Yet another mep002a wireing question:

[Tpoole]

Read and watched videos, concluded my brain can't comprehend power systems.
Trying to get a 50 amp camper plug to work at 220, all I can get it to do is 110, L1 has 110 with nothing connected, the primary power book said to wire it this way so what am I missing? I only have 110

 

[Light in the Dark]

Do you have power on L3? What is your phase switch set to (behind the cover near the breaker)?

 

[Ray70]

You are wired to the wrong lugs in that picture.
You need to have your hot legs on L1 and L3 you currently have them on L2 and L3
With the AC select switch in the 3:00 position you have power on L1 and L3 with L0 being neutral / ground.
Move from L2 to L1 and you should be good!

 

[Tpoole]

You are wired to the wrong lugs in that picture.
You need to have your hot legs on L1 and L3 you currently have them on L2 and L3
With the AC select switch in the 3:00 position you have power on L1 and L3 with L0 being neutral / ground.
Move from L2 to L1 and you should be good!

Okay, thank you! Will that produce the 220 or the two legs for the 50 amp box? I have this to use with it

 

[Coug]

Okay, thank you! Will that produce the 220 or the two legs for the 50 amp box? I have this to use with it

if set up and wired properly, then yes, you should be able to do 240V output into that box as two 120V legs. As has been mentioned there is the switch behind the control panel that needs to be set to 120/240 for it to have 240V output. (and never switch it while it is running)

 

[Ray70]

As Coug mentioned, make sure you are set to the 12/240 3:00 position on your AC select switch. ( located under the flap to the left of the circuit breaker on an 002A ) and the AM/VM switch on the control panel is also at 3:00
Hook up your 50A spider box and you will have 120 and 240V available.
Depending on your hookup and wiring, if this is going to be used independently you should also separate your Neutral and ground ( currently bonded together at the back of the ground stud on the machine's frame below the control cube ) and hook your neutral with to L0 and drive a ground rod and attach that to the ground lug on the machine's frame.

 

[Guyfang]

 

[Chainbreaker]

...Depending on your hookup and wiring, if this is going to be used independently you should also separate your Neutral and ground ( currently bonded together at the back of the ground stud on the machine's frame below the control cube ) and hook your neutral with to L0 and drive a ground rod and attach that to the ground lug on the machine's frame.

Perhaps I'm reading this wrong,..but when the MEP-002a/-003a are being used in Field Mode as a SDS (Self Derived System; aka Independently) the way these units are "default configured" with the neutral bond wire ( coming out of P10 on AC reconnection box wire # X13A8 ) connected to the back of Chassis ground lug is correct for SDS use (Spider box) since there is no other Neutral to Ground bond established otherwise.

You only unbond or separate (detach & insulate) the neutral bond wire at the generator gnd lug when connected up to house when Neutral is bonded to Ground (Per Code) in breaker panel.

 

[Ray70]

You are correct Chainbreaker. The neutral and ground should remain bonded and a ground rod attached to the chassis ground.
That will teach me to stop multi-tasking while I'm supposed to be paying attention to a work Teams meeting!
But generator talk is still more interesting than WORK.

 

[MrShawn305]

You are correct Chainbreaker. The neutral and ground should remain bonded and a ground rod attached to the chassis ground.
That will teach me to stop multi-tasking while I'm supposed to be paying attention to a work Teams meeting!
But generator talk is still more interesting than WORK.

I agree, wish I could mess around with generator sets all day instead of going to work...

 

[Tpoole]

A local electrician said generators by code does not need a ground Rod, there frames are plenty.....thoughts?

 

[Coug]

A local electrician said generators by code does not need a ground Rod, there frames are plenty.....thoughts?

I've gotten shocked plenty of times by ungrounded generators. Hasn't killed me yet, but it's not particularly pleasant.

Local code might also depend on how the generator is being used. For standby generators they are tied into the house ground system, if you give them a separate ground you can actually create problems.

If this is being used as a stand alone system then you absolutely do need to use a ground rod with it, whether your local code says it is required or not.

 

[Ray70]

X2!
I agree, that electrician was probably talking about a generator tied to an existing grounded system, not a stand alone.
The metal frame of the machine just sitting on the earth isn't going to do a whole lot to protect you.
Not to mention a lot of folks have machines up off the ground or on a rubber mat.
Always better to be safe than dead.

