[geeks] Tools

[Kris Kirby]

On Thu, 5 Sep 2002, Fogg, James wrote:
> Please tell me more about [1]. I have a 1942 Hobart 3ph 110v USASC (U.S.
> Army Signal Corps) generator. It uses a Hercules ZX 4 cylinder water
> cooled flathead engine with a Zenith side draft carburetor and oil bath
> air filter. Would it be the same generator? Would it be the more
> desirable 6cyl model? Mine went to Germany when we decimated that
> country.

Well, it's a WWII surplus generator that used to belong to a ham club
somewhere on the West Coast until they got something better and decided to
give it to the one man who had figured out how to run it best. Then he
moved from Cali to Alabama and took it with him. It sat in his garage for
about ten years and he gave it to me when I posted something to a mailing
list about wanting to find a 10 HP motor so I could make a generator. It's
only a 1KW generator, but it's military grade and the sled it's bolted to
weighs in at 500 lbs.

I've got some pictures of it up at <http://catonic.net/gen/>; I haven't
gotten around to rebuilding it yet, but I also wanted to see if I could
rig an electric start mechanism onto it so I can make it part of my UPS
system. As it is at the moment, it has one of those rope-pull systems
where the rope leaves the pulley at the end of the pull.

It came with the service manual. The gentleman I got it from was quick to
point out that it bears the signature of George C. Marshall (or some other
famous name from WWII) who was then Secretary of the Army.

And I have no idea where it's been. It's a one-cylinder. I'd _love_ to
have a diesel ex-mil generator. But at the moment, I've decided I want one
of these:

<http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/greentruck/truck1/pics.html>
<http://www.qsl.net/ke6myk/greentruck/truck4/pics.html>

I just can't wait for the first question: "WHY ON EARTH DID YOU BUY ONE OF
THOSE?" "'Cause my wife said the Expidition just wasn't big enough."

Heheh. 6x6. No parking spot -- no problem[0]. 8-)

[0]: Make you own. >:-)

--
Kris Kirby, KE4AHR  <kris at nospam.catonic.net>  TGIFreeBSD IM: 'KrisBSD'
                    "BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!"
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