alt.energy.homepower

"GregP" wrote in message
news:70581280-02f5-4b2b-8db3-6e0884c92441@...
On Feb 24, 12:50 am, "Daniel Who Wants to Know"
wrote:
> I am helping do an engine swap on a 91 Caravan and we are using the
> generator to power lights. The problem seems to be that the gen really
> doesn't like inductive loads as it ran the fluorescent lights or a metal
> halide light separately but not both together. With both on the voltage
> drops and the lights just flash on and off while the engine just loafs
> with
> no signs of being bogged down at all. I need to know if I can use some of
> the motor run capacitors I have laying around to power factor correct the
> lights and make them all work at the same time. The total load should be
> about half of the 750 watts continuous that this one claims to supply. As
> a
> test I plugged in a small toaster oven and the engine bogged right down so
> I
> know the gen is capable of supplying good power.

Sorry, the whole thing makes no sense to me. Most electrical
appliances were designed for cheap and abundant electricity. An
automobile engine is one of the least efficient ways possible to
generate electricity. Efficient LED or fluorescent lighting, and a few
electronics are the only few things that have to be powered by
electricity. Nearly everything else can be done with gas, wood or
manually. All that's required is to lose the "switch-on convenience"
mentality.

We aren't talking about using the vehicle engine to produce electricity we
were talking about using a cheap small 2 horsepower 2 stroke-cycle 750/850
watt generator to power lights to be able to see to do an engine swap on the
Caravan. Grid power is unavailable as the house that the garage was wired
to for power burnt down to the ground.