generators and extrension leads

Submitted: Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:20
ThreadID: 56629 Views:4342 Replies:9 FollowUps:21
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engel has lent us an shx1000 (1kva) generator to try out and see what we think
the boss had it for 3 weeks while away fishing and said it was great.
i got to try it out on the weekend running our van.(jayco hawk)
no good.
why? because they only fit a 10 amp outlet for extension leads to plug in to.
and caravan plugs have to be 15 amp(much bigger earth pin)
its aparently illegal to alter the plug and put a 10 amp male plug on the lead(so ive read/heard)
any ideas?
honda have the 15 amp outlet fitted.
thanks and cheers
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Reply By: Member - George (WA) - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:25

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:25
And so has Yamaha (15amp)
AnswerID: 298477

Reply By: Dunaruna - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:30

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:30
It is illegal and I wouldn't recommend changing the the female end of the extension lead to a 15amp plug which are available from bunnings.

Don't do it.

Did I mention that they are available from bunnings?
AnswerID: 298479

Follow Up By: Hairy (NT) - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:38

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:38
I would.
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Follow Up By: Hairy (NT) - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:44

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:44
Dunaruna reckons you can get them from Bunnings and highly recomends them too by the way...LOL
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Follow Up By: Dunaruna - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:46

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:46
Thanks! Now I got coffee all over the keyboard!
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Follow Up By: Member - Kim M (VIC) - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:35

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:35
I must be missing something. If you've using a generater in the bush, where does a 15amp plug come into play?

Secondly, why would you use a generator in a caravan park when 240v is available?

Regards

Kim
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Follow Up By: obee - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 20:52

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 20:52
i would
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Follow Up By: nowimnumberone - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:36

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:36
kim m
we have our lead in the van at all times 15 amp
we went camping where theres no power so wasnt even thinking about lead amps untill we went to plug it in
cheers
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Follow Up By: Member - Kim M (VIC) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:50

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:50
The picture is becoming clearer now. Don't worry, I've done the same thing.

Regards

Kim
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Follow Up By: Hairy (NT) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:38

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:38
Kim,
You'd need 15 amps to run your Latte machine and electric blanket wouldnt you??
LOL..........
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Follow Up By: Member - Kim M (VIC) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:46

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:46
Hairy

Got more problems than that at the moment. I'll send you a MM.

Regards

Kim
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Follow Up By: Member - Gaz@Gove (NT) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 21:21

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 21:21
Can you get coffee resistant keyboards form bunnings ?
Mmmmmmmm, now where do we go next?

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Reply By: Hairy (NT) - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:41

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 18:41
Gday,
I bought an Engel 12 volt remote controlled light and it died....
When we took it back they just swaped it with no question and said there had been heaps returned!
Maybe they should just stick to fridges???

Cheers
Hairy
AnswerID: 298484

Reply By: The Geriatric Gypsies - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:20

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:20
goodday 1
the reason they only fit a 10 amp plug is to try and limit the power drawnas a 1000watts is only about 4amps so if you plug in 15amp lead you could do damage

steve

ps honda has 15 amp outlets
AnswerID: 298505

Follow Up By: obee - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 20:53

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 20:53
if you put more than 4 amps on the gennie it will stop
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Reply By: Notso - Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:29

Monday, Apr 14, 2008 at 19:29
There has been achange to the standard that refers to this and apparently there is a way that you are allowed to plug a 15 amp lead into a 10 amp oultlet, but you must have a current limiting device in the lead.

This has been discussed at some stage earlier on the forum, I don't have any first hand knowledge of the subject but if you search around you should find it.

AnswerID: 298508

Reply By: Paul Grabonski. Vic - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 07:59

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 07:59
The Engel is a dog of a generator as it has no auto throttle control like Eco throttle on Honda and Yamaha.