 

[Tpoole]

On a separate note, I will definitely ground this one. Do all small generators need to be grounded? I have a few small ones that I haven't even thought about!
Is there a minimum gauge wire that needs to be used for a ground? How many feet deep does it have to be put in the ground?

 

[Guyfang]

A local electrician said generators by code does not need a ground Rod, there frames are plenty.....thoughts?

. Stop it!

I have been hung up on voltage several times in my life. So, while I am not an expert, I will say B.S! Every year, sadly, the military kills between 2 and 4 soldiers, do to crappy grounds, or no ground. So have this fella come over and your house and fire up your set. Put power to the output lugs and ask him to stick his tongue on L1. Then grab hold of the water pipe. That may be the code in East Crack-A-Stan, but I find it hard to believe its so anyplace people are advanced beyond Cro Magnon stage.

 

[Guyfang]

I've gotten shocked plenty of times by ungrounded generators. Hasn't killed me yet, but it's not particularly pleasant.

Local code might also depend on how the generator is being used. For standby generators they are tied into the house ground system, if you give them a separate ground you can actually create problems.

If this is being used as a stand alone system then you absolutely do need to use a ground rod with it, whether your local code says it is required or not.

You were lucky. Its happened to me also. But like I posted, 2-4 soldiers a year are killed.

 

[Zed254]

On a separate note, I will definitely ground this one. Do all small generators need to be grounded? I have a few small ones that I haven't even thought about!
Is there a minimum gauge wire that needs to be used for a ground? How many feet deep does it have to be put in the ground?

From the TM:
TM 5-6115-584-12
NAVFAC P-8-622-12
TO-35C2-3-456-1
TM-05682C-12
out-of-level. Set up the unit as level as possible and grounding method must be supplemented by an addikeep
it as level as possible during operation. tional driven metal rod ground or a buried metal
plate ground. A driven metal ground rod must have a
minimum diameter of 5/8 inch if solid or 3/4 if pipe,
e. Grounding. The Generator Set must be grounded and driven to a minimum depth of 8 feet. A buried
prior to operation. The ground can be, in order of metal ground plate must have a minimum area of 9
preference: (1) an underground metallic water piping square feet, minimum thickness of 1/4 inch, and be
system, (2) a driven metal rod, or (3) a buried metal buried at a minimum depth of 4 feet. The ground lead
plate (figure 4-2). If the effectively grounded portion must be at least No. 6 AWG (American Wire Gauge)
of the buried metallic water pipe is less than 10 feet copper wire. Ground rods are available as optional
due to insulated sections or joints, this preferred equipment.

 

[Coug]

You were lucky. Its happened to me also. But like I posted, 2-4 soldiers a year are killed.

I remember me and the DRASH contractor troubleshooting a brand new 12 ton ECU in the rain, fiddling inside the control panel. We would take turns getting shocked. Not a big deal to us at the time, just a slight tingle at out hand/arm.

Worst one was out in the field, the generator was grounded to a rod driven into the ground, but our field site was a dry riverbed, and I'm not the one that drove the ground rod in, so I doubt it was more than a single rog driven til it hit a large rock. At one point we were told during the exercise that the primary generator was down for whatever reason, losing power to the command post (TOC for those that actually know the acronyms). I quickly transferred over to our 5kw (primary at that time was a 15kw) and we kept going. I think they were getting minor shocks at the M934 trucks that they assumed was from radio equipment inside of them, so the trucks had ground rods as well.
On transferring power back, I had disconnected cables from the 5kw and was plugging it into the pigtail on the 15kw that was already back up and running powering some other part of the command post, when I felt some current go through my chest (each hand had a cable end, the newer metal ones that plug then have the twist to secure them).
As soon as power was up they told me to go into the TOC for the debriefing. I told them no, I was going to the medic tent to get checked out. They said it could wait and I needed to be there for the debrief. I told them I had just electrocuted myself pretty decently and was going to go get myself checked out immediately. Nothing came up from a field check, and nothing turned up later back at base on the EKG, but still not a pleasant memory.