MEP-803A

[chilbun28]

Another observation I have on my new to me 803 is after start up during the warm up period especially if I adjust the hertz rotary dial the voltage meter bounces around quite sporadically. So if I have the volts dialed in at 220V the gauge may bounce around from 220 to below 150 or 100 and bounce back up to 220 without a load being applied to the generator. Usually it lines out and maintains at 220 or whatever the setpoint is but it seems odd to me. Is this common or maybe an indication I have an issue to look into? Thanks

 

[Ray70]

It is most likely a bad volt gage, but get yourself a good DMM or better yet a Kill-A-Watt meter and first verify if the voltage truly is fluctuating or not.
I've had a few do similar things and it was always a flakey gage, but gotta verify the actual voltage first!

 

[chilbun28]

Thanks for your guidance. It all sounds straight forward. I'm not exactly the go-to when it comes to electrical and electrical troubleshooting. I just bought one of the kill-a-watt meters off Amazon. If I find the meter is swinging with the gauge and the reading is correct what direction should I take?

 

[Light in the Dark]

If the gauge is reading true, I would question the integrity of the voltage regulator. But a simple multimeter into the outlet while the gauge is dancing will tell you definitively if its the gauge or something else.

 

[Ray70]

Same here... If gage is correct, suspect the VR, but my money is on a bad gage.