MAJOR MAJOR issue Engel is NOT sine wave they are a square wave generator. An $89 GMC from Bunnings is a better generator than Engel
AnswerID: 298608

Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 08:56

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 08:56
Hi Paul

A generator can't be square wave - you probably meant to say it is a less than perfect sine wave because of waveform distortion caused by coil iregularites and flux saturations like with the GMC.
Robin Miller

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Follow Up By: Paul Grabonski. Vic - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 09:54

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 09:54
Robin normal 2 or 4 or 8 pole alternators are always sine wave, however the Engel is not a normal alternator. Engel in the SHX1000 and 2000 use a SQUARE wave inverter to generate from a multi pole alternator.Elemax which is Engel website

In the small generators the Yamaha EF1000is is the best value and unit on the market. Has fuel tap and other features the Honda EU10i does not offer.
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Follow Up By: rooscoota - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 10:38

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 10:38
i tihkn the term your looking for is "modified" sine wave = square wave and yes gmc genny's are square wave and i've seen em blow up quite a few electrical gadgets/lights/stuff.

i love this forum and its infinite sources of inaccuracies and its occasional factual qualities...... lol
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 11:06

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 11:06
Hi Paul

Yes was aware that engel is mulipole item with output modified by electronics.

I was not aware that it was a square wave as per the link you provided statements.

From that links info you are correct , however I don't believe that it is and I thought as per rooscoota that it was modified, for reasons I gave above.
Would be intrigued if it was square wave and would love to find out more on this.
In the past a couple of posts have directed us to links with waveforms on them, perhaps someone can on this subject.


Now rooscoota - the GMC gennys are not square wave , one of the links I reffered to above did have GMC waveforms on it and it did have a few spikes etc though.


Robin Miller

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Follow Up By: Paul Grabonski. Vic - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:48

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:48
rooscoota obviously you have no idea about physics, generators or electrics. ROFLOL ROFLOL "modified" sine wave = square wave" this gave me the biggest belly laugh that I have had for a long time. ROFLOL
A sine wave cannot be modified. You would be changing physics if you could modify a sine wave. "Modified sine wave" is salesman or amateur talk due to ignorance of the subject matter. Sine wave is sine wave, square wave may be modified to saw tooth.
A GMC generator is sinusoidal or sine wave as all direct field type 2 or 4pole rotary generators are.
GMC generator at correct RPM would blow nothing up but an Engel generator will blow equipment up guaranteed.

Dont you just love the high amount of inaccuracies and the incorrect information posted on this forum.
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Follow Up By: Member - Warfer (VIC) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 19:11

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 19:11
*obviously you have no idea about physics, generators or electrics.*

I'm just glad i just have to put the fuel in and pull the cord on my Honda !




Cheers
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Follow Up By: Hairy (NT) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:50

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 20:50
Gday,
When you two finnish your battle of brilliance...
Could one person agree to be right and the other wrong?
And then explain it all for the the dumb ones like myself?

Which one of you is the salesman and which one is the electrical engineer???

Ive have thought about a genie before,,but know Im confused!!!!!

Cheers
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Reply By: Peter k (NT) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 13:40

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 13:40
I have a honda eu1 and it has a 10amp outlet. With honda you have to get the eu2 to get 15amp outlet and NO i don't have a 10 to 15 amp lead to run my caravan.
Peter
AnswerID: 298670

Follow Up By: Member - eerfree(QLD) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 21:59

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 21:59
Pete
How old is your Honda ? my eu1 is about 18 months old and has a 15 amp outlet - True.

Bob.
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Follow Up By: Peter k (NT) - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 13:25

Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 13:25
Bob,
I've had it since 2000. We spent four years travelling, working and home schooling two children. We purchased it so we could spend some time bush camped between working.

Peter.
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Follow Up By: Member - eerfree(QLD) - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 20:54

Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 20:54
Pete
Sounds like Honda have uprated to 15amp somewhere in there.
Bet the kids were collar proud having to go back to a "real" school !!

Bob
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Reply By: Member - Lost Dog(WA) - Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:59

Tuesday, Apr 15, 2008 at 18:59
I love the way all of the "experts" have opposing views but they are still 100% correct
AnswerID: 298731

Reply By: Muzzgit [WA] - Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 00:56

Wednesday, Apr 16, 2008 at 00:56
I have been lookin at getting a new gennie for months and we finally narrowed it down to the Honda or Yamaha.

We bought a Honda cos they was doin good deals at the caravan show, but a good mate bought the Yamaha and I have heard a few in the know say the Yammy is better, but I did not like the Engel for more than a few reasons, the main one being "not sine wave".
AnswerID: 298797

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