3000W Chinese Gensets Info.

[professor95]

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 the eight year run of this thread we have amassed almost 10,000 postings and surpassed a million views. This creates somewhat of a dilemma for anyone who has just discovered the forum.

Since the amount of information is virtually overwhelming, I suggest you set your preferences for this thread to read "newest first" and then begin to page backwards.

What you will find in these pages is a wealth of info on virtually any make or model of Chinese manufactured synchronous (non-inverter) generator in the 3,000 watt performance class. Info will include how to rewire series coils to parallel to obtain maximum wattage from a single 120 volt outlet. Tips on further reducing sound levels, how to care for these generators, which ones are "RV ready" and provide the best overall performance for the dollar invested. Which companies NOT to deal with, where the best prices are, how to safely wire the generator into a home or RV, how to check your RV for electrical faults, sources for generator accessories, which 20/30 adapters are safe to use and which are not. How to convert a gasoline generator to propane or NG. This is only the beginning. The forum has a life of its own with the focus sub-topic switching frequently. Still, the main topic of utilizing the amazing, inexpensive Chinese gensets is always there. The amount of creativity and innovation presented in these pages is indicative of the talents shared in the diverse backgrounds of the folks who make up our combined RV community.

Many of the original brands and models of Chinese gensets mentioned in the introduction and early pages of the thread have since disappeared. New EPA and CARB emissions requirements, company bonds assuring the emissions warranty will be honored even if the company goes out of business, and fierce competition in the industry have changed the playing field. Champion Power Equipment has become the apparent "trophy team" providing an ever expanding retail outlet, an ample parts supply, a strong warranty and excellent customer service. CPE has continued to improve their product and now offers a new model (#46538) with exclusive convenience, safety and performance features aimed at the RV market. Big names like Cummins/Onan, Honda and Generac all now have Chinese built open frame synchronous gensets available. Ironically, the prices often found on these gensets has not significantly changed during the past eight years - even with the devaluation of the American Dollar and new EPA/CARB requirements.

I also encourage you to use the search function and even the advanced search options to find information. Key works such as "rewiring", "PowerPro", "Champion", "Onan Homesite", "Duropower", "ETQ", "Jiung Dong or JD", "Tractor Supply", "Costco", "Lowe's" and "Home Depot" are all examples of keywords that will give you specific information on different models being sold by retailers today.

Or, you can fill your glass with your favorite beverage (keep more close by - maybe some munchies as well :D, sit back at your computer, tell your wife (or significant other) that you will see her in the morning and spend the next 10 or so hours reading through the postings.

No one on the forum gets mad if you ask a question that is a repeat. Please do not hesitate to post to the forum. All questions are considered important and those active on the forum will do their best to respond with a valid answer.

Also note we are not out to knock the Honda, Yamaha, Kipor or other brands of high end digital gensets. We recognize the quality of these products and their suitability for quite, efficient RV use. But, there is a flood of reliable, inexpensive and comparatively lower cost gensets coming out of China that are excellent alternative choices for the RVer wanting power to run an air conditioner, microwave, etc. without excessive noise or breaking the budget.

Oh, one last thing. The folks on this forum are true gentlemen. We do not flame one another or the product discussed - period. Ugly contributors usually have their comments and remarks ignored by our masses. It is not a forum to start arguments to obtain a clear win. We do disagree on many issues, but we have all agreed to do that in a respectable manner.

We now have the introduction of more and more inverter gensets. There is a rather extensive thread named "The Official Unofficial Champion 2000i Generator" on this forum. Today, I added info on the new Champion 3100i inverter genset. Discussion on this product may get moved to its own thread at a later date.

Many have looked upon this thread with distain saying Chinese is cheap and doomed to failure. I remember saying exactly the same thing about Japanese products a few decades back. But, over the past eight years the track record for Chinese built generators has shown otherwise.

Please, join us in a fascinating journey down the Chinese built genset road of knowledge.

This is the question I posted that got it all started back in March 2005.......

Randy

For a little over a month now, I have been somewhat intrigued by the availability of a 3000 watt, 6.5 HP generator at Pep Boys and Northern Tool for under $300.00. The engine on this generator looks identical to a Honda 6.5 HP OHV engine. Knowing that the Chinese have become very adept at “cloning” reputable technologies from other manufacturers, I was not surprised at the similarities. Neither store could give me any information on the generator nor did they have a “running” display model.

I have done a little research. This is what I have discovered:

Many of these generators are imported by ELIM International (www.eliminternational.com) out of Buffalo, New York from Jiung Manufacturing in China. (The unit at Northern is identical but carries the JIUNG name.)

The engines are indeed a Chinese knockoff of the popular 6.5 HP 196cc Honda Engine. “Supposedly” Honda has licensed the engine technology to the Chinese manufacturer of the product.

The Chinese company that makes the ELM3000 generators is a rather large, diverse, long-standing company with a reputation for “above average quality” Chinese made products (Jiung Manufacturing). There are many more Chinese companies making almost identical gensets.

The generators at PepBoys do have a six month limited warranty. But, it is only on the engine (not the generator) and requires paying for shipping to and from Buffalo. Probably not a very practical thing to do if you have warranty issues.

ELIM does supply replacement parts (a PDF parts manual is available on the ELIM web site). No prices are given for replacement parts nor is there an “availability listing”.

The generator head itself is a brushless design. The only really significant wear parts in the generator are the bearings – most likely universally available.

The published dB rating is 67 at 23 feet. This is “reasonably” quite for a generator of this size as most comparabl.... The 67 dB rating is the same as Honda gives their 3000 watt CycloInverter with a “look alike” eng...

[professor95]

Another shot at explaining neutrals, grounds, grounding, floating neutrals, etc. as related to portable 120 volt gensets and RVs......

The neutral in a 120 volt circuit that goes to earth ground in a residence is derived from a center tapped 240 VAC feed.

Out on a pole is a step down transformer. The step down transformer is fed by two higher voltage wires.

Inside your home is a service entrance panel (SEP). The panel is fed by a two wire, 240 VAC pair of wires. There is a third wire for grounding which also serves as the 120 VAC neutral.

When the first early power distribution systems came about, they used direct current. Problem was it was difficult to change voltages in a DC system since transformers will not work with DC. Long runs of wire with low voltages and high current caused a lot of cable heating and voltage drop.

On the other hand, alternating current can easily convert voltages up or down with transformers. The higher the voltage, the lower the current for the same power (in watts). Example: 1,200 volts x 20 amps is equal to 24,000 watts of power. 120 volts x 200 amps is also equal to 24,000 watts of power. Since the current (amperage) is lower on the HV line, voltage drop due to resistance is significantly reduced. By feeding 1,200 volts into a transformer with (approximately) a ratio of 10 turns of wire on the input to one turn on the output will convert the voltage from 1,200 to 120. You have a transformer outside your house that accomplishes this voltage reduction. This is a schematic of that transformer.

Back to the neutral....

The wire (the center tap) in the middle of the output side of the transformer is truly neutral on a 240 VAC system. In effect, it floats unless there is a complete circuit between the center tap and one of the other legs. To reduce the chance of electrocution in a derived power system (where 120 comes from a center tapped transformer supplying 240 VAC) and to provide a common reference point for the phase differential in a derived system, the center tap was tied to earth ground and called the "common" or "neutral" conductor. Please note the word conductor rather than just wire. This system still prevails.

Quick subject change to a generator, or actually an alternator.

While it is not technically a transformer, it operates on a similar principle. A rotating coil of wire wrapped on an iron core is turned inside a magnetic field (it can also be the other way around). The magnetic field, which has both positive and negative poles (north and south) causes a voltage and current to be induced in the coil of wire. The result is alternating current. The process is shown here. Like the transformer, there is no physical connection between the rotating armature and magnetic field. Thus, the power from the alternator is said to be isolated from any earth ground unless we intentionally make that connection.

If you are still with me, let's change direction one more time and look at something else.

Do you have a 120 volt lamp socket near by? You know, one that you screw a light bulb into. Look at the socket. There is a large, threaded outer metal shell and down in the bottom of the socket is a small tab. Which of these parts are you more likely to come in contact with when changing a light bulb? If you said the outer shell, you get the prize.

Now take a look at the plug on the end of the lamp's power cord. Unless someone has incorrectly changed the cord or plug, you will note one of the two blades is wider at the end. In fact, this plug (called a polarized plug) will only go into an outlet one way. On the wall outlet you will note one slot is longer (wider?) than the other. The longest slot is the one that connects to the neutral wire in a 120 VAC system. The smaller slot is the ungrounded conductor most folks refer to as "hot".

Another question. Which blade on the lamp cord do you believe is connected to the wire that goes to the lamp shell?

If you guessed the wide one, or neutral wire, you get another prize.

