[AT] Northern California weather - was generators

Thu Jan 23 16:45:34 PST 2014

I am irrigating our 35 acres of walnuts right now. Only the second time in 25 years that I have had to start this early in January. I really hope there is still groundwater to keep irrigating in July and August. California agriculture is in for a very rough year with the worst drought here in recorded history.

John Boehm
Woodland, CA
Visit my web site at http://vintagetractors.com

>________________________________
> From: Grant Brians <sales at heirloom-organic.com>
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com> 
>Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2014 10:47 AM
>Subject: [AT] Northern California weather - was generators
> 
>
>Our weather is frost each morning and highs each afternoon/evening between
>the 60s and low 80s! This is NOT January normal. We already have our first
>Potato crops in the soil - about 10 acres so far and I expect they will not
>get frosted down....
>         Grant
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
>[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of Ken Knierim
>Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 2:37 PM
>To: Antique tractor email discussion group
>Subject: Re: [AT] Winco generator question
>
>
>Good luck on the gen.
>
>I don't miss the cold weather. It's in the lower 70's right now and I
>noticed my peach trees are budding out... got a blossom on one of them
>already. Dang... spring is too early!
>
>Ken in AZ
>
>
>On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 3:24 PM, Howard Fleming
><hfleming at moosebird.net>wrote:
>
>> Hi Ken,
>>
>> It does.  Thanks!
>>
>> Guess I will be tearing it down as soon as the temps here get above
>> freezing (later this week I hope).
>>
>> If that does not work, time to buy another one.
>>
>> Howard
>>
>>
>> On 01/22/2014 11:02 AM, Ken Knierim wrote:
>> > Howard,
>> >      Thanks for the link... lots of information in there. Still need to
>> see
>> > whether they have one for my exact model (a 13kw unit with a Wards
>> label).
>> > As far as a rectifier, mine came with 4 individual aluminum clad diodes
>> > that were clamped down (kinda rickety but worked I guess) and I replaced
>> > them with a single bridge rectifier. Since DC needs to go to the field
>> from
>> > the rectifier, it wasn't hard to take my old battery charger and make
>> sure
>> > the field had been flashed.
>> >
>> > Hope this helps.
>> >
>> > Ken in AZ
>> >
>> >
>> > On Wed, Jan 22, 2014 at 8:02 AM, Howard Fleming <hfleming at moosebird.net
>> >wrote:
>> >
>> >> Hi Ken,
>> >>
>> >> I am hoping it is the rectifier, I just have not been able to find
>where
>> >> they put it (so far).  Looks like I am going to have to pull it apart
>> >> for a better look.  May need to flash it also?  Still learning as I go.
>> >>
>> >> If your generator was built by Winco, you might be able to find a
>manual
>> >> for it (if you do not already have one) at:
>> >>
>> >> http://www.wincogen.com/Winpower_Downloads/
>> >>
>> >> Thanks,
>> >> Howard
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> On 01/20/2014 06:35 PM, Ken Knierim wrote:
>> >>> I've got a Wards that I think was built by Winco. It's developed an
>> >>> affinity for nuking the rectifier section... granted I'm probably not
>> >> using
>> >>> the right part but overreving will give them some extra zap. At any
>> rate,
>> >>> I've been using a 4 amp 600 volt bridge rectifier I cobbed out of a PC
>> >>> power supply. I know its underpowered (probably voltage when it
>spikes)
>> >> as
>> >>> this is a 240 V output that it rectifies to feed into the field (which
>> is
>> >>> DC). When it goes out, the unit does nothing. No voltage or anything.
>> If
>> >>> you have voltage showing on the readout, the problem isn't the
>> rectifier
>> >>> but probably in the breakers or wiring. I'm still learning generators
>> so
>> >> my
>> >>> knowledge kinda stops here though.
>> >>>
>> >>> Ken in AZ
>> >>>
>> >>>
>> >>> On Mon, Jan 20, 2014 at 3:53 PM, Howard Fleming <
>> hfleming at moosebird.net
>> >>> wrote:
>> >>>
>> >>>> Since some of you on this list work on generators, I need some help
>> with
>> >>>> a Winco PTO generator that I have.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I was setting it up for use last week (power was out again).  The
>unit
>> >>>> was turning, but not at 540 rpms, and was not hooked up to the
>> transfer
>> >>>> switch yet.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I got a yellowish flash out of the front of the unit, the tractor
>when
>> >>>> under load briefly, and then no output.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> I have checked the brushes (all appear good), and checked the field
>> >>>> coils (~ 14 ohms with the coils in series (disconnected), and was not
>> >>>> grounded to the case that I could tell.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Anything else I should look at, is it worth spending any money on the
>> >>>> unit to have a local shop look at it, or should I just purchase a
>> >>>> replacement unit?  The generator was built in 1962.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Pictures of the generator are at
>> >>>> http://www.moosebird.net/generator/index.html
>> >>>>
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Thanks for any help or suggestions.
>> >>>>
>> >>>> Howard
>> >>>> _______________________________________________
>> >>>> AT mailing list
>> >>>> http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
>
>> >>>>
>> >>> _______________________________________________
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