Honda EU6500is Generator

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
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So, the weak link so far has been the knife switch. It works but I just don't like it. Too flimsy.

I'll probably end up swapping it out for another.

I'd go with an auto-transfer for around $200 but the use I'm giving it just doesn't justify it at this point.

Here's the generator set up and the switch for those of you who are interested.

And by the way, I have a CO detector in the room. It's going up to about 140-150 or so but no alarm with the door closed.

The door also has a seal across the bottom gap to prevent leakage into the rest of the house.

I sure wouldn't run 600V through that switch..lol
A $200 automatic transfer switch. Is that being flown in from Wuhan ?
Having built several hundred cell sites with diesel & propane backup generators I can tell that if you get a working automatic transfer that works for $200 you have got the deal of a lifetime, or just typical Chinese garbage. Might last a week, if that.
My guess is you are probably looking at at least $700 installed. In the real world north of $1,000.

https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.d...cking_id=b94f5ccf-affe-4b4a-8272-f29216c380e3
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,570
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A Square D (non-fused) disconnect could be purchased for about $60 and flown in for another $30.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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A $200 automatic transfer switch. Is that being flown in from Wuhan ?
Having built several hundred cell sites with diesel & propane backup generators I can tell that if you get a working automatic transfer that works for $200 you have got the deal of a lifetime, or just typical Chinese garbage. Might last a week, if that.
My guess is you are probably looking at at least $700 installed. In the real world north of $1,000.

https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.d...cking_id=b94f5ccf-affe-4b4a-8272-f29216c380e3
This is the 200 dollar one I was referring to, currently not available.


But as I mentioned before, I am not interested in an Autotransfer switch.

I don't need it. And FWIW, I haven't even had the opportunity to use the generator yet; I've only been testing it so far.
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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A $200 automatic transfer switch. Is that being flown in from Wuhan ?
Having built several hundred cell sites with diesel & propane backup generators I can tell that if you get a working automatic transfer that works for $200 you have got the deal of a lifetime, or just typical Chinese garbage. Might last a week, if that.
My guess is you are probably looking at at least $700 installed. In the real world north of $1,000.

https://articulo.mercadolibre.com.d...cking_id=b94f5ccf-affe-4b4a-8272-f29216c380e3

Off island built? Sure!

Here there are several local manufacturers that have the know-how and experience with auto transfer switches. They manufacture the whole thing out of import parts.

I used plenty of them when I had the campito properties here in the DR off-grid.
They never gave me problems and the tech was one call away from solving any issues that came about( like heat transfer via the cables to the switches, solved with higher gauge ones).

They are used to building the inverters 100% and can do solo switches at ease.
I only mentioned to the OP because I failed to capture the temp rental part of his post.
 
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PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
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This is the 200 dollar one I was referring to, currently not available.


But as I mentioned before, I am not interested in an Autotransfer switch.

I don't need it. And FWIW, I haven't even had the opportunity to use the generator yet; I've only been testing it so far.


Like I said, there are a plenty of choices out there to pick from.
Even from the states:

 

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PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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This is but one of the two switches needed. As you will need to also install the power on-off for the standby gen set to have it all fully automatic.
That switch can be found cheap here in the DR.
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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By any chance, have you taken the time to explore the bells and whistles on your new gen set? Plenty of them nowadays come equipped with an auto-transfer switch built into the unit itself. In other words, you might already have that switch already!

All it would need is an AC feed to the controller unit. If power goes down, the unit auto starts and kicks in the secondary auto transfer on the panel...

Just saying!
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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By any chance, have you taken the time to explore the bells and whistles on your new gen set? Plenty of them nowadays come equipped with an auto-transfer switch built into the unit itself. In other words, you might already have that switch already!

All it would need is an AC feed to the controller unit. If power goes down, the unit auto starts and kicks in the secondary auto transfer on the panel...

Just saying!
Oh yeah, I've had a couple of locally built ones in the past with the two automatic relays and 4 timers to control every aspect of the operation.

Both of them were tanks and would last for 100 years and were specially designed to deal with brownouts, temporary power drops, cool downtime after power returns...

That's a cool little switch you posted, but imagine it going nuts when the power comes and goes.

And yes, my generator has a remote start function in the switch, but it's there to be used with a transfer switch like the one you posted.
 
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PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
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Well I guess, just like me, as it’s a rental there’s no point is spending too much on this at the moment!

But you sure got the best of gen sets for the task.

Very cool 😎 setup with minimalistic tooling.
 
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JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
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Ok Thanks,Kolny seems to be cheap chinesse stuff. I know Kohler.
Kolny is a hardware store here. They sell the same cheap switch I have now.


