30k reliability

[Evvy Fesler]

None of you asked this question. What kind of 30 Kw do you want to use? MEP-004A? MEP-804A? MEP-804B? MEP-1050?

Well, there is some room for thought.

That’s because we wanted to save something for you since you were vacationing in the Caribbean.

 

[Guyfang]

Yes, I can give a little info there. But its now 00:18 hours and it bed time. Will come back in the morning.

 

[Guyfang]

MEP-004A
Advantages: This machine has 1950-60 tech in it electrically. Simple, easy to fix and troubleshoot. The main gen is cast iron. The Engine is a runner. Rare that the engine is a total loss. Mostly, its all the little things thats going to fail, if at all. The MEP-004A and MEP-005A are the love of my life. If taken care of even a little bit, this set will run a LONG, LONG time. AND ITS SIMPLE.

Disadvantages: The set is getting long in the tooth. A few parts are tough to get. Having said that, If I were to get one, I would start in the rear, and move to the front. Inspecting and repairing as I went. Its mostly little things. I would upgrade lots of things, at a fairly low price, oil and fuel system for instance. The army built these things like a tank, and a few things could be done better. The electrical systems, well, the two of three biggest thorns in your side, A4, A5, have been re-manufactured by someone here in the forum. I would buy them and toss out the old ones, without even looking at them. That leaves the A11, static exciter. The card inside can be re-manufactured. The other parts, T1 and so forth can be found. So, for me, no real big show stoppers.

MEP-804A and MEP-804B
When these sets run right, they run great. Of the TQG gen sets, they are about the only ones I would buy. But the tech inside is much newer, and harder to repair and troubleshoot, for people who might not be "Mr. Good Wrench". The engine and main gen are tight in the box. Its harder to get inside to troubleshoot and repair. The main gens have had some problems, as Evvy can attest. Once the diode ring problem is "Corrected", the main gen is cast iron. The engines are fair to middle for maintenance and MTBF. But thew reason the B model came about was reliability, and parts. The Army had too many A model engine failures.

MEP-1050
There are some people that love this set. Its got a High Speed, Low Drag computer in it! Well, the High Speed, Low Drag computer works well, till it dont work. Then you have problems. Parts availability is very bad. Cost, if you can find one, is HIGH. The set has TOOOOOOOO much high tech. Hard to fix or troubleshoot. If you do not read the books, you are lost. And in comparison to the MEP-804A or B sets, there is room to play foot ball in the box. Ten pounds of crap, in a five pound bag. Very sensitive to low batteries. The military is having a hard time supporting these "computer" gen sets. The just retired Master Tech, of CECOM, Communication & Electric Command, once told me, "Guy, if you ever buy one of these things, I will personally get in my car, drive to where you are at, and beat you with a Baseball bat, until you are nothing but a red wet spot in the mud." I suppose you could say I don't like them.

 

[charlesmann]

From that info @Guyfang i think i’ll build me a gen set with my mechanical 4bt turbo cummins and buy a new gen head that already has the recommended voltage regulator @87cr250r mentioned, built in to the new stamford head.

If i can get an electrician to come out and take my money (hard to find one that wants to take my money) to tell me what i need to get get, then come back and wire it in. It might be faster and more productive to fly in a candian electrician coworker out, put him in a hotel and have him help me for cash under the table.

 

[Guyfang]

That would work for me!

 

[87cr250r]

In my industry we generally find it less expensive to fly in labor because the hotel cost is less than paying travel time each day for the local labor.

 

[charlesmann]

In my industry we generally find it less expensive to fly in labor because the hotel cost is less than paying travel time each day for the local labor.

That is a piss poor shame its cheaper to fly people in than hiring locals. My coworker is an aviation electrician/avionics tech but he know his chit on the avn elec side. Our acft has 3 220v ac 3 phase 400hz generators and a transformer rectifier for 24v dc. Minus the hz, its very close to the power from a 3ps generator. He could probably draw me up a schematic and parts list with relays and switches and break it down big bird cookie monster style so i dont fry myself or mill components.

87cr250, or someone else. If i use relays and switches, would 1 vfd (20hp, 60 amps) run two motors (15hp amd 1.5hp) with a combined total amps combined of NMT 40 amp? If so, that will save me $300-450.

I know its unconventional, but instead buying an outdoor breaker/pdp panel/box, i was thinking of using 2 of my pelican 1620 storm cases. 1 is big enough to house 2 vfds and if only need 1vfd, breakers as well. Plus they are very water resistant/proof.

 

[87cr250r]

You program the VFD to the motor so your 1.5 HP motor could be damaged if the VFD tries to run it as a 20 HP motor. The VFD also does some condition monitoring and may trip if it sees the motor circuit open as the relays change over. You could probably disable this.

 

[charlesmann]

You program the VFD to the motor so your 1.5 HP motor could be damaged if the VFD tries to run it as a 20 HP motor. The VFD also does some condition monitoring and may trip if it sees the motor circuit open as the relays change over. You could probably disable this.

If that is the case, then i need a 10 vfd since im starting off with a 10hp motor and was going to upgrade to a 20hp in the future if the need of more hp was required.

The guy i bought my mill plans off of only uses 1 vfd for both his 10hp and 3/4hp motor. I have no idea how he controls each motor (switches and relays), he wont respond to emails or fb msgr and nothing in the build plans as such.

 

[87cr250r]

You can buy the 20 HP VFD for the 10 HP motor. You key in the motor power during the setup process. You can't set up a VFD for 20 HP and use it to drive a 1.5 HP motor.

The VFD has auxiliary outputs. You could potentially use it to switch another motor off and on but it can only provide variable speed control to a single motor.

 

[charlesmann]

You can buy the 20 HP VFD for the 10 HP motor. You key in the motor power during the setup process. You can't set up a VFD for 20 HP and use it to drive a 1.5 HP motor.

The VFD has auxiliary outputs. You could potentially use it to switch another motor off and on but it can only provide variable speed control to a single motor.

That may be what he does. The lift motor is turning max spd but with a slow enough rpm out of the rgb, and enough practice,is able to dial in on his next cut accurately.