Aldi £59 petrol generator and television

[D. T. Green]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

 

[Sylvia Else]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

The generator probably has poor stability in both voltage and frequency.
Equipment that's senstitive to those may indeed break.

Sylvia.

 

[Martin Brown]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Likely it is not just acoustically noisy but electronically noisy too
and the ignition system radio emissions will cause snow on a portable
TV. It might be so rough and ready electrically either voltage or
frequency wise that it could fail or wreck some old sets completely. I'd
expect most modern switched mode PSUs to cope with almost anything but
then you are taking a risk since the maker says it is unsuitable.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

I suspect your problem will be mainly electrical interference. Charging
up a battery to use with your TV would get around this and be quieter.

 

[N_Cook]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

If I was using one I'd wire in permanently a baseload 100W mains bulb
(assuming you are allowed to start up with a pre-existing load) . If the
lamp flickers /wavers then no use with a TV but if a constant light output
I'd try only a sacrificial old TV with an old set-top box , if the picture
rolls from lack of frequency control then at least I tried.

 

[David WE Roberts]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting
to televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment;
would that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying
something like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator
with a portable television?

Some of the extra money paind for more expensive generators goes towards the
extra electronics which ensure a stable a/c output similar to mains current.
This is generaly described as an inverter system

Believe the instructions.
It is not suitable.

There are warnings against these very cheap generators on caravan and mobile
home discussion fora, as they can damage the internal electrics of the more
sophisticated systems.

Cheers

Dave R
--
No plan survives contact with the enemy.
[Not even bunny]

Helmuth von Moltke the Elder

(\__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

 

[The Other Mike]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

Has anybody any experience with one of these very cheap generators ? (Only
£59 ).

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

After looking at the subject I thought, we've had gas powered fridges,
now a petrol powered telly...


--

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment;
would that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying
something like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the
generator with a portable television?

Sounds like you want it to use on a camp site, etc. You will not be
popular.

 

[Jasen Betts]

On just buying a 800 watt 'two' stroke petrol generator from Aldi, we have
heard from someone who says that he has got one; and that his is running
very roughly, and is really noisy.

2 stroke is typically noisy, and often smoky, it's just the way they
work

Also it says in the instructions that it is *not* suitable for connecting to
televisions or other sensitive electronic equipment.

CRT televisions need well regulated line frequency, as do clocks and
some other "sensitive equipment"

Also saying they are not suitable for sensitive electronic equipment; would
that just be the manufacturers covering themselves? Would buying something
like a *surge- protector* make it possible to use the generator with a
portable television?

an AVR is more likely to help if there's voltage problems...

 

[F Murtz]

2 stroke is typically noisy, and often smoky, it's just the way they
work


CRT televisions need well regulated line frequency, as do clocks and
some other "sensitive equipment"


an AVR is more likely to help if there's voltage problems...

If you want to run tv,a lot of small modern tvs run on 12v dc so use
your generator to charge a car battery and run the tv off that.

 

[The Natural Philosopher]

I would have said the exact opposite of that. Linear supplies with a
nice big chunk of L in the way, are pretty much unconcerned about such
nasties as spikes, whereas switchers will fail if you just look at them
wrongly on a day with a Y in it ...

No. they just rectify teh peaks.

But iron transformers dont like odd waveforms.

Having said that, ive used a genny to power a laptop for watching TV on
in a camper.

 

[Jules Richardson]

All 2 stroke engines are noisy.

Although the bigger they are, the quieter they seem to be for their size.

 

[Bob Engelhardt]

After looking at the subject I thought, we've had gas powered fridges,
now a petrol powered telly...

Eh ... after looking at the subject I thought it was about a device that
would generate petrol, maybe it was seen on TV.

 

[Rod Speed]

All 2 stroke engines are noisy. 4 stroke engines are much quieter.
Running "rough" could mean no regulation.

This generator is a piece of junk.

Not necessarily, it may be quite adequate.

That's because the voltage and frequency output is probably not regulated.
Yes.

Light bulbs, heaters, and resistive loads might survive.

The last two certainly will.

Anything electronic or that uses a motor, probably won't.

That's just plain wrong if it has modern switch mode power supply.

Plenty of those are very happy to operate over a range of 80-260V and
couldn't care less about the frequency because they rectify the mains.