The only thing wrong with my switch now is it feels cheap but works fine. If you search for 3 pole double throw
switch on Amazon all you get is Chinese stuff. If I want heavy duty American made I'd go with an EATON but I just don't need the extra ummph.
 
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AlterEgo

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Kolny is a hardware store here. They sell the same cheap switch I have now.


The only thing wrong with my switch now is it feels cheap but works fine. If you search for 3 pole double throw
switch on Amazon all you get is Chinese stuff. If I want heavy duty American made I'd go with an EATON but I just don't need the extra ummph.

We have two of those identical switches attached to our inverters. I think they’re to switch to street power. (We had a problem with an inverter once, and it blocked the street power from entering the house, so he installed switches to bypass the inverters when necessary).
 

PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
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The only thing wrong with my switch now is it feels cheap but works fine. If you search for 3 pole double throw
switch on Amazon all you get is Chinese stuff. If I want heavy duty American made I'd go with an EATON but I just don't need the extra ummph.


From my experience EATON has been manufacturing their stuff over in China and carrying full Assembly in the US. It’s based on the percentage of material or work on a given product to qualify under the terms.

Much like DR manufactures full uppers for shoes and ships over the ferry to PR for the soles. These are labeled as made in PR based on the rules. Same happens on the free trade zone in DR. The raw materials are shipped in from the US and added to the other mixture supplied locally or elsewhere.
Like this they can retain the US label and meet quotas for entry.

As far as I know EATON only really makes the software in the USA for their stuff, the other ones are only assembled there but made in China. It all comes down to the definition of the process involved till the final product.

China is a wysiwyg type of manufacturer.
You can get cheap stuff or very high quality expensive ones. The only difference is that China’s output capacity has no parallels in the world.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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We have two of those identical switches attached to our inverters. I think they’re to switch to street power. (We had a problem with an inverter once, and it blocked the street power from entering the house, so he installed switches to bypass the inverters when necessary).
My inverter did that once too. I have never had an inverter on a switch but I have seen it done many times.
The thought is why use it if there's nobody home.
 

JD Jones

Moderator:North Coast,Santo Domingo,SW Coast,Covid
Jan 7, 2016
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From my experience EATON has been manufacturing their stuff over in China and carrying full Assembly in the US. It’s based on the percentage of material or work on a given product to qualify under the terms.

Much like DR manufactures full uppers for shoes and ships over the ferry to PR for the soles. These are labeled as made in PR based on the rules. Same happens on the free trade zone in DR. The raw materials are shipped in from the US and added to the other mixture supplied locally or elsewhere.
Like this they can retain the US label and meet quotas for entry.

As far as I know EATON only really makes the software in the USA for their stuff, the other ones are only assembled there but made in China. It all comes down to the definition of the process involved till the final product.

China is a wysiwyg type of manufacturer.
You can get cheap stuff or very high quality expensive ones. The only difference is that China’s output capacity has no parallels in the world.
Agree 100%

The difference being EATON products are manufactured to their quality standards so the quality is very good. And as we all know... quality=$$$
 

chico bill

Dogs Better than People
May 6, 2016
12,570
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This is the 200 dollar one I was referring to, currently not available.


But as I mentioned before, I am not interested in an Autotransfer switch.

I don't need it. And FWIW, I haven't even had the opportunity to use the generator yet; I've only been testing it so far.
The one that is unavailable has been replaced by their new model for $500 + Shipping and Taxes. You are looking at $700 by the time it's installed and that is not even in a waterproof enclosure.
Unless you can find the "on-island fabricator" of Automatic transfers that Pichardo says he used. But I doubt that $200 will be the price and the quality - anyone's guess.
Based on what I have seen of electricians and car mechanics so far, 'quality' is not a worth they have yet been taught
 
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PICHARDO

One Dominican at a time, please!
May 15, 2003
13,280
893
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Santiago de Los 30 Caballeros
The one that is unavailable has been replaced by their new model for $500 + Shipping and Taxes. You are looking at $700 by the time it's installed and that is not even in a waterproof enclosure.
Unless you can find the "on-island fabricator" of Automatic transfers that Pichardo says he used. But I doubt that $200 will be the price and the quality - anyone's guess.
Based on what I have seen of electricians and car mechanics so far, 'quality' is not a worth they have yet been taught


I think 🤔 if I recall correctly, he used a guy that does inverter sales and repairs in Bartolomé Colon close to 27 Feb Ave in Santiago. Or in that closest area. Guy I used before moved to Puerto Rico, as he got a nasty divorce recently. 😑