alt.energy.homepower

Greetings "z"
I haven't posted for a while but have just looked back over some of
the comments in the last while. This is more of a general comment than
reply to specific points.

1. You made some comment about "12v " and "80amps" - I think implying
they were in some way related. But you could easily be producing 24v
and no amps with that generator, if it wasn't "loaded". Just because
it is rated at say 80 amps, doesn't mean it is doing so - only what it
may be capable of.

2. The simplest way to check output is to grab a 12v bulb (I suspect a
21W tail-lamp bulb will be more than sufficient in your case), connect
to the output of the generator and wind the the water open. If you can
blow the bulb, you should be delighted - but I doubt it will happen.
Let us know how this test goes. Even if you can get it to glow fairly
brightly, you will have some idea of what is happening.

3. The multimeter - it probably just needs a 200 or 250 ma fuse. I
can't remember whether the same fuse is used in the 10 amp scale (just
for the meter). There is not usually a large fuse in the 10 amp
circuit in cheap meters - just a wire "shunt". Its possible this shunt
is open circuit - but that probably wouldn't do the meter much good at
all. I think the idea of a simple car panel meter (about $US8 in NZ) -
reading up to about 50 amps a side, would be best and almost
indestructible unless you put it directly across a good battery!

Eric Sears