No experience.

That's obvious.

I don't need to stick my hand in the fire to know that it's hot.

But you don't understand about modern switch mode power supplys.

Yep. Unsuitable for any purpose other than making lots of noise.
Wrong.

No. If the generator goes into over voltage, even for a few fractions
of second, the MOV (metal oxide varistors) in the "surge protector"
will explode, catch fire, and eventually blow a fuse. Surge
protectors also don't do anything for changes in frequency.

If the TV has a switch mode power supply, it wont care about the frequency.

 

[Rod Speed]

I would have said the exact opposite of that. Linear supplies with a nice
big chunk of L in the way, are pretty much unconcerned about such nasties
as spikes, whereas switchers will fail if you just look at them wrongly on
a day with a Y in it ...

Like hell they do.

However, that said, I would agree with everyone else that using this with
modern electronic equipment would not be a good idea.

That's just plain wrong with modern switch mode power supplys.

OK to run a few lights (but not CFLs or electronically ballasted linear
flourescents), and maybe power tools, which is probably what Aldi had in
mind for it. I've actually found Aldi to be pretty honest in this respect.
It's cheap, and they know it, hence the warnings.

But it may well be fine if the device has a switch mode power
supply that's happy with an input voltage of 80-26V and couldn't
care less about the frequency because it rectifys the mains.

 

[Rod Speed]

I repair hundreds of the things,

But clearly don't understand the basics with well designed switch mode power
supplys.

and irrespective of the topology of any individual design, most work by
the skin of their teeth.

That's just plain wrong.

Left alone, in general, today's generation are fairly reliable, but in my
experience, subject them to the slightest abuse, and they fail - often
catastrophically

Switch mode power supplys, particularly the ones designed
to work on a voltage range of 80-260V don't, and they
don't give a damn about the frequency of the mains
from a generator, because they rectify the mains.

 

[Phil Allison]

"Jeff Liebermann"

Switchers fail gracefully. The output voltage goes to zero.

** Only sometimes, in many SMPS designs the output goes high.

If that is on a 5V rail, it destroys most of the ICs.

Very few have a "crowbar" to stop it .

Analog power supplies are not so graceful when they fail.

** Unregulated ones do no such thing.

The output
usually goes to the maximum of whatever the unregulated part of the
power supply will deliver, which destroys everything connected to it.

** Just like SMPS do then, but far less commonly.

I like switchers.

** But you are an utter ass.



..... Phil

 

[Rod Speed]

Oh, how silly of me not to know that ...

But clearly can't work out for yourself that
they will work fine on that generator.

Where did I ever dispute that such designs don't care about frequency or
input voltage ? I merely stated that if you abuse them, they have a
predisposition towards catastrophic failure

And using one of those on that generator doesn't qualify.

- and I base that on many years of repairing the things every week for a
living.

But clearly can't work out for yourself that
they will work fine on that generator.

Even if they do have a PFC front end, that in itself is just another SMPS,
and the control IC and switching FET are just as prone to failure as in
any other design.

Wrong when the only downside of that generator is that
it may well not control the voltage and frequency of what
it generates very accurately. The SMPS won't give a damn.

 

[Rod Speed]

Switchers fail gracefully. The output voltage goes to zero.

Not always.

Analog power supplies are not so graceful when they fail.
The output usually goes to the maximum of whatever the
unregulated part of the power supply will deliver,
Yes.

which destroys everything connected to it.

Not necessarily.

I like switchers.

Me too, particularly when used on that sort of cheap generator.

 

[JW]

I've never seen you on S.E.R.
before so I guess you're here as a result of the cross-posting. For all I
know, you might be the best SMPS designer in the world, and your efforts
might be bomb-proof.

Not likely. See
http://www.wirelessforums.org/aus-comms-mobile/rod-speed-faq-28790.html

 

[[email protected]]

Switchers fail gracefully. The output voltage goes to zero.

Or to Vin.

Analog power supplies are not so graceful when they fail. The output
usually goes to the maximum of whatever the unregulated part of the
power supply will deliver, which destroys everything connected to it.

So do boost regulators, not that it's necessarily a bad thing.

I like switchers.

I have no preference. There is rarely a choice (I guess if there is it's an
automatic "choice" for the linear - so no real choice).