Cheap generator, will a UPS help?

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:05 pm

Ive bought one of those cheap $98 gmc bunnings generators, Its 850w peak but 650 normal. I decided to get one durring a blackout, as we have a few especially during winter where im living.

I thought it would ok for running a tv and video/dvd player and maybe some lights till I read the instrustions. It's not ment to be any good for sensitive power supplies ie pc's laptops tv's stereos, I think all it's good for is power tools and lighting.

Ive done some searching and like always found people who have fried their equipment and others who havent had problems using these cheap 2stoke gennies on tv's and stuff.

A couple of points I have picked up is:
* change the plug, as the ones that come with them are cheap and effect the power output
* With little load ie only 1 tv someone said they had lines on the screen, but with more load put on the generator this was reduced, maybe fixed.

I also have a UPS a friend was getting rid of it from work, it's a 300w model, I was wondering if by using this if I could get some clean power from it for use with tv's etc, of course staying under 300w of load.

BTW a UPS is a battery back up mainly for pc's to allow them to save and shut down incase of a power outage, -might save someone googling

Anyone tried it?
if not i'll give it a go soon, Ive already bought a $5 opp shop tv, and have a few 486's to fry

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 4:40 pm

I would hate to see what that generator is putting out. A good online UPS will help, but the cheap offline ones will be useless (99% of the small ones are offline)

by the time you buy a decent online UPS, or new batteries for the freebie you are getting you probably should have just bought a real generator!

anyways test with the cheap stuff you got from vinnies and see how you go. I personally wouldn't be risking anything of value on it but its your call. They really are meant for power tools and incandescant lighting

daveosubi · Post by **daveosubi** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 5:29 pm

Thanks vincentvega,

Just looked up what an online ups is and the one I have is a cheap and small unit, but I do have 2 of them maybe I can feed them into each other? (joking)

I was thinking about how good it would be to set up the projector in the back of the wagon use the car stereo for an outdoor cinema, but soon realised I wasnt going to even look at how many watts the projector uses, I wouldnt trust this gennie even if it did have the wattage. Also when camping most people are too drunk by dark to pay attention or even focus on a screen

. I cant remember where or what the figures where but the 12v seems more wild than the AC on these.

I was just thinking of a cheap fix. I'll give it a go anyway with a tv and other old stuff i need to chuck out, but from what ive read people have troubles with good generators not liking certain ups so im probably definately going to have trouble.

Also should I earth the gennie? it says i should in the instructions but doesnt come with an earth spike or say how or where to to make the connections.

edit heres a link
http://www.exploroz.com.au/Forum/Topic/ ... 2%26pn%3D1
sounds good tv's bursting into flames, more interesting than whats normally on

mattl200 · Post by **mattl200** » Thu May 01, 2008 11:51 pm

earthing is a good idea
but if your gennie only has a cheep circurt breaker and no rcd protection your still gonna get a boot if something goes wrong

and if u run an online ups you loose your rcd protection anyway

if it has an rcd earth it

if not its up to u

(whats an rcd)
http://www.dtei.sa.gov.au/__data/assets ... itches.pdf
probley the best description i could find withought scanning something

Suby Wan Kenobi · Post by **Suby Wan Kenobi** » Sat May 03, 2008 9:38 pm

I have used my little generator befor ein times of power outage here in the past, we have a really bad issue with power supply in weather extremes. Anyway i run the generator in 12V to charger a bank of batteries in my camper (normally solar powered) and then run the 240 off the inverter, i have a 1500W inverter, back into the house. It powers the TV and video as well as the lights and i dont getany interference, in saying that the generator is not within earshot of the back door either.

Gannon · Post by **Gannon** » Sun May 04, 2008 6:41 am

The problem with cheap generators (ie non inverter types) is the voltage regulation.

As electrical load varies, so does the load on the engine and thus the speed of the engine, which then affects voltage and frequency. The engine has a governor, but it isnt instantaneous, and if you go from little load to a big load suddenly, frequency and voltage drop momentarily until the governor readjusts the throttle, likewise, if you go from a big load to a small load, voltage and frequency spike and this is what affects sensitive electronic equipment.