Inverter generator owners, please help my FOH article

P

Phil Graham

Honorary PhD
Mar 10, 2011
651
1
18
Atlanta, GA
Everyone,

The FOH magazine editors have asked me to write about generators. I agreed, as long as they put the world's biggest "I am not an electrician" disclaimer in front of the article. As a result, I'm trying to make sure all my ducks are in a row.

Because inverter generators are an odd breed, I'm hoping that you can help me clarify the behavior of inverter generators, especially non-Honda models. Honda Power Systems US is about 3 miles from my office, so I've talked to them directly, but they weren't able to answer all of my questions:

Things I'd like to know:
  1. Model and various ratings of your inverter generator (Voltage, current, etc.)
  2. Ground/Neutral bonding, or lack thereof
  3. Hot to Neutral voltage (no-load conditions)
  4. Hot to Ground voltage (no-load conditions)
  5. Ground to Neutral voltage (no-load conditions)
  6. Hot to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)
  7. Neutral to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)
  8. Ground to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)

If you have a wiggy, or other means of load testing, I'd be interested in seeing how the above change under load. Specifically, if the neutral to ground potentials drift under load, since the Hondas, and I assume most other inverters, have floating differential hot and neutral (+60V and -60V wrt to ground), and no neutral/ground bond.

If you grok what I am asking, and can measure your inverter generator for me, please send a PM.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Re: Inverter generator owners, please help my FOH article

Phil Graham said:
Everyone,

....Because inverter generators are an odd breed, I'm hoping that you can help me clarify the behavior of inverter generators, especially non-Honda models. Honda Power Systems US is about 3 miles from my office, so I've talked to them directly, but they weren't able to answer all of my questions:

Things I'd like to know:
  1. Model and various ratings of your inverter generator (Voltage, current, etc.)
  2. Ground/Neutral bonding, or lack thereof
  3. Hot to Neutral voltage (no-load conditions)
  4. Hot to Ground voltage (no-load conditions)
  5. Ground to Neutral voltage (no-load conditions)
  6. Hot to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)
  7. Neutral to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)
  8. Ground to muffler voltage (no-load conditions)
Click to expand...

...9. What is the impedance from ground to neutral on your inverter generator?
 
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