Leonardo
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- Central Florida
I did search! But came up empty... So, I would like to explore the option of converting my generators to 12v. This would be better for me as every other thing I own is 12V and batteries are bloody expensive and do not seem to last as long as they use to anymore. Also the conversion to 12v would yield benefits for the life of the machine once done. I respect the hell out of the armed forces (Dad is Army vet who served in vietnam) and I understand why these things come in 24V but I have all 12V equipment and having a few generators that are 24V is a bit of a PITA for me. If I want to jump start one I need 2 sets of jumper cables and 2 separate batteries.... the 24V NATO cables are too expensive for me so that is out...
This is my plan for the 831A....
Playing around with my MEP-831A today and like most of you probably do, I use 2 motorcycle batteries in series. And I can't help but wonder if I could convert the starting system to 12v in order to not need 2 batteries. I am going to see if a $30 lawnmower battery will fit. it looks like it might fit with a bit of work to the battery box and hold down bracket. And even if a mower battery wont fit I believe I would still be better off using 1 motorcycle battery instead of 2....
What I realized is that this thing does not actually need a battery to run. It makes its own 24V so.... with that said, if i taped off the existing 24v battery cables and left them alone I could leave the 24V system intact and functioning how it normally does. Just not use it anymore. However the 24V system would still be there for the generator because I suspect it needs it. Next I would take the 24v starter off and replace it with a 12v starter and its own dedicated 12v battery cables going to a 12v battery. (inline fuses too) Then add a momentary push button contact switch to the generator gauge panel that engages the starter relay. Finally I would Wire in a 1-2 amp 12v battery trickle charger to the back side of the 10 amp 110v socket and connect it to the 12v mower battery so it would be charged whenever the generator is running.
I would like to know what you guys think of this plan and if I am missing any gotchas here that would get me into trouble. If this seems complex take a moment to read it over again and think about it for a few minutes. I am pretty confident this would work but I want to see what you guys think. In a nut-shell I would isolate the existing 24V system and leave it intact and alone. Then I would add a separate 12V starting system and trickle charge it with a battery tender jr wired to the back of the 110v 10a convenience receptacle. And boom a 12V conversion is born! At least I hope this is how it would go...... There seems to be a lot more knowledgable people here then me so tell me if you think this would work in your opinion or at least tell me why it would not work?
Now, onto the bigger MEP-803A...
This may be a little bit trickier. I don't think the same idea would work because the 803A is set up differently. I believe that I could change the starter to a 12v and add a single 12v battery and a button to push start it just like the 831a but I would probably need to disable and remove the alternator and replace it with a 12v alternator to charge the battery . Then add a dc-dc inverter which would convert the 12vdc into 24v dc to power the 24v system so that the generator still has 24v.
the process to start and run the generator would be quite simple, I would walk up and flip the switch to turn on the dc-dc inverter, then go around and turn the generator start switch to the run position, and finally press the momentary contact switch that I added which would engage the 12v starter. To turn the system off I would just to that in reverse.
I have been playing around with this idea in my mind for a while now and I can't see why it would not work. The only downside is that I would have to add a toggle switch to the dc-dc inverter so that I could turn it off when the generator is not running. The benefits would be the same as with the 831A...... 1 battery instead of 2. Half the cost of replacment. PLus the ability to jump start from my truck with a single pair of jumper cables.
What say you fine folks. Has my idea even got a chance of working?
This is my plan for the 831A....
Playing around with my MEP-831A today and like most of you probably do, I use 2 motorcycle batteries in series. And I can't help but wonder if I could convert the starting system to 12v in order to not need 2 batteries. I am going to see if a $30 lawnmower battery will fit. it looks like it might fit with a bit of work to the battery box and hold down bracket. And even if a mower battery wont fit I believe I would still be better off using 1 motorcycle battery instead of 2....
What I realized is that this thing does not actually need a battery to run. It makes its own 24V so.... with that said, if i taped off the existing 24v battery cables and left them alone I could leave the 24V system intact and functioning how it normally does. Just not use it anymore. However the 24V system would still be there for the generator because I suspect it needs it. Next I would take the 24v starter off and replace it with a 12v starter and its own dedicated 12v battery cables going to a 12v battery. (inline fuses too) Then add a momentary push button contact switch to the generator gauge panel that engages the starter relay. Finally I would Wire in a 1-2 amp 12v battery trickle charger to the back side of the 10 amp 110v socket and connect it to the 12v mower battery so it would be charged whenever the generator is running.
I would like to know what you guys think of this plan and if I am missing any gotchas here that would get me into trouble. If this seems complex take a moment to read it over again and think about it for a few minutes. I am pretty confident this would work but I want to see what you guys think. In a nut-shell I would isolate the existing 24V system and leave it intact and alone. Then I would add a separate 12V starting system and trickle charge it with a battery tender jr wired to the back of the 110v 10a convenience receptacle. And boom a 12V conversion is born! At least I hope this is how it would go...... There seems to be a lot more knowledgable people here then me so tell me if you think this would work in your opinion or at least tell me why it would not work?
Now, onto the bigger MEP-803A...
This may be a little bit trickier. I don't think the same idea would work because the 803A is set up differently. I believe that I could change the starter to a 12v and add a single 12v battery and a button to push start it just like the 831a but I would probably need to disable and remove the alternator and replace it with a 12v alternator to charge the battery . Then add a dc-dc inverter which would convert the 12vdc into 24v dc to power the 24v system so that the generator still has 24v.
the process to start and run the generator would be quite simple, I would walk up and flip the switch to turn on the dc-dc inverter, then go around and turn the generator start switch to the run position, and finally press the momentary contact switch that I added which would engage the 12v starter. To turn the system off I would just to that in reverse.
I have been playing around with this idea in my mind for a while now and I can't see why it would not work. The only downside is that I would have to add a toggle switch to the dc-dc inverter so that I could turn it off when the generator is not running. The benefits would be the same as with the 831A...... 1 battery instead of 2. Half the cost of replacment. PLus the ability to jump start from my truck with a single pair of jumper cables.
What say you fine folks. Has my idea even got a chance of working?