Power house generator woes

M

Mongo

Member
Power house status.
- Hook up to battery. positive to ground negative to the output post- it motors pretty good.
- Field measures about 3.5 ohms
- Growler shows no shorts on the com
- Have checked segment to segment on the com with ohm meter--each segment reads less than ohm
- when in the growler I do not seem to get voltage between adjacent segments any where on the com---not sure of what levels to expect.
- cleaned brushes and com
- seems to be decent spring pressure on brushes - moved field adjustment back and forth
- scratched my head lots!

When I spin with a good drill--lots of speed it lays there like a stunned chicken - perhaps half a volt output. Perhaps I am the stunned chicken doing something wrong!!!
 
I believe I have done that--does that happen when you hook it to run it like a motor? I have also connected the field separately--- negative to lead and positive to ground as well
I have also checked the connection on the brush holders to the frame etc.
 
I look for amperage between segments, depending on how it is wound, I look for the position of the highest reading, and rotate and test each segment, most have made 10-15 amps--- remember it is ac amps on the growler---- if the solder connection between wires and commutator bar is bad you may show good with most tests, but have low- no output
 
Just a short hijack here: I have about 3 powerhouse generators I want to move on but the brush ring is either missing or damaged. Are they available?
 
The brush holders are hard to find in good condition.
If you have the parts, I have used JB Weld to repair them.

When the field isn't working, the generator will put out about 1/2 volt from residual magnetism.
I have found poor solder joints where the field coil wires twist together. I have also found a broken wire just inside the wrap, so I cut the wrap back enough to solder the wire. I check the fields by connecting a battery charger on 6 volts, then read the amps. Powerhouse fields should draw about 1 1/2 to 2 amps.

Poor output can also be the ground brush spring post not making a good connection where it meets the metal frame. I've had to use a large soldering gun to heat and solder the post. Try not to heat the Bakelite, or it may crack.
 
I went over what I thought I had checked correctly and just as repeated on the forum several times there was bad post connections. Thx again for reinforcing what has already been indicated several times.
 
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