How to split voltage and wattage?

[Avenger007]

I've got a 50Amp Nema 14-50 dual voltage connection on my crystal sync genny.

I've spoken with Mole and my understanding is that I can run the genny at 250V and split each leg into either dual 100amp Bates or dual 60amp Bates and run a 5K on each of the 60amp paddles or possibly even a 6K on each of the 100amp paddles.
Here is their adapter (with 60Amp bates) Basically I would just replace the single end Bates with the Nema 14-50 Plug:

First, is this an option? Second, how much wattage can I run on each leg of a split 30Amp circuit? I know at 30Amp i've got 7200W to work with at 250V, but once split to 120V is that cut down to 3600W or can I still run a full 7200W on that one leg?

 

[gco]

....................) Basically I would just replace the single end Bates with the Nema 14-50 Plug:

First, is this an option? Second, how much wattage can I run on each leg of a split 30Amp circuit? I know at 30Amp i've got 7200W to work with at 250V, but once split to 120V is that cut down to 3600W or can I still run a full 7200W on that one leg?

Not familiar with a Nema 14-50 so hopefully somebody with direct experience can add something meaningful here.
From an engineering standpoint, when you say split a 30 amp circuit, I am assuming the large bates plug goes to the generator side and the two smaller female plugs to the load side. Again, I am not familiar with these connectors but I would "assume" that the two smaller female connectors are wired in parallel with the larger male; that is, both of the smaller plugs have a hot, neutral and ground connected to the hot, neutral and ground of the large plug. Another way of saying it is that either one will work without the other connected to a fixture. IF that is the case then the total available current from the generator side would be available to either or both connectors, i.e. if only one of the smaller plugs is used then the total current is available for that plug. If both connectors are used and the loads are of equal impedance then the total current would be split in half for each of the two. If both connectors are used and the loads are different, say a 1000w and a 650w, the current draw for each would be in proportion to those loads with the total not exceeding 30 Amps. The exact current available at each of the two smaller plugs is directly dependent upon the load impedance or indirectly by the power rating (wattage). A simple rule is "PIE"; that is, P(power in watts) = I(current in amps) X E (electromotive force in volts). Current for a given branch would simply be I(Amps) = P(watts)/E(volts).
NOTE: this connector will NOT split a 250v source into two 110v sources. It can't. A power resistor divider network or step down transformer is needed to do that. If your fixtures have rated inputs of 110-250 you are good to go. If not, and you connect 110v rated fixtures to either or both of those 250v bates connectors expect fireworks.
More directly to your question, if 30 Amps at 250v is what your generator outputs, then each leg of that splitter needs to be in proportion to the total. 30 Amps at 250v corresponds to 7500 Watts. The sum of the load power ratings on each leg needs to be equal to or less than 7500w.

 

[RyanT]

Don't you need a through box or distro box to do all this? I'm not super well versed in it all, but I feel like you have to go out of the generator with bandit, which then goes into a through box and then from there you can spit the hot legs into the 2 60 amp paddles. Those can then go to your 5k's or whatever you please.

Does your genny have bates connectors?

 

[Avenger007]

Genny has a 50Amp 120/240V 14-50 Nema Connection. Its a standard genny connection (non-twistlock) with straight blades.

The mole adapter is set for 120V on each of those 60amp paddles. Basically each take a hot leg from the 240V (as I understand it). So I need a distribution box to split this voltage?

 

[RyanT]

Yeah, I'm not really too sure...I wish I knew...

 

[Chris Santucci]

Ok so here is the deal: if you put your 50 amp plug onto that two( that is what that adapter is called, a two-fer) and you are going to be running 220v for sure (it is typically 220v) then you need to make sure you wire up the correct prongs onto the socket. Since your NEMA plug has 3 connections (not counting the ground) there will be 2 hots and 1 neutral. Now I am assuming that you know the difference in connections between a 110v circuit and a 22v circuit. If you don't this is what it is: a 220v circuit will hvae 2 hot connections and 1 ground. Now, a 110v circuit will have 1 hot, 1 neutral, and 1 ground, hence the 3 connections on your NEMA plug on your genny. Now, obviously the neutral on your 110v ciricuit is your return line for your electricity, which means that you have 100v running through your circuit. Now because there are 2 hots and 1 ground on the 220v connection, that means that you are using hot legs, each 110v running to your ballast (obviously assuming you are running an HMI, or you wouldnt need to run 220v) making it 220v. Note that on this circuit connection there is NO NEUTRAL. Now obviously you sill have your ground that you hook up. (self explanitory) So long story short, you need to decide if you are going to be running 220v or not, because that will determine how you hook up your nema plug. So if you are gonig to be running 220v, then hook up both hots (in this case your neutral on the two-fer will act as a hot) then connect your ground to the ground on the nama plug.

Now for your aperage (how much you can run):

The two-fer is, l ike you said, 2 60 amp paddles connected to 1 100amp paddle.
Now you need to determind what is the maximum amperage light you are going to run on this. If you run a 4k HMI this means that each hot leg is running at approximately 20 amps (paper amps), meaning you are running 40 amps total on a 60 amp paddle, BUT KEEP IN MIND OF THE APERAGE OF YOUR NEMA PLUG, 50 AMPS.

Real amps on a 4k will be approximately 33 amps, meaning that you will be running 16.5 amps per leg. Now just make sure that if you want to add another light onto the two-fer and you know you have enough amps left on your nema plug, that doesnt mean that the two-fer would be able to handle it. Make sure you total up the amperage used on the two-fer and not calcutate total amperage just from one of the legs, make sure that both legs are added together to determine total amperage on the two-fer. Long story shor, with a 4 k you will be running about 34 amps on a 60 amp paddle of the two-fer, which means that you will have 16 amps left of your NEMA plug.

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask, I hope this wasnt too confusing for you.
Good luck

Dude... seriously. A little knowledge...

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[Sean McClellan]

Dude... seriously. A little knowledge...

.

I don't understand what you mean by this, I'm just trying to be helpful is all, no need to bring someone down. I am just trying to give some input on what i have come across and what i have experienced, I'm sorry if my last post was too confusing. I get carried away sometimes.

 

[Chris Santucci]

I don't understand what you mean by this, I'm just trying to be helpful is all, no need to bring someone down. I am just trying to give some input on what i have come across and what i have experienced, I'm sorry if my last post was too confusing. I get carried away sometimes.

My comment was not meant to bring anyone down. What I mean by "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" is kind of self explanatory.

.

 

[Sean McClellan]

Im sorry, I just interrpreted your message wrong, But I do completely agree, it can be a dangerous thing. Nobody wants to get electricuted :thumbup:

 

[Broccoli1]

I know this thread is a little old but did you get your Splitter wired up?

You don't need a step down Transformer- you have the right idea about using each 120v Leg of the 14-50R BUT you don't have enough power if all you have is 30amps

5000watts/120v = 41.66amps

Another thing about Put Put gensets is that they have a Peak rating and a Continuous rating and you have to look at the Continuous rating to really see how much power you have.

Example: 30amps x 240v = 7200 watt genny but really it is more like a 6200 watt for continuous running
6200watt/240 = 25.8 amps of availabe power to each 120v leg.

5K Light 5000 watts/120v = 41.66 amp Draw.

 

[Avenger007]

Genny is a 26K peak and 17.5K continuous. The output is a 50amp nema 14-50 so if I split it should give 25amps on each, correct? at 120V of course.

What I was hoping for was getting the full amperage out of the 250V without splitting the original 50amps but that isn't possible. Unless I'm wrong and the 250V line can go into a box and split to a pair of 120V 50amp lines that get balance loads but my guess is no.