Yes, I have still another question.

What do you think would happen if the lamp were plugged into an outlet where the neutral wire was reversed at some point in the circuit and you managed to touch the large metal shell while replacing the light bulb while you were grounded?

If you responded with something like, "I would become a conductor by completing a circuit and I would get the wee wee knocked out of me!", you get even another prize.

In North America we typically use a third non-current carrying wire on 120 volt circuits specifically for shock protection. This wire is called ground or the grounding wire. This graphic shows what could happen if we had a fault in an appliance and there was no grounding wire. Since a RV is considered an appliance (electrically), the same thing could happen.

Ironically, if we were on the other side of the pond, all of this discussion would not occur. Most of the world uses "straight 240", which has no derived neutral.

To tie things, up let's summarize.

This forum addresses specifically a portable genset (alternator). Typically they provide 3,000 watts of power at 120 volts and are plugged into a camper with either a 20 amp or 30 amp 120 volt supply cord.

While we have had some discussion on gensets used for home back-up power as well as units supplying higher voltages and wattages, the focus is on the little Chinese built gensets.

If you want to know more about 50 amp RV connections using 240/120 connections and home back-up power systems, we need to start a new thread.

Since there is no way to assure (or insure) where a portable genset will be placed when used with an RV,

and

the 120 volt power system in a portable genset is isolated from ground (unless wired otherwise),

and

with the exception of the non-current carrying grounding wire, RVs DO NOT have a physical internal connection to ground the vehicle body, frame or anything an individual may easily come in contact with, it is much safer to let the wiring in a RV that is normally associated with neutral in a home power system to "float" with no connection to earth ground.

Look at the graphic of the residental SEP again. Note the neutral or ground bar in the upper right. The SEP in an RV does NOT have the ground(ing) wires and the neutral wires connected to the same buss bar like most residental systems. They are separate of each other and make no common contact in the RV. They are ONLY joined by the external cables from the selected power source when it is safe and appropriate to do so.

The non-current carrying grounding wire should, whenever possible, be physically attached to earth ground both at the genset and RV. The neutral should not be connected to the genset frame or the frame of the RV.

Whew!! I didn't plan on writing this much when I started.

[Todd_Barney]

I'm back from the road trip.

After JB Welding the spark plug boot, I waited until Albuquerque to crank it up. It started and ran fine, and never missed a beat the rest of the way home to Georgia. It was running about 8-10 hours per day, constant, for four days.

I had two hiccups with the air conditioner:

One morning, I neglected to switch the fridge and water heater to Gas-only before hitting the road. At some point, that caused the 20amp breaker in the TT to trip. (The gen just kept on running.) Reset it, and didn't have that problem again.

The last day of driving was in 97 to 104 degree heat. Everything ran fine most of the day. However, some time between 2pm-3pm, the last hour of my trip, the A/C "locked up." The fan was running, but just warm air coming out. Since I was home, I climbed up and pulled the shroud. The compressor was very hot, and the coolant lines were, too. Nothing was iced over, quite the opposite. But after letting things cool down, it started up and began cooling again just fine. The gen was running along fine the whole time.

While it was running, even with 100 degree temps, the interior of the TT was being cooled to around 77-78. The thermostat was probably set around 78-80. Maybe I should have left it lower, so it didn't cycle, but I guess I was worried about it icing up. I didn't have the problem of drawing so much current that the gen died, but it sure acted as if it had a starting capacitor problem. (Same way my unit at home did when the starting cap died.) So, a hard-start kit is probably in the cards for me.

As for the generator, I continued to have problems with the oil being pulled back through the air cleaner, but other than having to top off every other day, it didn't seem to cause any other problems.

I'm beginning to think that my issues out in CO and UT had more to do with the broken spark plug boot...I wish I had fixed it sooner so that I could be sure.

I did notice one other thing: When I first started the gen in the morning, it had a nice, mellow, not TOO loud sound. But after running for a while and getting thoroughly hot, it seemed louder, and definitely more harsh. Not a huge difference in sound, but enough to notice.

