Using generator on location for monolights...

[Garbz]

Yeah I know. I just never have used a cheap small generator. The only ones I've got anything to do with a huge bastards that run the emergency power to our refinery control building. Funny enough they have woodward governors in them, and so do many of our large turbines.

 

[table1349]

Yeah I know. I just never have used a cheap small generator. The only ones I've got anything to do with a huge bastards that run the emergency power to our refinery control building. Funny enough they have woodward governors in them, and so do many of our large turbines.

I'm guessing that they are also either diesel or natural gas fired, which makes it easier to govern. They probably also have a computer controlled governor system. It's cheaper or at least easier to put an inverter on a small gas engine generator than a governor that will be that accurate.

 

[benhasajeep]

I'm guessing that they are also either diesel or natural gas fired, which makes it easier to govern. They probably also have a computer controlled governor system. It's cheaper or at least easier to put an inverter on a small gas engine generator than a governor that will be that accurate.

Well to put out consistant clean power our generators at work cost about $250,000 each. And they run on jet fuel.

 

[Garbz]

Yeah diesel, and have a PLC system in there from a stupid Italian company who's documentation skills rival a first year engineering student.

But one thing that is key here, those very large and expensive ones are designed to provide grid connectivity. Half of the cost comes with the governor's ability to very quickly sync to the supply grid.


Incidentally though diesel engines have governs already anyway, so I don't see why those small diesel generators would need to go through the inverter effort assuming they aren't powering a load that critically requires 50Hz.

 

[table1349]

Yeah diesel, and have a PLC system in there from a stupid Italian company who's documentation skills rival a first year engineering student.

But one thing that is key here, those very large and expensive ones are designed to provide grid connectivity. Half of the cost comes with the governor's ability to very quickly sync to the supply grid.


Incidentally though diesel engines have governs already anyway, so I don't see why those small diesel generators would need to go through the inverter effort assuming they aren't powering a load that critically requires 50Hz.

Perhaps one reason is due to location. Here in the states, at least my part of the states there are no small portable diesel generators. They are all gasoline powered.

The larger fixed ones designed to power a house or commercial building may be diesel, but increasingly they are powered by natural gas. The larger ones have a governor in them probably due to power company and or local regulations since they are attached to the public power grid as a safe guard for their equipment.

 

[jeff000]

Sorry, never used one, nor will I use one. Power from a generator like you linked to is not that clean. Welders don't need clean power/mono lights do. I would not risk my lighting gear with a generator like you linked too. The cost savings over dedicated portable power packs would be a mute point if I fried my lights.

Have any of you ever used a meter to actually see how dirty the power you use is?
I know not many will have a Fluke 43B laying around considering they are pushing $4,000 and pretty specialized. But If you really want clean power I wouldn't recommend most household receptacle.
And if you are shooting in any kind of an industrial or commercial area then the power is even more dirty.

One thing I don't get is why all generators don't provide pure sine waves. I mean you are rotating a magnet in a coil, that produces an oscillation as it is. Why must people mess with the output. :banghead:

You don't need a pure sine wave. Any decent generator will give clean enough power that your lights will never know any better.


There is far more to electricity then just a sine wave.

 

[Garbz]

Perhaps one reason is due to location. Here in the states, at least my part of the states there are no small portable diesel generators. They are all gasoline powered.

Funny just did a quick google for diesel generator and all the top hits are for an Australian made brand .

There is far more to electricity then just a sine wave.

Preaching to the converted here. I work with this stuff on a daily basis. I was approaching this purely as a question of generators. Couldn't care less about what they are powering, I don't own monolights.

 

[jeff000]

There is far more to electricity then just a sine wave.

Preaching to the converted here. I work with this stuff on a daily basis. I was approaching this purely as a question of generators. Couldn't care less about what they are powering, I don't own monolights.

Sparkie too eh?

 

[Garbz]

Elec engineer, there's quite a few of us on this board