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T O P I C R E V I E W
Chamkeeper
Posted - Oct 15 2004 : 01:26:23 AM Today I used this thing I built a number of years ago, and thought the people that frequent this site would be interested in this goofy device. I bought a chainsaw engine at a garage sale, for $5, I heard it run before I paid. I bought a BIG General Motors 1-wire alternator from a junk yard for $10. A piece of scrap steel, a sprocket and adapter ( the tricky part), and a used chain, and I could make a lot of automoblie power for not much money. The real tirck is the 9V battey to get the alternator running. You need to excite the field for just a little bit of time and the alternator will take over. I use this thing to start dead cars, or power stuff for short runs, (chainsaw engines have small tanks,) etc.
Basically, chain the motor and alternator together, wire the 9V battery to the 1 wire line off the alternator through a push button, attatch some good sized wire, like old battery cables, or cheap jumper cables, to the frame of the device, and the output, or 1-wire, of the alternator. Start the chainsaw motor, the chain drives the alternator, but you will get nothing out. Push the button to excite the alternator and let it go after half a second. The alternator's internal electronics will take over the regulation duties, and the output will be a nice 13.8vdc at whatever the required current may be, to the max limit of the alternator.
This thing is fairly light, quite powerful, and unique. MUCH more effective than the 'gel-cell in a box' starters that seem to be popular now.
2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
binaryblade
Posted - Oct 24 2004 : 3:21:33 PM We built a similar thing a while back but the problem was there was no internal electronics to excite the field meaning it had to be constantly hooked you to the battery which meant if the motor ran out of gas the battery would drain through the field so we had to rig up a relay which was activated by push button after the motor was running and when the motor did would automatically cut out.
Suddenly I realize that I, like most of humanity, only know enough to be dangerous.
Alien
Posted - Oct 16 2004 : 1:19:16 PM Yah, i'm going to build pretty much the same thing but i'll be using a lawnmower engine i found on the street.. lol and some old alternator i'll get from a garage nearby...
Its really simple, http://theepicenter.com/tow082099.html there's the schematic, I can get a inverter and use it as a full size generator almost...lol depends how powerfull it is and I'll extend my gas tank so it lasts longer when i need it..