Military DC Generator

[Jeff Burns-3]

I have been looking at all the options for both home backup power and power
for portable operations like Field Day. I ran across a Military DC MEP-025A
28V Gasoline Powered generator. Its voltage is adjustable from 10 to 32V.
Toronto Surplus is selling these new in the original box for $579. With the
addition of a good inverter this might be a good deal on a high quality
generator. Does anyone know anything about these military DC generators?

Most likely I will be getting a commercial generator, but this option is
intriguing.

Jeff Burns
AD9T

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[EricJ-2]

 Don't know anything about them, but I would want to answer a few questions
first. Can I get parts for it? What kind of power output? How noisey is it?
What kind of fuel consumption? The military isn't all that concerned with
the last two, I would think. I do some work for American Honda and have
looked at their generators. More money, but they are really fine pieces of
gear.

Eric
KE6US

-----Original Message-----
From: [hidden email]
[mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Jeff Burns
Sent: Sunday, March 20, 2005 3:23 PM
To: 'Elecraft List'
Subject: [Elecraft] Military DC Generator

I have been looking at all the options for both home backup power and power
for portable operations like Field Day. I ran across a Military DC MEP-025A
28V Gasoline Powered generator. Its voltage is adjustable from 10 to 32V.
Toronto Surplus is selling these new in the original box for $579. With the
addition of a good inverter this might be a good deal on a high quality
generator. Does anyone know anything about these military DC generators?

Most likely I will be getting a commercial generator, but this option is
intriguing.

Jeff Burns
AD9T

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[N2EY]

In a message dated 3/20/05 6:24:05 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[hidden email] writes:


> home backup power and power
> for portable operations like Field Day. I ran across a Military DC MEP-025A
> 28V Gasoline Powered generator. Its voltage is adjustable from 10 to 32V.
> Toronto Surplus is selling these new in the original box for $579. With the
> addition of a good inverter this might be a good deal on a high quality
> generator.


Lot of maybes and it depends on that one.

First off, the MEP-025A is rated 1.5 kW - 28 vdc and 53 amps. I suspect that
if you crank it down to 12-14 volts, you can still only pull 53 amps from it.
That's only about    750 W output. Plenty for a single-transmitter 100W-class
FD site if everything runs off 12V. Maybe even two transmitters. But for home
backup, I doubt it will even run the fridge.

The economy of the system depends on the total cost of the generator,
inverter, and various cables and interconnects. Unless the inverter is very
efficient, you'll lose some capacity in the conversion process.

So for home power backup, its utility seems very limited unless your house is
set up  for 12 or 24 volt DC operation of certain critical systems. May be
useful as a backup for a solar or wind system.

I don't know how quiet that generator is, either electrically or
acoustically. Usually I put the 110 VAC generator at the end of a 100 foot heavy-gauge
extension cord  - but you can't do that at 12 volts unless the cables are *very*
heavy.

I don't know if getting parts for such a generator would be a problem. The
websites seem to indicate it is mid-'70s vintage.

Will it run OK on unleaded gas?

FD usefulness depends on what you do on FD. A QRP setup can easily be run off
batteries, with possibly a solar panel to keep up the charge and earn natural
power points. For a K2 with 100W, a large battery (you need about 120 AH if
you operate the entire period) could do the job, or the generator could charge
a smaller battery.

But for about the same money you could get any of a number of current-model
generators. Some models have both 12V and 120/240V output.

73 de Jim, N2EY
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