Posted: 2/17/2008 7:58:02 PM EDT
| Hey all. Awhile back i noticed some simple plans for a DIY Generator online, which was made from a lawnmower engine. I can't for the life of me, remember the site. anybody have the link? |
| Have you seen this? Even though it's probably made in China, it looks like a pretty good deal. |
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Seems to me, that if one were handy enough to build the bulk of one of these yourself, it would be a good way to make use of scrap parts and an extra motor. If you were to buy components, and the alternator might not be easy to come by, you end up spending a fair amount of money that could have gone into a commercial generator. The Epicenter site is pretty darn cool, and I wish I was a good enough mechanic to have come up with those ideas, but you end up with a 12VDC generator that charges a battery that runs an inverter. No charge controller for that battery, so as long as the motor is running you are applying current to the battery, not the best situation. Testing would have to tell you about what speed to run said motor. You'll need to attach a larger fuel tank, again may be free if you have spare parts, otherwise more expense to the project. I like reading about this stuff, but when you can get a ~5000W generator for ~$500 with a warranty, I don't think I'll ever go past the reading stage. Would be different if I were a good mechanic and/or had lots of spare parts around that I was smart enough to tinker with. |