[MrWizard]

the NEUTRAL is better called a common, it is a common return path for both half of the electrical power in a 240 v res wiring.

the new champion RV ready model has both windings paralleled, it is 120v only with floating neutral

in res wiring, the breakers are in the HOT side of the circuit, because the common side all the commons from all the circuits are tied together at the breaker panel, in order to kill he circuit the wire goes in the HOT side

for safety and common wiring practice even the breakers of a portable genny should be in the HOT side ( even though there is NO true single hot wire and no true zero wire ), especially when rewiring a genny from 240v, to 120v only, this ensures that there is, NO accidental circuit path thru a paralleled winding from one winding to the other

[Old___Slow]

toprudder wrote:

MrWizard wrote:
neutral is term that NEVER should have been used in AC circuit wiring

the white wire/neutral is 1/2 of the electrical circuit, 1 of the wires used to carry current, there is nothing NEUTRAL about it, if that wire is broke if the connection is broke the device does NOT operate ( utility power or generator )

I don't know all the history, but it may go back to when there was no ground connector in residential wiring. One of the two conductors was referenced to ground (still is actually) and if the appliance that plugged into the two prong receptacle needed a ground, it used a polarized plug.

They do need to be differentiated from each other. One is hot, one is not (voltage wise) unless, as you said, there is a fault in the wiring. If we don't treat them any differently, then it should not matter if the circuit breaker is in the hot wire or the neutral.

Bob R.

Well given, you are all so helpful, well you are the best.

I say thank you to:

MrWizzard/topridder/tkmj/professor95

I will proceed to the next subject.

O&S

[TKMJ]

Old & Slow wrote:
Men of great learning,

I think im making progress then, bingo, the fog again. Maybe I can KISS. I look in my house panel box and the white wire is bonded to earth ground. Ok. now folks like MrWiz, who are power generating pros put in protection by adding a third wire. So we can complete a circuit with one hot wire (black)and one, and this is were my brain gets scrambled. I can complete a circuit with one hot wire and mother earth. Earth ALWAYS a faithful servant. Now this unprotected copper wire is also bonded to earth. So it is to catch some stray source of power, leakage, from some unknown location. I think. Ok Now the RV . My genny has a neutral white for the completion of a circuit. Not bonded to mother earth. I think. Where is there a possible problem with a short circuit or leakage in the RV that would make the frame hot? From this, I think, neutral white wire that MRWIZ, I think, is trying to get me to understand, there is nothing neutral about it. I need a long walk on a short bridge. Anyway I fear my RV frame might in some way become HOT. From my genny. End.

O&S

O&S,
The chances of your frame becoming "hot" from your genset is very rare. There is more of a chance that an appliance in your TT would cause the problem. However with the designs of appliances today, It would be a freak of nature that would cause the problem. My coach was built in 1980 when it was required to bond the neutral of the coach to the frame. When I plugged my genset into the coach with its reverse polarity problem, the neutral was the "hot" wire and pushed voltage to the frame via the bonding jumper. The jumper is now removed to isolate the ground from the neutral. Today the panel in your TT is considered a sub-panel and is not bonded. Only main panels are bonded. Therefor the chances of the frame becoming hot is a very rare problem unless you have a major fault with an appliance in the TT. In that case the chances of the breaker tripping and opening the circuit, would be much greater then the frame becoming hot. I would not worry about it.

I don't know why they call a neutral wire a neutral wire. It actually is a common wire between two phases in the middle. On a transformer the common/neutral wire is grounded, stablizing the circuit. Earth being common with all things makes a good grounding means. That's why it is used. That is also why on the Chinese genset you can only get half of the rated amperage out of the 120 volt recepticals. It is a three wire system with two phases of power. Each phase will give you half of the rated current in 120 volt mode. However on the 240 volt receptical you get full power because you are using both phases at the same time. Each phase on a 3000w genset produces onlt 1500 watts or about 12.5 amps. In the circuit the neutral is what is called a "center tap" or the point where the two phases are hooked together. In a transformer you have two coils on the secondary side. Those coils can be series together to create double the voltage and "center tapped to create a neutral or be hooked in paralell to produce the voltage of a single coil with double the current of a single coil. Thus we have the "RV Switch" featured on some gensets. The RV Switch changes the coil configuration from series to paralell. That is why the 240volt receptical on those gensets will not work when in RV mode. The coils are producing 120 volts of the same phase with double the amprage.

When I finally get a good Chinese genset, I will change the configuration of the coils to paralell and replace the 240volt recepticle with a 30 amp RV recepticle. I will only get 120 volts but that is all I will ever need anyway. But I will have double the current available.

[Wgeorge11]

Wiz, I hope those of us who arn't 'lectricians get it by now. Thanks for the primer.

[Old___Slow]

Men of great learning,

I think im making progress then, bingo, the fog again. Maybe I can KISS. I look in my house panel box and the white wire is bonded to earth ground. Ok. now folks like MrWiz, who are power generating pros put in protection by adding a third wire. So we can complete a circuit with one hot wire (black)and one, and this is were my brain gets scrambled. I can complete a circuit with one hot wire and mother earth. Earth ALWAYS a faithful servant. Now this unprotected copper wire is also bonded to earth. So it is to catch some stray source of power, leakage, from some unknown location. I think. Ok Now the RV . My genny has a neutral white for the completion of a circuit. Not bonded to mother earth. I think. Where is there a possible problem with a short circuit or leakage in the RV that would make the frame hot? From this, I think, neutral white wire that MRWIZ, I think, is trying to get me to understand, there is nothing neutral about it. I need a long walk on a short bridge. Anyway I fear my RV frame might in some way become HOT. From my genny. End.

O&S

[professor95]

racefan1965 wrote:
Is the exhaust valve the one closest to the exhaust side?

Yes

[professor95]

Coyote Sport 13 wrote:
I just purchased a Champion C46540 from Kragen Auto Parts yesterday for $299. I have a sound (decibel) meter from Radio Shack that I used to set up my stereo surround sound system so I took some readings of the generator.

(Read posting from 8/9/07 @ 2:30 p.m. for full text.)

This one sort of caught in my craw.....

I believe I have the same RS meter.

I do have a Champion.

I have NEVER gotten a reading as loud as you report under almost identical measurement conditions.

The fact that you say the spark arrestor made the unit quiter disturbs me. It should make no difference. In fact, according to my testing, the muffler is excellent in reducing sound and little if any benefit is gained by adding additional silencing to the exhaust.

Please try this before you give up: Take an old towel, fold it to 5-6 layers and gently hold it over the muffler outlet (be quick, it gets very hot!). There should be NO significant change in sound level. If there is, I suspect you may have a defective muffler. I know this sounds remote, but it is possible. The muffler is a three chamber design much like an auto muffler. In the manufacturing process if "something" was left out or improperly welded/pressed, the muffler would not function as designed. Again, a long shot but entirely possible.

If you conclude the muffler may be defective, call CPE and talk to Paul Cole. Most likely, he will be aware of the problem since he does read the forum.

Once more, your generator should not be as loud as your measurements.

[toprudder]

MrWizard wrote:
neutral is term that NEVER should have been used in AC circuit wiring

the white wire/neutral is 1/2 of the electrical circuit, 1 of the wires used to carry current, there is nothing NEUTRAL about it, if that wire is broke if the connection is broke the device does NOT operate ( utility power or generator )

I don't know all the history, but it may go back to when there was no ground connector in residential wiring. One of the two conductors was referenced to ground (still is actually) and if the appliance that plugged into the two prong receptical needed a ground, it used a polarized plug.

They do need to be differentiated from each other. One is hot, one is not (voltage wise) unless, as you said, there is a fault in the wiring. If we don't treat them any differently, then it should not matter if the circuit breaker is in the hot wire or the neutral.

Bob R.

[Old___Slow]

[Q-From MrWizard


IF the neutral is bonded to genny frame ( not floating ) the genny frame is 120v electric path from the hot to frame or neutral, the ground wire of the shore cord connects to grd of the rv frame, the rv frame is now the genny frame electric path, it s now shock time.

its floating neutral, there is no current path, where there is an OPEN circuit.



Sir, you are most helpful in answering questions from the less learned. Some of what is being taught, now, I know has been explained over and over but one must learn, one step at a time and that is a known to you. Little lights do come on for me now and then. I've gone through life until now leaving these matters to others. Yes, in the Philippines I was awed with finding no extra ground wire in the 220v circuits. Two hot wires with not extra ground. Two wires strung all over everywhere out into the barrio's. OK. I understand the need for what I always called a common ground. I got here because of the little genny. I never gave a thought to the serious subject of grounding except to question this RV possible being a live wire at some point. I always wondered, how in the world could the RV ever be grounded as it floats on rubber tires. Now these various terms of grounding I may never fully understand. So many men on this thread are so interesting to me. One saying, no this is true and other giving a different view. But I guess that's what learning is all about. I don't understand much of what is being said, however, its interesting to say the least. Now, one question. When two wires are used to complete a 220v circuit, no protection of a ground (to mother earth) and there is leakage from a motor 220v s/p as with a refrigerator (like in the Philippines) and you get a zap, is that possible with the RV. From what source., and what is the TRUE protection we can use. Do any of my questions make any sense? I want to know your take on the use of a GFI in the RV power cord. I can just feel the storm acomin'

Thanks again,

O&S

[MrWizard]

its NOT floating ground.. its floating NEUTRAL

neutral is term that NEVER should have been used in AC circuit wiring

the white wire/neutral is 1/2 of the electrical circuit, 1 of the wires used to carry current, there is nothing NEUTRAL about it, if that wire is broke if the connection is broke the device does NOT operate ( utility power or generator )

get your body in between the broken (white wire/neutral) and you complete the circuit, you become part of the power path

residential power comes is as 220v 3 wire, 120 /0/ 120, black/wht/black

120v from each blk to the wht, 240 across the 2 blks

that wht wire carries power, it is NOT neutral never has been

the only time that wire is not carry power is where devices run on 220 volts with 2 wires ( like in the phillipnes ? ) or a 220 welder ? ( a 220 volt 2 wire motor )

the power company grounds the white wire, bonds it in the breaker panel, bonds it to ground ( a return path to the power company ) because there is never a totaly balance 240 load in your home, this helps prevent hazards caused by an unbalanced system

your generator is not bonded to ground, grounding the genny frame to earth ground is a saftey practice, a good one,

bout you to NOT want the white wire/neutral. bonded to the genny frame, because most of the time the genny frame is NOT bonded to an earth ground,

IF the neutral is bonded to genny frame ( not floating ) the genny frame is 120v electric path from the hot to frame or neutral, the grd wire of the shore cord connects to grd of the rv frame, the rv frame is now the genny frame electric path, it s now shock time.

its floating neutral, there is no current path, where there is an OPEN cicruit

keeping the neutral in the genny head isolated from the genny frame, means the frame can NOT carry power/current back to the genny head thru the frame, thru you for touching the frame of the RV

[Old___Slow]

Professor95/others,

Here is what I just did. My MH was plugged into shore power via the RV cord. No GFI yet. I got out a 25' extension cord, one with the 3 prongs and plugged into a 110v receptacle on the RV. I was in process of a polish job on the RV. I got out the polisher and took notice there was only a 2 prong plug on the polisher. I looked and there it was "UL approved sticker" item43424. I can't reason using this polisher is safe. So to the question. If there was a GFI in the RV power cord I'm I safe. This "UL" sticker with only a two prong plug? Don't have a clue BUT I'm no 'lectrician.

O&S

[Old___Slow]

professor95,

I feel like the little kid in the classroom, saying, teacher, teacher, I get it. Well I'm still that little boy in your class room. This floating ground thing being a BIG problem. The circuit. I don't want to be caught in it's path from my HM to the GROUND. You have put more than the fear of God into me. Ok, let's review. The genset has a circuit of it's own. Independent of a common ground. Thus, the floating ground. Ok, techno' guys I'm Old and Slow. I see that ground bolt on my genny, ok. I just purely thought that was dumb, my genny is placed on the factory genset tray. I felt that was enough grounding to the frame. So the question of using this little ground bolt on my genny remains unused. It's now a question, where to jumper a ground from the genny ground bolt to the frame. I'll figure that out soon.
Now I have the fear of causing a short circuit with my body in the path of this energy from my little genny. The floating ground thing. This whole entire RV is a power house all of it's one. Just floating in space, or I'm I missing something?. This is quite different than a genny placed in another location. Now this GFI thing. There is a real difference of thought as to it's real importance. The one in the Shore power circuit. One saying, well, it no big deal. Not all that important. I'm caught in the middle. I guess I should go spend some cash and give it to Outdoor World. I hate the thought. Someone add their thought. Sorry, guys. Some of us earthlings came slightly slow in the beginning.

O&S

[lane_hog]

TKMJ wrote:

Am I doing something wrong or is there a bad lot of gensets out there and I got 3 in a row. Am I expecting too much out of a Chinese genset? All I wanted was 120 volts that was somewhat stable. I could understand 135 volts or so without a load, but to watch the genset run wild on the first try? I don't think so.

Personally, good and cheap don't often overlap. I commend you on holding the company accountable, though. They're obviously not making enough margin on each generator to actually do a lot of quality control, and despite saying they tested it at the factory, they probably only tested to make sure it started and wasn't wired in reverse. Probably didn't think to check the output voltage under load like you did...