JI1FGX/DU9 Mindanao DiaryPurchased a generator(2010/03/15)
Here in Mindanao, around Osamis, there are rolling blackouts of 4 to 6 hours every other day. Rumor has it that the hydroelectric plant is running out of water.
So Gigi bought me a 3KW generator on his way to Cebu to get my permanent visa!
By the way, we left Osamis port on the night of March 4 and arrived in Cebu on the morning of March 5. Busy with immigration, shopping for generators, and buying ingredients for Japanese food, we left Cebu on the night of March 5. We were forced to arrive at the Port of Osamis on the morning of March 6.
For the first time I had two nights alone ・・・・. I was so nervous I couldn't sleep.
When the power goes out, turn off the house's main breaker and plug the generator's output into a nearby outlet. Although the procedure is dangerous if done incorrectly, and the manual says repeatedly "don't do it," we started using it in a simplified way!
Only one light, refrigerator, and air conditioner in the entire house is acceptable. And of course, the radio... CQCQCQ" is now available even during power outages!
If the load is just lighting, the fuel consumption is reduced to 1/3 of the fuel consumption after 6 hours of operation, but with air conditioning, the fuel consumption is reduced to 1/2 in 6 hours!
The generator, said to be made in China, is just too noisy! We installed it by sticking half of it under the outdoor kitchen.
It is an excellent generator, but there is one problem. The main breaker is turned off, so I don't notice when the power is restored.
On several occasions, I made the mistake of not realizing that the power had been restored and kept the generator running!
That's where we built the power restoration alarm system. A simple buzzer sounds when 230V comes to the primary side of the main breaker.
What's inside is pretty simple Only one 2-circuit relay and buzzer The buzzer sounds when the power is restored, and when the pushbutton switch is pressed, the relay holds itself and the buzzer stops. When the power goes out, the self-hold is released and the buzzer sounds again when the power is next restored, and so on.
Unfortunately, the generator is a manual start type, but if it is an automatic start type with a switch, I can control the start and stop. For that you need to put a twin-headed knife switch in front of the main breaker....