Chinese gennies - again!

Don't know about this particular generator. I test a lot of transformers at work and with no load the dc output is often higher than the the rated output. I suspect if you put a load on it it would drop to 14.4 or close to it and be ok for your fridge and charging batteries.

Hendo, one thing to consider is that the genny only charges at 8 amps, it will take a long time to charge your deep cycle battery. It will give you the sh***s running all day. Just something to consider. John

you do have to run something to get the right voltage , get a battery and connect it to your 12 charger , make sure the battery is away from you and there is something like a panel nest you , also place a old towel over the battery . Start the Gen, and take a volts test. The reason for the precoutions , if it is charging 18 or 19 Volts , it will blow the battery in around 30 sec ,

Hendo don't run your fridge from the 240v supply use the 12 v with a battery in parallel to smooth out the voltage peaks. I thought these generators were better than they are but I was wrong check post 11066. These generators are fine for battery charging, lights, and any resistive load or universal motors but due to the governor I would not use it on induction motors or any expensive 240v equipment eg computers.
I wouldn't worry about the open circuit voltage as they could be a bit like the charging circuit of some small outboard motors just half wave output. You would be better off using a 240 v battery chargerfrom the 240v output.

Hendo I don't want to tell you a lot of rubbish but I can't answer your question about the voltage spikes. One thing I do know is that the charging of deep cycle batteries is different to cranking batteries due to their high internal resistance. As they are unable to accept high initial charging rates and they require a slightly higher voltage to fully charge them. I don't use a deep cycle battery just an Exide Extreme so I haven't researched the subject.
See if you can find out a bit more info on charging deep cycle batteries

Meggs has just reminded us of the problems with deep cycle batteries & the difficulties in charging them.
Most frig manufacturers advise that the frig should be run direct off a 12v battery, not a genny.
Today I was in Kmart & saw a Scorpion 800w genney at $249-.
As they are going for about that on Ebay PLUS $27 postage & no insurance I grabbed one and Kmart are usually good with returns of faulty stuff at least in out local store.
The Scorpion is said to be a Chinese Mitsubishi product & hopefully e bit better than some others. It seems to retail at tool outlets for $389 so big saving.
Have yet to open the box & may comment more later.Interseting comments above about getting the best charge rate, ie 240v charger or direct link.Would the 240v charger of the right amperage give more boost than the direct 12v connection?
Must read the instructions tomorrow.

Check out this site for info on charging batteries and other stuff!!!

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/index.htm

I opened my Scorpion 950 $249 genny this a.m. & did the right thing & read the instructions first. There were a few jokes in the Chinese/English but generally made sense. Complete with diagrams & parts list too!
Recommended 50-1 mix which I tend to think is bit lean for an airccoled 2S.
Also says 40-1 summer. As 2S oils are relatively smoke free now I tended towards a bit richer for first start up anyhow.
Starts first pull each time when warm.
I overstretched it a bit and ran a 500W spotty & 550W 240v power drill at the same time plus link to a 12v battery for charging. This may not have taken much as it was near fully charged anyway but even tho it was overloaded it started & stran the drill a number of times with the other stuff in place & was fairly quiet.
Hope that helps folks.

The GMC is only $199 at Bunnings with a 2 year replacement warranty..

Yep, I got the powerboard in the same box thanks!
There are two Scorpion gennys about the same power, ie about 650 & 800 watts by memory, one being 1 kg heavier than the other.
Mine is the 800. Dont know if its the same as the GMC as I am nowhere near Bunnings.

Hi All,

Well I speak from experience about the battery charger. I ran the Waeco a little to long on the Navara and woke up to a dead battery (cranking with no backup).

My battery pack wouldn't even turn the motor over so I Hooked the battery to the Scorpion 950 Genny and about 80 mins later we were on our way.

As for the deep cycle battery, I think you'll need a long time get the charge back into it. I don't think I would run the Waeco direct from the charger without some checking on the consistency of the voltage.

Cheers
Macca

Not sure where others have measured output but I tried several methods.
Firstly with no load ( & therefore low revs & output) the reading direct from the 12v outlet was 11.3 to 11.5v.
When I put a 500 w load on the 240v outlet the reading was 12.55 to 12.8+ which seems fine to me but I didnt get 14.4v.
If this is too low maybe someone could let me know .

Hi Meggs, yes it does slow to a fast idle with no appliances attached then as you plug in say a 500w spotty it speeds up to a nice steady (probably 3000rpm)
and stays there. It starts easily & I have no problems with it for what it is & it seems well made & with only 3000 rpm from 63cc motor it should last a long time all other things being equal!

Just checked the guarantee. Its for 12 months & has to go back to distributor, Austech Industries, but no address for them on box or guarantee form.
Sure its available or Kmart would not deal.
Hopefully Kmart would act on problems as they do for other appliances.

There is an interesting thread on these generators on the MSN Caravaners Forum .

I went to Bunnings today and asked them about the GMC generators and they had them, I missed them before so I got one at $198. One of the main selling points was 2 year replacement warranty as to give a warranty like this they must be reasonable sure of the product as warranty work costs. I believe there are at least 6 of the same generators sold under different names proberbly made in the same prison in China.
I did some tests on mine the 240v output at no load 265v and 53hz and at a full 600w load (Toaster) it dropped to 51hz and 240v, these figures are acceptable.
The 12v side was more interesting. I had a battery that had been charged a couple of days before but was stuffed due to poor capacity and I connected this up to the 12v output. The current draw was 9.5 A and after about 20sec the CB tripped. I put this down to short leads and the normal initial high charging current. If you are relying on this for charging a flat battery you will have a problem. The best bet would be battery charger on the 240v side or some longer thinner 12v charging leads.
Other than the position of the starter cord I am happy enough with it.

I was extremelly interested in this discussion string as I just purchased a GME 850 from Bunnings in Darwin for..........get this........$189 and they were literarly walking out the door.

About to test it out on a camping and fishing trip to Coburg Peninsula (Arnhem Land). We plan to run a couple of WAECOs as well as lights, etc. let you know how it went when we get back.

Wizard

ATTENTION PLEASE
I WANT JUST SAY, BE CAREFUL WITH SCORPION GENERATORS. (AUSTECH INDUSTIES) I BOUGHT ONE FROM K-MART AND RETURNING TODAY BECAUSE OF FUEL SPILLS. THE FUEL IS LEAKING FROM TOP OF THE TANK VHERE ARE THE HOLES FOR HANDLE SCREWS. THE CAP IS FAULTY TO. IT CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THE GENERATOR IS TRANSPORTED IN THE VEHICLE WITH FUEL IN.
I DID LOOK AT FEW AND FIND SAME PROBLEMS.

GOING TO BUY HONDA, LOCAL DEALER SELING FOR $880 NEW, CASH IN HAND.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL