# Generators and computers....



## Mike M (Sep 5, 2021)

I have two Honda EU3000IS' (one purchased new and one purchased as used).
I have a transfer panel on my home that allows me to use one of the units for emergency power during/after storms.
I am happy with my set up.

I also use my gens for my local sound-for-hire company on remote gigs.
Last Saturday I used one for an outdoor festival and it _fit the bill_ as it always does (quiet, smooth power and it sips gas).
My sound gear (amps/mixer) is mostly digital (computer based) thus I prefer to use an inverter generator.
At times, a festival will come along where the festival provides the generator, which at times has been a Predator 4000 up to a Predator 8750(?) open-frame unit. The above units supply ample power but "clean" power....'not too sure..

For those gigs with open-frame gens I bring my analog (non-digital) gear and all have worked. I have never used my digital gear with a non-inverter generator.


My question to those of you that use non-inverter generators: Do you power computer equipment with what you use? Have you ever had an issue?

My reluctance for using my digital gear on an open-frame gen is that if the power dips/blinks I could lose all of my settings and have to wait for the gear to cycle-through its boot-up process....which, during a show would be a disaster..


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## OrlyP (Oct 19, 2021)

Short answer: For peace of mind, you should use your own inverter generator everytime. That removes any sort of finger-pointing later if something should go sideways.

That said, personally, I think this THD thing and electronics has been blown out of proportion. Sure, I probably wouldn't trust a bottom-of-the-barrel 2-stroke generator to power my computer. However, it's unlikely for non-inverter generators from reputable manufacturers to have a high-enough THD to matter in real life. Frankly, an inverter generator having less than 3% THD compared to a conventional genset at 15-20% THD might look good on marketing materials, but either is perfectly fine for practically any consumer electronics. Not ideal, but still acceptable.

I have a Chinese open-frame non-inverter generator and it's fine running my whole home.... with servers, PCs, laptops, TVs, home theater, smart home devices, IP phones, etc. My APC SmartUPSs doesn't seem to complain about it... and these are the sensitive kind. Any unusual power irregularities and these puppies immediately switch to battery power and spit an error in the logs. That never happens when running from the generator.

But as I've said at the beginning, it's your equipment. If you can run them off your inverter gennies, you should probably do so. It's not just about THD anymore. For me, using somebody else's generator to which I know nothing about in the manner they were maintained, makes me trust them less.


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## noviwinger (Sep 30, 2019)

It will depend on the computer equipment. I would have no issue using a laptop with a non-inverter type generator, but would never use a desktop without an inverter. Printers and other hardware would depend. Devices with a power brick are a bit more resilient that the ones without a brick. Of course, different manufacturers account for power conditions differently. It does take more engineering and parts to condition the power.


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## pipe (Jun 27, 2021)

On expensive medical devices that cost over 25,000.00 and up to 100,000.00 per unit, we use a combination of power line conditioner and a large UPS system in tandem. There are several variations of this and there are also 230v variations when needed.

An example of this and a reasonable cost under 500.00 is the
*Tripp Lite LC2400 Line Conditioner 2400W AVR Surge 120V 20A 60Hz 6 Outlet 6-Feet Cord & SMART1500LCDT 1500VA 900W UPS Battery Back Up*


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## OrlyP (Oct 19, 2021)

With today's switch mode power supplies (SMPS) accepting 100V-240V AC 50/60Hz, they're very tolerant with line noise. The THD has to be so bad to even begin to affect electronics. You can find SMPS everywhere, whether it's a power brick or wall wart like your phone charger, used by your laptop, internet router, or a built-in one like the PSU in your PC, TV, printer, etc.

Even if you only have a basic understanding of how a SMPS work, you'll know that it's not one that is bothered by generators. If you think about it, cheap UPSs with modified sine wave (actually, stepped square waves) have been used to supply power to PCs with no issues. You get a slight hum from your speakers if you have one connected, but that's about it.

I have tried Googling for any instances of sensitive electronics being chewed up by a wayward, THD-laden generator. I get nothing.

To be clear, I am not against inverter generators. The key takeaway for me is that they're very fuel-efficient. But to fearmonger and say that non-inverter generators have higher THD and therefore bad for electronics... I think that's just not true.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

Mike M said:


> I have two Honda EU3000IS' (one purchased new and one purchased as used).
> I have a transfer panel on my home that allows me to use one of the units for emergency power during/after storms.
> I am happy with my set up.
> 
> ...


use a power conditioner on the rack for the music gear.


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## Matt88-8 (Dec 27, 2018)

Most of the "sensitive" equipment that people think are extremely robust. Your TV, desktop PC, modem etc are all running DC power supplied by a switching block that is very tolerant to voltage, THD and or frequency changes.

I wouldn't stress. I've never seen or even heard of one damaging stuff.

Sent from my SM-G973W using Tapatalk


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## tabora (Sep 6, 2018)

Mike M said:


> My question to those of you that use non-inverter generators: Do you power computer equipment with what you use? Have you ever had an issue?


I've been running computers from sub-notebooks to mid-frame computers on non-inverter generators since the 1980s. I've never had *any* equipment damaged by a generator, but *HAVE* had equipment damaged by grid brownouts and surges, not to mention near-miss lightning strikes. That's why I've installed a GenerLink with built in surge suppression on my home, and surge suppression UPS units at both my home and cottage.


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## iowagold (Jan 22, 2020)

yup surge protection and a ups with surge protection is a life saver on modern electrical gear.
i like the whole house surge protection as well as ups units for each device.
the whole house unit has saved my bacon more than one time!
darn lightning has been brutal.

neighbors had almost every thing burned up...

i do the 4 ground stakes at the entrance ground to help on my 200 amp service.
it was a been there done that thing from grounding radio gear...
so on all locations we use one ground rod per 50 amps of electrical service.


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## exmar (Jun 29, 2015)

We are in a global economy and what you buy is also sold everywhere that uses 120V 60Hz power. While US power is usually very good, other areas of the world may not be. I've used non inverter generators for a long time powering desktops, laptops, modems, etc. with no issues. Agree with Tabora about brownouts and surges, particularly nasty is the...chattering... when power drops, comes back, drops, etc. Especially for motors, e.g. frig, freezers. I've put conditioners that wait 4 minutes to pass power on just those.


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## drmerdp (Apr 10, 2018)

I see the primary advantage of inverter generators for home backup is fuel economy and noise reduction. Clean power is never a bad thing, but usually AVR rotary gens are clean enough. 90%+ efficient boilers and furnaces may spaz out if the power quality is low.

Anothing thing I like about inverter units is built in overload protection. Traditional portable gens will sag when loads are too high causing voltage and/or frequency drop. The electronics of inverter generators offer protection.


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## LaSwamp (Mar 16, 2021)

I prefer using inverters, but the times that I have used my Firman (25% THD), I've never had any issues.


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