On Fri, 12 Oct 2018 18:59:22 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 10/12/2018 3:45 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 12 Oct 2018 14:50:19 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 10/12/2018 1:22 PM, wrote:
On Fri, 12 Oct 2018 09:24:03 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:


I need to correct some readings. The current draw of 16 amps was when
I was running the 1200 watt microwave on the generator. I realized it
may have been a higher current reading due to shape factor of the
AC waveform generated by the generator andif there was any voltage droop
due to the generator being loaded close to it's max. So, I just
measured the current it draws when powered by commercial power.

Voltage is 121 vac. Current draw is 14 amps. So, it's using 121v * 14
amperes to produce 1200 watts of microwave power output or 1694 watts
"in" to produce 1200 watts "out".

Very reasonable and believable readings to me.

Not sure about a Honda inverter but my Briggs did not have that ugly a
wave form at pretty much full load
http://gfretwell.com/Propaneproject/Waveform.jpg




I don't know the details of an inverter generator design but from what I
understand they are not dissimilar to a DC to AC inverter or switching
power supplies. Initially the output is a modified square wave but is
then smoothed into a decent sine wave. Honda and other manufacturers of
inverter generators make a big deal about this. There is no big
generator coil in an inverter.

No scope?


Nope. Lent it to a guy and never saw it again. Nice one too.
Tektronix 2445B dual trace that I bought on eBay for cheap bucks.
It worked fine.

If you search around Honda and some other inverter generator
manufacturers have posted images of the waveform for their generators.
Look pretty good.

===

The real test is to feed them into a highly inductive load and then
see what happens to the waveform. I had a brand new 9KW Kohler gen on
our old Bertram 33, not even an inverter gen. When the Heart
Interface charger started pulling serious amps, the waveform would go
to hell, the generator would act up until the charging stopped, and
that would go back and forth in this weird oscillation until the
batteries would get partially charged. The AC current draw of the
Heart Interface charger should have been well within the capabilities
of the generator but the power factor was too high. I tried various
capacitors and a few other remedies but nothing really worked.