Date: Tue, 9 Feb 2010 14:42:42 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: generators/inverters for camping
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf1002091437t2e7cc4c7r5d61049064ddda6b@mail.gmail.com>
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Note:
the voltage readings used herein are approximate and from memory. I have
since learned that the actual numbers can be used to deduce stuff. When I
was testing all this, I was not writing down the exact readings so don't
take the numbers and start doing complex computations and expect meaningful
results. Appx # only.
Don Hanson
On Tue, Feb 9, 2010 at 2:37 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:
> 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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