Do you have a power generator?

Do you have a power generator?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • No

    Votes: 6 75.0%

  • Total voters
    8

Num7

Administrator
Staff
Messages
12,376
I'm curious as to how many of our members have a power generator at home.

I was thinking of buying one a few weeks back, but figured it wasn't necessary for now.
 

TexDanm

Junior Member
Messages
40
If you wait until it is necessary then it will be like toilet paper is now. None to be had and if you do find one it will cost you an arm and a leg. Preppers are looking pretty smart right now. their entire philosophy is about doing things BEFORE they are an absolute necessity. I rolled into this set for at least 3 months to 6 months of the necessities and then only added luxuries like snacks and such when this started. I have been through a 6-week power outage after Hurricane Rita and had a great time. I'm not a nut about this but I don't wait until the house is on fire to think about buying a smoke detector either. If you will spend about ten dollars a week on long term stapes in less than a year you will be set to ride out a shortage of up to 6 months. One thing that I recommend that you do get is a Rocket Stove or learn how to make one. I have an EcoZoom Rocket Stove and with it you can cook using any carbon-based biomass for fuel. It is so efficient that it even mostly burns the smoke and you can cook a meal with a handful of twigs. I have a wood meat smoker, a wood stove and a gas grill but that Rocket Stove is something that you can always find fuel for. You need food and then you need a way to cook it they go hand in hand.
 

FarOutThere

Member
Messages
366
Last time I went to the store they had more toilet paper than I've ever seen in my life. It was spilling over into the isle and you had to walk around it. :ROFLMAO:

I am more invested in Solar and wood stoves myself.
 

Messages
210
I'm curious as to how many of our members have a power generator at home.

I was thinking of buying one a few weeks back, but figured it wasn't necessary for now.
Making a electric motor (although i could always hook it up to my lawn mower if powers out) to 3’ steel flywheel to generator setup right now from a gas generator’s, electric generator/motor I got from this guy after he blew a rod out the side of the gas motor. I literally just cut the crankshaft off with two sawzall blades and copped the electric side with the panel. Having a 3’ flywheel cranking fast is kind of scary though so my plan is to build it by digging a hole about 1/1/2’ deep and then get 4, 5 gallon buckets and fill them with cement and weld a frame off those with anchors in the cement. This will be at about ground level while the wheel sits halfway into the trench. Since the flywheel is about 3’ and the trench will be 1-1/2’ theoretically i Plan 3” clearance on the underside after it mounts on the frame. That’s my first line of defense as it would be in a trench but then I’m also planning on adding a piece of 3/8” angle aligned within 1/2” of the circumference or so, of the apex of the curvature closest. This would obviously be put on the side in front of the wheel from which it would roll directionally to. Ideally in a catastrophic occurrence the angle would catch it in the channel and force it downward into the ground wedging it after this. From there it’s just about learning to properly have conservation of energy after safety of big flywheels is figured out
 
Messages
210
Making a electric motor (although i could always hook it up to my lawn mower if powers out) to 3’ steel flywheel to generator setup right now from a gas generator’s, electric generator/motor I got from this guy after he blew a rod out the side of the gas motor. I literally just cut the crankshaft off with two sawzall blades and copped the electric side with the panel. Having a 3’ flywheel cranking fast is kind of scary though so my plan is to build it by digging a hole about 1/1/2’ deep and then get 4, 5 gallon buckets and fill them with cement and weld a frame off those with anchors in the cement. This will be at about ground level while the wheel sits halfway into the trench. Since the flywheel is about 3’ and the trench will be 1-1/2’ theoretically i Plan 3” clearance on the underside after it mounts on the frame. That’s my first line of defense as it would be in a trench but then I’m also planning on adding a piece of 3/8” angle aligned within 1/2” of the circumference or so, of the apex of the curvature closest. This would obviously be put on the side in front of the wheel from which it would roll directionally to. Ideally in a catastrophic occurrence the angle would catch it in the channel and force it downward into the ground wedging it after this. From there it’s just about learning to properly have conservation of energy after safety of big flywheels is figured out
(X1) 3/8” - 2”x2” or 4”x4” “L” angle iron to be more specific at the side the wheel would be rolling to. Kind of mounted like this. -/o- where “-“ is ground level “/“ is the angle mounted in the direction the wheel would roll to if something was compromised and came loose or cracked off and “o” being the wheel. 3 inch clearance on the underside. 5 gallon bucket’s buried into the ground filled with cement. Rotor hammer holes and cement anchor the frame also built from angle iron stick welded together into the cement barrels. The idea here is the dirt could be a seismic dampener and absorb vibrations provided the frame is built structurally sound enough to ensure the wheel goes nowhere. I’m thinking “tomb steel” is what we call it, or square tubing 3”x3” or 2”x2”- 3/8” thick for the frame. And stick welding is most structurally sound. So yah. I almost got all the materials acquired. The most critical part is balancing. That or I’ll build it in a vertical position. This is the preferred method as you have less friction from contact but requires a more advanced design And safety protocols that or have a magnetic bearing but I haven’t gone into bearing materials yet
 

walt willis

Senior Member
Messages
1,823
Best bet is to buy four 320 watt solar panels with charge controller and four 420 Ah deep cycle batteries hooked to an 3,500 watt inverter for back up power. Keep them inside a 31 gallon metal trashcan lined with cardboard. All connected wire strapped as a bow and not a loop. We are ten years overdue for another Carrington event. Buy several fire extinguisher for electric load center fires and garden sprayers for non electric fires as the water pressure may not work?
Read some What-If books like One Second After and Lights Out.
The time to prepare is before the SHTF!!6845861.jpg
 

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NaturalPhilosopher

Senior Member
Messages
2,299
i personally like the old 2-71 detroit diesel engine generators.
puts out 20kw, spins at 1200RPM(very slow) and has cylinder sleeves for rebuilding.

they ran 24hours a day for 30yrs on refrigerated railroad cars. They still work just fine afterwards for decades.
you can get like a 500 gallon diesel tank and can run a house with a 1kw load for like 6years straight.

then when you run out, can use straight vegetable oil without any alteration.

freaking indestructible
 
Last edited:
Messages
210
I’ve got more creativity and time then I have money. ;) buying these things would take out the fun in a good project. Plus you know. Momentum. Gear ratios or Direct drive is cool too . It’s not over unity it’s just conservation of energy. And it’s a efficient cop
 

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