In need of a generator for storm outages--Suggestions?

[Michael A. Terrell]

P E Schoen wrote:

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
news:ikrhfj$1ec$1@news.eternal-september.org...

I once saw a hobbyist construction project where they took a
horizontal-shaft 'lawmower' motor and mounted it next to the
car alternator with a belt. It generated without the car engine
running, saving heaps of gasoline.

I just bought two of these on sale for $99 each:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

Post your review here after you use them:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541


--
You can't fix stupid. You can't even put a Band-Aid™ on it, because it's
Teflon coated.

 

[P E Schoen]

"Michael A. Terrell" wrote in message
news:8P-dnbh0GpmfJu_QnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@earthlink.com...

Post your review here after you use them:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541

Done. I just fueled up and ran it for a little while. It runs a 3.5 amp
electric drill with no problem. It's a bit noisy, about like a weed whacker,
so it is not appropriate for campground use. But for emergencies, it should
work well enough to power essential electrical items such as the heat tape
to keep my water supply from freezing, and certainly my computer, TV, a few
lights, and my electric blanket. I could get a small refrigerator/freezer
for essential food items (such as beer!), but most real emergencies will be
in the winter where I can just put the food outside in a cooler chest.

I might run a separate "emergency" line in the house with, say, one outlet
per room, and have them specially labeled. I have the heat tape on a
separate GFI circuit so I might want to install a simple manual transfer
switch. Or I could make it automatic with a 20A DPDT relay with the coil on
the incoming utility supply.

Paul

 

[amdx]

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:8P-dnbh0GpmfJu_QnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@earthlink.com...

P E Schoen wrote:

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
news:ikrhfj$1ec$1@news.eternal-september.org...

I once saw a hobbyist construction project where they took a
horizontal-shaft 'lawmower' motor and mounted it next to the
car alternator with a belt. It generated without the car engine
running, saving heaps of gasoline.

I just bought two of these on sale for $99 each:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html


Post your review here after you use them:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541

I see only one review per item, do I need to register to see more, or did
I pick items that
had been reviewed only once.
Mikek

 

[ehsjr]

amdx wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:8P-dnbh0GpmfJu_QnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@earthlink.com...

P E Schoen wrote:

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
news:ikrhfj$1ec$1@news.eternal-september.org...


I once saw a hobbyist construction project where they took a
horizontal-shaft 'lawmower' motor and mounted it next to the
car alternator with a belt. It generated without the car engine
running, saving heaps of gasoline.

I just bought two of these on sale for $99 each:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html


Post your review here after you use them:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541


I see only one review per item, do I need to register to see more, or did
I pick items that
had been reviewed only once.
Mikek

You need to view the item from the item description page, not the
hfreviews link above. When viewing the item description, you can
then click on the reviews to see them. For example, there are 220
reviews on the generator. See the description at:
http://www.harborfreight.com/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

(watch for line wrap above)

Ed

 

[P E Schoen]

"ehsjr" wrote in message news:il30cd$pnp$1@news.eternal-september.org...

You need to view the item from the item description page, not
the hfreviews link above. When viewing the item description,
you can then click on the reviews to see them. For example,
there are 220 reviews on the generator. See the description at:

http://www.harborfreight.com/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html

Funny, my review did not appear in that list. I think HFreviews is a
different website, and mine was the only review:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541

I posted essentially the same review on the HF website but it has not
appeared. Maybe the responses are moderated?

Paul

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

amdx wrote:

"Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:8P-dnbh0GpmfJu_QnZ2dnUVZ_vWdnZ2d@earthlink.com...

P E Schoen wrote:

"Rich Grise" wrote in message
news:ikrhfj$1ec$1@news.eternal-september.org...

I once saw a hobbyist construction project where they took a
horizontal-shaft 'lawmower' motor and mounted it next to the
car alternator with a belt. It generated without the car engine
running, saving heaps of gasoline.

I just bought two of these on sale for $99 each:
http://www.harborfreight.com/engines-generators/gas-engine-generators/800-rated-watts-900-max-watts-portable-generator-66619.html


Post your review here after you use them:

http://hfreviews.com/item.php?id=8541

I see only one review per item, do I need to register to see more, or did
I pick items that
had been reviewed only once.

Enter the item number you're interested in.


--
You can't fix stupid. You can't even put a Band-Aid™ on it, because it's
Teflon coated.

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2011-03-01, George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> wrote:

Ahh, Thanks Tim. I certainly don't want to endanger anyone. I've
only had to do this twice in the ten years we've been in our current
home. I'll have to look into it.... You guys guilted me into buying
an isolation transformer for floating my 'scope. Perhaps I'll stop
posting all the silly stuff I do.. It's costing me too much
money :^)

I think yer supposed to isolate yer work and leave the scope grounded.

--
⚂⚃ 100% natural

 

[Rich Grise]

Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2011-03-01, George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> wrote:

Ahh, Thanks Tim. I certainly don't want to endanger anyone. I've
only had to do this twice in the ten years we've been in our current
home. I'll have to look into it.... You guys guilted me into buying
an isolation transformer for floating my 'scope. Perhaps I'll stop
posting all the silly stuff I do.. It's costing me too much
money :^)

I think yer supposed to isolate yer work and leave the scope grounded.

We used to float the scope by using one of those 3-prong female to 2-prong

male "grounding" adapters, and taping (or cutting off) the grounding
flylead.

Or, of course, simply ignoring it if it's a tab:
http://www.national-tech.com/prodimages/3-prong-2-prong-grounding.jpg ;-)

Of course, that won't work for people who are too stupid to know not to
handle the scope's frame/enclosure while standing on a wet basement floor
barefoot.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[krw@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz]

On Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:12:46 -0800, Rich Grise <richg@example.net.invalid>
wrote:

Jasen Betts wrote:
On 2011-03-01, George Herold <gherold@teachspin.com> wrote:

Ahh, Thanks Tim. I certainly don't want to endanger anyone. I've
only had to do this twice in the ten years we've been in our current
home. I'll have to look into it.... You guys guilted me into buying
an isolation transformer for floating my 'scope. Perhaps I'll stop
posting all the silly stuff I do.. It's costing me too much
money :^)

I think yer supposed to isolate yer work and leave the scope grounded.

We used to float the scope by using one of those 3-prong female to 2-prong
male "grounding" adapters, and taping (or cutting off) the grounding
flylead.

Or, of course, simply ignoring it if it's a tab:
http://www.national-tech.com/prodimages/3-prong-2-prong-grounding.jpg ;-)

We had "approved" adapters to do the same thing. One was basically an
extension cord through a 6"x6"x8" triangular wooden block, painted yellow,
with red "Danger" written on it. It was supposed to be set on top of the
scope warning others that you were using ungrounded equipment. Others had red
lights on top of a box, again supposed to be placed on top of the equipment.
Some places had ungrounded (red) outlets.

Of course, that won't work for people who are too stupid to know not to
handle the scope's frame/enclosure while standing on a wet basement floor
barefoot.

Likely about half, here, these days.