On 11/2/2012 12:27 PM, Channel Jumper wrote:
I have to ask if the Generator is a Generac.

If it is the brushless type Generac - you might want to invest in a
extra capacitor for the generator.

It's a Briggs and Stratton unit.

I took a near lightning strike back in April - did damage to just the 3
six meter antenna's in the yard and didn't affect anything else except
that the capacitor went on the generator and it refused to put out any
power.

I took it to the local alternator shop, and instead of just selling me
the part, they played dumb and charged me $120 for a simple $25.00
repair.

Sorry to hear it. I suggest you tell the owner that he'll never see you
again, and send him copies of receipts from other businesses that you've
dealt with. There are too many businessmen who feel that they can gouge
their customers and who think nobody keeps track.


I am the same way about loosing power.
I like to turn on all the outside lights and the inside lights so the
people sitting in the dark can see that I still have light.

Well, there's a /little/ bit of that in me, but I was compensating on
Monday night: I kept the outside lights off and made sure that the
shades were down, so that the one or two inside lights looked like we
had a lantern or candles going.

I don't worry about my neighbors, whom I know, but about someone passing
by that succumbs to a momentary lapse of judgement.

My 4500 watt Honda uses about 5 gallons of gasoline every 8 hours.
So by your estimation - you had enough gasoline for about 24 hours of
use.

Given the forecast temperatures, I was confident that I could go for
three days with just the refrigerator and occasional cooking. Counting
the generator tank, which holds 12 gallons, and the extra ten I had in
cans, plus the gas tanks in the cars, I could have gone for a week if I
used the generator about six hours per day, off and on.

You didn't say where you lived...

In the Boston, Massachusetts area, about halfway between Boston and
Providence, Rhode Island.

[snip]

The electric lines arcing tells me that they have a problem with the
switch gear at the local sub station. The power should have cycled 3
times in about a second and then shut off.

That is about standard for new switch gear made today.
Siemens, ABB , ARRIVA etc...

After a big storm a few years back, we had crews from Hydro Quebec in
this area helping with reconstruction. All the Québécois were astonished
at the age and inefficiency of the electric plant in my area: I guess
when you depend on water to make electricity, you find ways to make
every drop count.

73,

Bill, W1AC

--
Bill Horne
(Remove QRM from my address to write to me directly)