Inverter Generator

$ 10 to 20 is inexpensive for a special made crystal now. I only know of 2 places right now, Bomar that last report was $ 50 per crystal and minimum of $ 100 for an order. Another in England that is I think about $ 30 per crystal.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery
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Why is frequency stability important in a consumer-grade generator? It's important for generators that connect to the grid because they have to sync up to the grid. Most consumer grade generators are not designed to connect to the grid so what's wrong with 60 hz plus or minus a hz or two. An RC oscillator can do that. Nowadays most microprocessors have at least one general-purpose integrated RC clock oscillator.

Appliances that use the 60Hz wall voltage for a timebase for anything don't really exist anymore not even cheap digital alarm clocks.

Reply to
bitrex

If the processor itself is timed from a crystal many uPs give the option of scaling down the system clock via a hardware divider to generate a reference clock for whatever purpose u need

Reply to
bitrex

Those programmable-frequency oscillators may have distinctly worse phase-noise characteristics than a real crystal in a good oscillator circuit. They may not necessarily be suitable for communications projects or others that are sensitive to phase noise / jitter.

Reply to
Dave Platt

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There is one appliance fwiw, the pin or segment timer. But portable generat ors & electrical precision are alien concepts.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

Obviously, you've never seen a ferro-resonant line conditioner set fire to itself because it was running on 60 Hz.

This was a very real problem with remote radio sites, running on a generator with Motorola Micro stations.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

Most home devices not counting clocks are not that frequency sensitive. The main thing is the simple generator must run close to 3600 rpm to generate the desired voltage which is also generated at 60 hz. A few cycles one way or the other does not mater, but the voltage might.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

They are 'dirty' compaired to a crystal. I have played with a couple on a spectrum analizer just to see.

Probably not very useful if a clean signal is desired, but fine if just a close frequency is needed for things like a microprocessor clock.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

I don't think most modern consumer portable generators operate that way, the engine and drivetrain spin at whatever rpm is convenient for the form-factor vs. output power vs. noise level requirements etc. and it's converted to DC then chopped and converted to line frequency AC again as in a car battery inverter-type dealie.

Reply to
bitrex

Most home portable generators are direct drive from the engine. They are less expensive than the inverter type. The inverter type engines run at whatever rpm it takes to produce the power for the inverter part.

The speed control for them is a simple goveror set for 3600 rpm. I have two of them rated around 5 kw and one of the $89 Harbor Freight ones that operate that way.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

CVTs are obsolete and not used in homes anyway. That some things don't always survive portable gen power is not news. Portable gens have never had accurate frequency control, or accurate anything control.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

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