Your last generator Maintenance Run

[3930dave]

Cummins residential units connect to the internet for remote monitoring and control and will send email on faults or other events. Of course that requires the internet functional.

There is also a system that use cellular connection for sites without internet and for increased security but they aren稚 cheap when compared to a resident unit worth a couple grand. Ironically, $1200 for a remote monitoring system is a hard sell even on a half million dollar generator.

PowerCommand Cloud - Portal

Any unit considered life safety is supposed to be monitored 24/7 on site or offsite and low coolant temperature has been included in the 田ommon alarm list for at least 20 years.

Bean counters rule....... must be something to do with Capital Equipment Depreciation being so attractive..... making a one-time huge purchase = Good, perpetual minor recurring cost = Bad !

Then again.... many people prefer to put complex technology in place, then just ignore it.... Gotta Have Faith !

What you describe CM is pretty much the minimum I would expect today..... after all, the internet should be useful for something other than having Kim K's back-end take over the universe......

Rgds, D.

 

[kevinwak]

On the note of remote monitoring. During this current recent cold spell, -41C this morning, it is really making me want remote monitoring available for my house. Interior temp. Fridge and or freezer temp sensors and water on floor sensors. Has anyone found a good system for this so I can check on my home status at -41 when I am away on Maui enjoying the sun?

 

[Industrial Toys]

Have my fourth Diesel Generator still sitting on the truck. This one an Onan/Kubota Inverter style. The low hour engine runs but it has some other issue. Looking forward to playing with it. Only thing is, it's 110 35 amp only. I can't see an issue putting that into a transformer to make 220.

Can't have too much backup.

Speaking of monitoring. I had one customer very impressed, becaue the phone rang. It was Counterforce saying that they had a flood. The customer more or less said, no we don't, only to go downstairs to find the washing machine had somehow over flowed.

 

[Fallon]

On the note of remote monitoring. During this current recent cold spell, -41C this morning, it is really making me want remote monitoring available for my house. Interior temp. Fridge and or freezer temp sensors and water on floor sensors. Has anyone found a good system for this so I can check on my home status at -41 when I am away on Maui enjoying the sun?

I use SmartThings for home automation stuff. You can use any generic Zwave sensors with it in addition to the SmartThings branded ones. Be really careful about getting a cheap system. This stuff is Internet connected & can do dangerous stuff if compromised (I'm an IT security engineer). Cheap systems never get updates & usually have massive security vulnerabilities.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Yes Big Time! I would never have any cameras around that could compromise my privacy, if connected in ANY way, shape or form to the outside world. I even have my Stupid Apple Phone camera covered with ugly electrical tape. The mic is another story.

All these cheap consumer things that use the "cloud" are particularly suscepible to being compromised. And anything on your network that talks to the outside world can give access to anything else on your LAN, if not properly protected, and who is trusted to say that it is.

 

[3930dave]

Have my fourth Diesel Generator still sitting on the truck. This one an Onan/Kubota Inverter style. The low hour engine runs but it has some other issue. Looking forward to playing with it. Only thing is, it's 110 35 amp only. I can't see an issue putting that into a transformer to make 220.

Can't have too much backup.

If the inverter can tolerate a welder for a load, that sounds about perfect for a small Mig Welder......

Let us know how that one tunes up !

Rgds, D.

 

[grsthegreat]

If the inverter can tolerate a welder for a load, that sounds about perfect for a small Mig Welder......

Let us know how that one tunes up !

Rgds, D.

converting it to 240 wont give you many amps to play with though. Its strange that someone would put that much effort into making a diesel generator and only give it 25 amps 110v.

 

[3930dave]

converting it to 240 wont give you many amps to play with though. Its strange that someone would put that much effort into making a diesel generator and only give it 25 amps 110v.

Guessing it came out of an RV...... I think IT said it was 35A out.

When I said MIG, I was thinking of a 120v one. If the inverter output can handle the welder transients, it should have plenty of capacity.

Rgds, D.

 

[vvanders]

Yes Big Time! I would never have any cameras around that could compromise my privacy, if connected in ANY way, shape or form to the outside world. I even have my Stupid Apple Phone camera covered with ugly electrical tape. The mic is another story.

All these cheap consumer things that use the "cloud" are particularly suscepible to being compromised. And anything on your network that talks to the outside world can give access to anything else on your LAN, if not properly protected, and who is trusted to say that it is.

At the risk of taking this thread totally off topic this exact thing is why VLANs are an amazing piece of tech. All my IoT stuff can see my gateway and nothing else. Just have a separate wifi ssid that routes to a VLAN and keeps them all isolated.

On topic got 8-14" snow predicted for the weekend, hopefully this won't be the first time to test the generator "in anger".

 

[Industrial Toys]

I unloaded that Onan QD (Quiet Diesel). I just had to attach a battery and fuel supply. It's too early to tell, but the computerized nonsense is already taxing my patience. With old school stuff, I can tell what's wrong, what needs doing. With this, nada! Just flashing codes and no-go. You can't test it, because it has decided that something is wrong and won't let you proceed. I was given the service manual on PDF, so at least that.

Also, spoke with Flight Systems. They are a GREAT company that repairs Onan boards and will actually talk with you about your Onan issues. AND, they will be repairing these Inverter systems very soon.

I don't want to say what it came out of. It's in a public service.

For some reason, I thought this would make a good night time runner, just enough for fridge, freezer, lights and electronics. It should handle the water pump. Why it would not bother me to run this possibly higher rpm unit all night long and not my conventional 7.5 1800rpm Onan, I can't answer.