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Finding a generator
in 2001 was harder
than you'd think!
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I didn't say it was impossible
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When I started the project, I quickly realized that if it isn't
in the catalog, it doesn't exist! What a harsh
realization. The drawing board is a wonderful world. You
call out a spec and the part magically appears. Not so in the real
world. First you have to speak to the salesman, and then you have to
convince him that you know what you want.
In the early part of the 19th century from about 1820-1840 Michael
Faraday discovered many of the important aspects of electro-magnetism,
and he did it without the internet to check sources too! I found
it most enlightening when I was told that some of the devices that I
wanted (regulators, sensors, meters, etc.) did not work with the
equipment that I wished to purchase. Confused, I pressed the
question.
"If it's not listed in the catalog, it is NOT supported by [*]."
* I'm omitting the company name, because they've had enough turnover
in the sales force since 2001 that no one remembers the person who made
the statements. Since then there has been an explosion in the
number and types of generators available, driven largely by the
wind-energy sector I believe.
Late in 2007 I was discussing the STS requirements with several
current OEM's of generators, and was pleasantly surprised with the new
and prevalent attitudes in the industry. The only challenge we
face today, is the issue of lead times. We can specify a generator
within a few percent of the ideal size, and we can actually shop the
generators as commodity items, with confidence that the customer will be
well served by the decision
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