power watts volts amps !£$%

[Giblets]

An interesting 12v genny project here

 

[VicMallows]

An interesting 12v genny project here

It's a sad fact that today, even if you have both a suitable engine and alternator lying around (I do!) ..... the other small bits and pieces would probably end up costing more than a complete £49 genny from the likes of ALDI. Still satisfying and fun though

Nick: In my keen amateur radio days (when I was 16!) I used a DC-DC dynamotor and car battery to power a home made 'pedestrian mobile' transceiver which I wheeled around on an old pram chassis. A pic was even published in 'ShortWave Magasine' I still have the dynamotor and it can do effective duty for light welding.

 

[VicMallows]

whereas the waveform on an even cheaper Aldi conventional generator was significantly distorted.

As a light electronics Engineer, I am trying to get my head around why this should be. Any power Engineers care to explain? I am guessing we are into flux density/saturation??

 

[pampas]

+1 I would have thought with conventinal construction a pure sine wave is generated as opposed to the inverter type that relies on good quality equipment during construction to obtain a pure wave form, which is likely to deteriate with age.

 

[DaveS]

As a light electronics Engineer, I am trying to get my head around why this should be. Any power Engineers care to explain? I am guessing we are into flux density/saturation??

Well, as a power engineer, I think you are thinking along exactly the right lines. The textbook conventional generator should in theory produce a pure sine wave, but I suspect that in manufacturing the "cheapies" a few liberties have been taken in choice of materials etc. I did not try taking it apart to investigate further, but simply thought "at £120 for over 2kW what do you expect?".