# Predator 3200/4000 switch to parallel



## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

Hello all. First time posting here. Looking for some advise on parallel wiring of a generator. Its a HB Predator and no matter the type it would be the same question as most small generators appear to be wired in series. 

My goal is to get full power at 120 volts. I don't need 240.

I have look for days on the internet and found great info on this forum and other sites but nothing I have tried will work. None of this info was lets say "exactly" clear. most say switch a few stator wires and it will work. I agree with that, in theory it should work but in my case it doesn't seem to. And no one really says which wires to switch. L1/L4, black/red/white, etc. All of these seem to have different numbers, colors, etc. 

So I'm looking for advice from someone that has done this, not in theory but actually done it and tested it. I wondering if there is something else that might be causing my generator to not allow the parallel. Like the AVR or the brushes, etc. 

The generator is a 4 wire type. A red and white that run from one coil and a black and white that run from the other. I requested the wiring diagram from HB but they have not come thru yet. however it seems very simple. Stock set up I get 120 at red and white, I get 120 from black and white and I get 240 from red to black. 

As soon as I try any of the other combos that I either think should work or I have read about I only get 20volt out of the head.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks guys.


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

What exactly do you want to do? 

Right now, each of the two duplex receptacles is wired on different legs (each using a different coil) so that you can get 1600 watts from either, 3200 watts total.

Are you trying to get 3200 watts from one receptacle? 

Without a schematic, and based on your description of what you see, try this:

Coil 1, red and white leads. Coil 2, black and white leads.

The white leads should be tied together already - this would be your neutral. Separate them entirely.

Then:
Take the red lead from coil 1 and connect it to the white lead from coil 2.
Take the black lead from coil 2 and connect it to the white lead from coil 1.

Across the red-white AND the black-white connections you should have 120 volts.

The "problem" is that at any given time the polarity between both coils is 180 degrees opposite - that's how you get the 240 volts. By changing the wires as indicated above you're reversing the polarity of one of the coils so that they match.

I have an older Generac that is wired as above, 3000 watts output. A selector switch changes the coils from parallel to series.


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

Thank you, That's exactly what I'm looking to do. I want to get full 3200 out of one plug so to speak. These small gennys should be labeled 1600x2, some like this one are misleading. I'm going to test what your saying tomorrow. 

With the 13 amp fuses it would run my RV air for about 15 min then blow, I have switched them to 20 amp and it will now run my air unit no problem. I know the risk there and have tested it for about 3 hrs now and no problems. 

However, it's drawing all the power from one coil and majorly unbalanced. With the air running I'm about 109 volts with that coil and 130volts on the unused coil. I worried the unbalanced will mean a short life for this genny.

I tried many combinations and couldn't get it to work. I'm not 100% sure I tried that one. I do have the wiring diagram but it not completely accurate, I can tell it's converted from Chinese. Color coding is off and pictures but for the most part it's correct. I was going to correct it before I post it. 

The AVR is tied to only one coil. Do you think the AVR would stop it from running in parallel?

Thanks for your help. This is kind of a mission for me now. lol


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

Not sure on how the AVR will respond. If it's on one coil then what would happen if you were using just the "other" coil? 

Try it. 

You're overloading the one coil on your generator with that bigger fuse. That can get expensive really quick. 

Good luck.


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

aandpdan, I tested this last night and only get 20volt out of generator. If I leave stock setup I get 120v on black and white, 120 on red and white, and 240 on black and red. Soon as I eliminate the two whites connected, i get 120 black and white and 120 red and white, but no 240 between black and red. So that appears to be how it should work. As soon as I connect the white to black and white to red alternating coils, it sticks to 20 volt. Any ideas. Thanks..


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

*wiring diagram*

Attached is the wiring diagram I got from HF. There is one area that has the natural connect to the ground. I showed this in orange dotted line. The diagram came showing this connected. I do not think this is correct but will need to verify for sure. I would think this would be a direct short if it was in fact connected. ?? Not sure though.

So a thought.. Does this need to have a natural floating. I'm not sure the technical term for that, but would that effect the parallel wiring. When I run a continuity check the plug neutrals have continuity to the ground and frame. If that makes sense. 

Thanks


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

That connection won't cause a short. It's your bonded neutral connection. It's the same as in your service panel - the neutral and ground are bonded.

I'm wondering if a connection was reversed. I attached a schematic.

Disconnect R and W on "main coil 1." Connect W from "main coil 1" to BL on "main coil 2." Connect R from "main coil 1" to W on "main coil 2."

That shouldn't affect the AVR at all.


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

I tested this. Disconnected all the plug feeds and just metered at the 4 lug block. I get 20 volts across the two lugs. ?? I have to be missing something. Can I check at the lugs being there really is no neutral in this setup? Could my meter be reading wrong? Meter is correct when I check it in a wall plug. When we talk AC there needs to be a return path right, could my meter be not picking it up correctly? 
Very confused.. any ides.

Thanks..


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

Where are you measuring? Use the schematic to point it out.


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

I connect coil 1 red and coil 2 White to one lug on the block. Then coil 1 White and coil 2 Black on another lug. Nothing else connected. Then I take a reading between the two with my meter. 

Tough to show on schematic. My home computer doesn't have very good software for editing pictures.


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## aandpdan (Oct 8, 2012)

I can only guess that it is the AVR that's doing this. It may need a neutral reference.


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## DPGBG (Jul 23, 2015)

Maybe. The AVR is not connected to anything up stream tho. Its all internal. Looks like just the coil. I'm stumped on this one.


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## dustinshaw (Jun 14, 2016)

Please tell me you figured this one out. I'm having the same trouble.


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## Jim Hoffman (Jul 3, 2018)

I wonder if a pair of isolation transformers with one primary plugged into the left outlet, and the other in the right outlet, then the secondaries of each paralled but with the output of one reversed, would supply the 180 phase inversion. This should allow both windings of the generator to share the load and the phase of the Isolation transformers outputs to be in phase with each other. Should give 110 V and 26 A


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## Zricketts (Jul 7, 2018)

Doing some research on this sounds like the AVR needs 10v from each coil across the sense wires. When the one coil phase is changed, this increases the voltage to the one sense wire. This increase in voltage on the sense wire causes the AVR to decrease the output voltage of the coils.

I am hoping to drive the AVR with an external transformer.

Attached is a diagram as I understand the OEM wiring and a proposed wiring diagram.

Here are two videos I have been using for reference in addition to this forum:


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