Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 21:42:39 -0500
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: generators/inverters for camping
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf1002091437t2e7cc4c7r5d61049064ddda6b@mail.gmail.com>
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Don,
I think I may have missed something here. Most likely what is happening is
that the generator is not seeing the chargers so it is not "exciting" the
windings. This is similar to an alternator not turning on until you rev the
engine. Get a 100 watt light bulb and plug it into the generator. The bulb
should light. With the bulb lighted plug in and turn on the charger. I bet
it will now work.
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 5:37 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: generators/inverters for camping
Way too complex for my meager understanding of electrical stuff. Though I
am learning some.
This machine (the Coleman Powermate) does run at a constant speed and the
sound 'deepens' when I connect a load which it will "accept"...like a hair
dryer or a hand drill. But no change in the 'tone' of the generator's motor
when I plug in my brand new battery charger or when I plug in the trailer's
"Load Center" which I understand contains an inverter and a battery charger
said to be automatic.
Now, when I plugged into my neighbor's honda 2000ie generator, either with
my charger or my coach 'load center' (shore power cable)
that Honda generator changed speed and pitch, as it is said to do, and
supplied a nice full power charge both through my accessory battery charger
into my batteries direct and also through the Load Center/invertor/charger
built into the Layton trailer...reading about 12.5v at the batteries with
the built in charger only and about 12.9 with both chargers connected. In
about 4hrs running time, we brought both my deep cycle batteries (hooked +>+
and ->-) up to near full charge at 12.67 from around 10.9v.
When I test the Coleman's 12v dc outputs which are 2 power point type plug
sockets, I get no reading until I plug something in to cause a load. So I
sort of surmise that both my charger (new, works fine with other power) and
my trailer 'Load Center' are somehow not supplying a return signal to
properly excite(?) the generator...anyhow...those two applications do not
speak "Coleman Powermate" or maybe the Coleman doesn't speak "battery
charger or Load Center" but it does speak drill motor and hair
dryer...Selectivly deaf, I guess. I am going to McGyver a power plug with a
couple of battery alligator clamps on some leads and see if I can get 12v DC
power right from one of the 12v sockets into my batteries, which I will then
'watch' with my multimeter..The generator came with a set-up like that to
charge batteries but the plug melted and no longer goes into the socket.
Don Hanson
On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 12:48 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
> At 01:28 PM 2/9/2010, Don Hanson wrote:
>
>> working. When I get back to the Northwest I'll get more serious about
>> finding a good used Honda or maybe decide to just buy a new one and E-bay
>> away the Coleman Powermate..
>>
>
> Don, unless I'm completely missing something, that particular unit is
> broken. Sure would be nice to have someone put a scope on the output and
> see what happens when you plug in a load. It should be able to provide 15
> amps without losing regulation. The manual says if you're using the 12v
> output, take away 180 watts from the AC rating.
>
> With no load you should see a nice clean output that peaks around 165
volts
> plus and minus both, frequency 60 Hz +/- 3 Hz. As you add load the engine
> note should deepen but the speed stay the same; the waveform may get
dirtied
> up a bit but should still be a recognizable sine wave that peaks around
165
> volts and the freq should stay within +/- three.
>
> If you don't get those results then the machine is busted in some concrete
> manner; if you do then it should run pretty much anything within its power
> rating (including starting surge), although an electric clock may not keep
> good time.
>
> I'd be reluctant to sell the thing without finding out what's wrong with
> it.
>
> Yours,
> David
>
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