Category Archives: Generators

Designing for long hours of off grid use.

Posted on February 4, 2013 by George B.

  A lot of things work for backup, but lots of running hours cause us to pay closer atttention to our designs. I’ve been studying a generator that was in the field for 10 years, and ran as much as 12 … Continue reading →

Posted in DIYer Generator, DIYer Skills, Off Grid Power, Slow Speed Engines, Small Diesels | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Email of the day, Calculating Fuel Consumption

Posted on January 31, 2013 by George B.

A great Question from Eric Today. Message Body: Hi George, I have been trying to find info on how to calculate the fuel consumption for a backup generator that I would like to build, but am not having much luck. … Continue reading →

Posted in Engines, Generator Realities, Test Bench, Things I like | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

A Rare Opportunity to Observe Lister CS neglect?

Posted on January 26, 2013 by George B.

Have you ever wondered how much of an advantage an enclosed valve train would be over what Dursley created?  Maybe you’ve mused over other details of this engine, and saw a need to make them different? I personally think it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Engines, Generator Realities, Off Grid Power, Slow Speed Engines, Small Diesels, UtterPower Articles, Utterpower's Friends | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Email of the day: Generator VS Alternator 1-23-13

Posted on January 24, 2013 by George B.

Email received: George: I have acquired a Lister/Petter 12hp one lunger. My mechanic assures me that it sips fuel at 800RPM(2/3pint to 1 pint/hour) and will produce 4KW-5KW. So I am on my way so to speak.  My question is this, which … Continue reading →

Posted in CHP/ Co Gen, DIYer Generator, DIYer Skills, Generator Realities, Off Grid Power, Questions & Answers | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Question of the Day: Is it OK to use a multigrade oil in a Lister 6/1?

Posted on January 5, 2013 by George B.

                          Subject: listeroid oil weight Question from Robert B. Is there any reason I can not use 5w30 oil in the winter for easier starting? I have been … Continue reading →

Posted in DIYer Generator, Engines, Slow Speed Engines, Small Diesels | Tagged , | 14 Comments

Danny Fong Fooey

Posted on December 18, 2012 by George B.

It’s getting harder to make an honest buck, at least that’s what some say. Here’s a good study, I love the way Michael Noer leads Danny away from the technical conversation back to the promotion of the ‘venture’. http://video.forbes.com/fvn/30-under-30/30-under-30-danielle-fong  Yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy Sources, Buyer Beware, CHP/ Co Gen, Critical Thinking, Earth & Energy, Insane Grants, The New Green Movement, Things I Hate! | 1 Comment

Monitoring Power Consumption / Production

Posted on December 2, 2012 by George B.

Sunday morning musings.. many of the past posts were all about how we might ‘devine’ the direction of the wind. We DIYers build our houses with thoughts of such things. But what follows are tools and knowledge we might add … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative Energy Sources, Associates, DIYer Generator, Generators, Off Grid Power, Submitted Articles, Utterpower's Friends, Voltage | Tagged , , , , , , | 22 Comments

The other Women in my life, Ayn Rand and Ileana Johnson Paugh.

Posted on November 30, 2012 by George B.

 I doubt there will ever be a review of the underground utilities in the areas most affected by the storm on the east coast, and what wasn’t properly maintained. Much of the oversee is the PUC who often have communist … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyer Beware, Critical Thinking, DIYer Generator, DIYer Skills, Generator Realities, Gravity, In The News, Your Wasted Tax Dollars | Tagged , , | 12 Comments

Zach Asks: Is your generator ready for winter?

Posted on November 29, 2012 by George B.

Zach Says, Our Standby Generator is AOK, it ran for 50 hours last year, and now with my Sister Ava, it’s nice to know we can make a few KW to run the fan in the gas furnace, run the … Continue reading →

Posted in Buyer Beware, Critical Thinking, DIYer Generator, DIYer Skills, Generator Realities, Generators, How Tos, Off Grid Power, Survival Skills, UtterPower Articles | Tagged , , | 9 Comments

Monitoring and controlling devices, with an embedded microcontroller and web server.

Posted on November 25, 2012 by George B.

Introduction by George B. Why I think you need consider making the time for Steve’s project?  As we study small generators, we learn that one of the larger mistakes we can make is buying one too big. I use the … Continue reading →

Posted in Building Design, DIYer Generator, Earth & Energy, How Tos, Projects, Submitted Articles | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments