15 KW is a lot to load up.  I can shock it pretty good when my 10HP engine lathe starts across the lines through a rotary  3 phase converter  ;D but that load comes off quickly and cannot tax it while turning parts. I removed my factory rectifier have installed one of my 25 cent 1050 bridge rectifiers on a 2x2 slab of 1/4 aluminum for a test yet to be done.
Collector and horder of about anything diesel