3000W Chinese Gensets Info.
professor95 wrote: EDIT ADDED 45/5/2013- When this thread started in March of 2005, I never expected to see it survive this long or amass the quantity of information that has been shared here. In...
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I've had a few requests for more info on my adapter cord for the PowerPro 5500 from Pep Boys. I am not an electrician. I'm not sure of the precise page and author, but I read about the test I describe below somewhere in this thread.
Remember: no generator mods required on the PP5500. Spec review: 23 amps available @ 240V or 46 amps @ 120V, but not both at the same time. At 120V, the 46 amps is divided between the two duplex outlets (23 amps each). All of this info is from the owner's manual.
The key test (I read about in here) to determine if this generator was good-to-go was using a multimeter to check across the TWO SEPARATE duplex plug circuits. I checked black-black and white-white and got a reading of zero volts (good). Then I checked from white on the left outlet to black on the right outlet and got 120 volts (good). Then black left to white right...120 volts (good).
I went to Harbor Freight and bought two 12 gauge tri-plug adapters on sale (this was waaaay cheaper than buying two male ends and a little bit of wire at Home Depot). I cut off the triple ends (saving enough wire in case I wanted to add them to an extension cord in the future). Then I picked up a 30 amp RV female plug and pigtail at my local RV supply (10 gauge). Solder or wire nut all the whites together, all the blacks together, all the greens together. Then I double super duper quadruple wrapped everything with electrical tape. [NOTE: you need BIG wire nuts to get all these fat wires to tie together]
I now have access to 46 amps (23 amps from each leg) and can rely on the 30 amp breaker in my camper for safe regulation of power flow, with the system never nearing it's 43 amp max and me never having to worry about venturing outside to reset the breaker on the generator.
This is not theoretical; it actually works. I ran the generator for 14 and 12 continuous hours Sat and Sun night last weekend, air conditioning running all night (compressor cycling on/off, fan continuous). My 40 amp converter was also on all night (not much load on it so I can't say how much it was pulling).
Remember: no generator mods required on the PP5500. Spec review: 23 amps available @ 240V or 46 amps @ 120V, but not both at the same time. At 120V, the 46 amps is divided between the two duplex outlets (23 amps each). All of this info is from the owner's manual.
The key test (I read about in here) to determine if this generator was good-to-go was using a multimeter to check across the TWO SEPARATE duplex plug circuits. I checked black-black and white-white and got a reading of zero volts (good). Then I checked from white on the left outlet to black on the right outlet and got 120 volts (good). Then black left to white right...120 volts (good).
I went to Harbor Freight and bought two 12 gauge tri-plug adapters on sale (this was waaaay cheaper than buying two male ends and a little bit of wire at Home Depot). I cut off the triple ends (saving enough wire in case I wanted to add them to an extension cord in the future). Then I picked up a 30 amp RV female plug and pigtail at my local RV supply (10 gauge). Solder or wire nut all the whites together, all the blacks together, all the greens together. Then I double super duper quadruple wrapped everything with electrical tape. [NOTE: you need BIG wire nuts to get all these fat wires to tie together]
I now have access to 46 amps (23 amps from each leg) and can rely on the 30 amp breaker in my camper for safe regulation of power flow, with the system never nearing it's 43 amp max and me never having to worry about venturing outside to reset the breaker on the generator.
This is not theoretical; it actually works. I ran the generator for 14 and 12 continuous hours Sat and Sun night last weekend, air conditioning running all night (compressor cycling on/off, fan continuous). My 40 amp converter was also on all night (not much load on it so I can't say how much it was pulling).
