The engine end of things is fine, and runs well, but the generator end itself gives no output. It had been stood doing nothing for many months but, prior to that, it had been a hugely reliable machine.
Online searches suggested checking all the usual stuff like contact
breakers and so on and I was able to find a 'parts list' that also had circuit diagrams for the principal wiring and was able to check
resistances for coils and so on - all ok.
The online consensus is a loss of residual magnetism in one coil or
another and suggested various means of flashing these from 12V batteries
to electric drills and (inevitably) angle grinders - yes seriously.
(There are some scary youtube videos out there of (particularly) left-pondians doing bizarre, and dangerous, things with egg whisks and
the like!)
Anyway, after going through all these tests and checks I have found that
if I connect 12V battery to the rotor wires, then I get a nice mains
output :-) Without it, I don't. This suggests that the automatic
voltage regulator (AVR) is not getting the oomph[1] it needs from the excitation coil to pass on to the rotor. Alternatively the AVR is enduffed[2] - or its something completely different?
I have no means of testing the AVR as yet.
It is an older machine than I realised (2006) and so parts are no longer available and no one seems to have the 'old knowledge' at the
manufacturer: Its a Vanguard Promax 6000EA
Any ideas please? Its just too good to scrap!
Chris
[1] technical term
[2] see [1]
Any ideas please? Its just too good to scrap!
James Condon has a channel on YouTube where he fixes generators, he's
quite good and worth watching if you want to go down the generator
repair rabbit hole.
https://www.youtube.com/@jcondon1
The engine end of things is fine, and runs well, but the generator end >itself gives no output. It had been stood doing nothing for many months >but, prior to that, it had been a hugely reliable machine.
Online searches suggested checking all the usual stuff like contact
breakers and so on and I was able to find a 'parts list' that also had >circuit diagrams for the principal wiring and was able to check
resistances for coils and so on - all ok.
The online consensus is a loss of residual magnetism in one coil or
another and suggested various means of flashing these from 12V batteries
to electric drills and (inevitably) angle grinders - yes seriously.
(There are some scary youtube videos out there of (particularly) >left-pondians doing bizarre, and dangerous, things with egg whisks and
the like!)
Anyway, after going through all these tests and checks I have found that
if I connect 12V battery to the rotor wires, then I get a nice mains
output :-) Without it, I don't. This suggests that the automatic
voltage regulator (AVR) is not getting the oomph[1] it needs from the >excitation coil to pass on to the rotor. Alternatively the AVR is >enduffed[2] - or its something completely different?
I have no means of testing the AVR as yet.
It is an older machine than I realised (2006) and so parts are no longer >available and no one seems to have the 'old knowledge' at the
manufacturer: Its a Vanguard Promax 6000EA
Any ideas please? Its just too good to scrap!
Chris
[1] technical term
[2] see [1]
On Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:33:57 +0100, "chrisnd @ukrm"
<chrisnd@privacy.net> wrote:
The engine end of things is fine, and runs well, but the generator end >>itself gives no output. It had been stood doing nothing for many months >>but, prior to that, it had been a hugely reliable machine.
Online searches suggested checking all the usual stuff like contact >>breakers and so on and I was able to find a 'parts list' that also had >>circuit diagrams for the principal wiring and was able to check >>resistances for coils and so on - all ok.
The online consensus is a loss of residual magnetism in one coil or >>another and suggested various means of flashing these from 12V batteries >>to electric drills and (inevitably) angle grinders - yes seriously.
(There are some scary youtube videos out there of (particularly) >>left-pondians doing bizarre, and dangerous, things with egg whisks and
the like!)
Anyway, after going through all these tests and checks I have found that >>if I connect 12V battery to the rotor wires, then I get a nice mains >>output :-) Without it, I don't. This suggests that the automatic
voltage regulator (AVR) is not getting the oomph[1] it needs from the >>excitation coil to pass on to the rotor. Alternatively the AVR is >>enduffed[2] - or its something completely different?
I have no means of testing the AVR as yet.
It is an older machine than I realised (2006) and so parts are no longer >>available and no one seems to have the 'old knowledge' at the >>manufacturer: Its a Vanguard Promax 6000EA
Any ideas please? Its just too good to scrap!
Chris
[1] technical term
[2] see [1]
You can definitely make them work again by flashing them.
I've done the drill trick a few times as i have two work generators
that get used very infrequently. (Hardly ever now we have battery
powered tools)
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