Geothermal Generator Doesn't Charge up

[Lucky]

Title: Geothermal Generator Doesn't Charge up

Version: 3.1.1

OS: Windows 7 64 Bit

Java Version: Java 7 Update 5 (64 Bit)

Description of Problem:

When I place a geothermal generator next to some wire and put lava cells inside of it, it eats up the cells but does not give the machines connected to the wire any more than one lightning bolt of charge. I have tried placing it in other areas and the same problem results.

Error Messages:

None

Error Log:

[Wendo]

Post some pictures of your setup. The usual things could be, you're using wire with too much loss and no storage (batbox). You're only putting in one cell, cells stack, drop in a whole stack and see what happens

[Baldev22]

Title: Geothermal Generator Doesn't Charge up

Version: 3.1.1

OS: Windows 7 64 Bit

Java Version: Java 7 Update 5 (64 Bit)

Description of Problem:

When I place a geothermal generator next to some wire and put lava cells inside of it, it eats up the cells but does not give the machines connected to the wire any more than one lightning bolt of charge. I have tried placing it in other areas and the same problem results.

Error Messages:

None

Error Log:

Same issue here.

The problem is the Geothermal Generator was working 100% normally after the patch. It was not until I hooked up a Compressor via 8 copper wires directly next to an Extractor and a Canning Machine that I had problems. Here is the series of events that led to my broken generator.

1) Generator powering a Macerator/Electric Furnace Directly attached to the generator on either side (works fine)

2) Ran copper wire 8 copper wire to the back of my Compressor, and then a single wire on either side to power the Extractor/Canning Machine directly next to (on either side) of the compressor

3) The Extractor worked fine under this setup as i ran over 2 stacks of Sap through it just fine

4) I put in some Snowballs into the Compressor (which showed a powered up machine) and it compressed 4 snowballs into Ice. At this time the Compressor actually ran out of power and would not compress anything else.

5) I also now noticed that the adjacent Extractor/Canning Machines were now no longer recieving power, but were operating on the little power they had stored up.

So it seems that once I actually RAN the Compressor (with snowballs) it short circuited my Generator.

The reason i think my Generator is now bad, is because the Generator has a full load of Lava, and even a full bucket of lava in its consumption area (its not consuming the lava). Also the Generator's built in battery level is NOT POWERING up. It stays at zero charge and will NOT charge itself up. I put a few RE-Batteries in the top slot, which DO charge still, but the internal batter which feeds the cables, will not. I have removed all the copper cable and replaced with gold cable, just in case; no change. I have removed all cables and tried to reprime the generator with new lava, nothing....

[Baldev22]

Same issue here.

The problem is the Geothermal Generator was working 100% normally after the patch. It was not until I hooked up a Compressor via 8 copper wires directly next to an Extractor and a Canning Machine that I had problems. Here is the series of events that led to my broken generator.

1) Generator powering a Macerator/Electric Furnace Directly attached to the generator on either side (works fine)

2) Ran copper wire 8 copper wire to the back of my Compressor, and then a single wire on either side to power the Extractor/Canning Machine directly next to (on either side) of the compressor

3) The Extractor worked fine under this setup as i ran over 2 stacks of Sap through it just fine

4) I put in some Snowballs into the Compressor (which showed a powered up machine) and it compressed 4 snowballs into Ice. At this time the Compressor actually ran out of power and would not compress anything else.

5) I also now noticed that the adjacent Extractor/Canning Machines were now no longer recieving power, but were operating on the little power they had stored up.

So it seems that once I actually RAN the Compressor (with snowballs) it short circuited my Generator.

The reason i think my Generator is now bad, is because the Generator has a full load of Lava, and even a full bucket of lava in its consumption area (its not consuming the lava). Also the Generator's built in battery level is NOT POWERING up. It stays at zero charge and will NOT charge itself up. I put a few RE-Batteries in the top slot, which DO charge still, but the internal batter which feeds the cables, will not. I have removed all the copper cable and replaced with gold cable, just in case; no change. I have removed all cables and tried to reprime the generator with new lava, nothing....

UPDATE:

I put a Batbox 2 cable from the Generator, and 5 Cable from the Compressor. This seems to have solved the issue. The Generator now powers itself up and the auxillary machines are pulling from the batbox. So all good.

[Wendo]

Yup, geothermals don't put out a lot of power. You'll need Batboxes every 4 or 5 blocks to keep loses to a minimum if you're using insulated copper wire

[Baldev22]

Wendo,

I like Geothermal Generators because I can typically "fill it and forget about it", kind of mentality. I don't like to constantly worry about an empty generator.

But - I've ran into an issue yesterday where the Geothermal is not working out very well in my current use. I wanted to run a Quarry off an Electric Engine powered by a Geothermal Generator. The problem is that any more than 1 electric engine, sucks the power from the batbox faster than the generator can produce power. (as you mentioned, the generator isnt producing much power).

What are other options for powering devices, that do not require so much maintenance? I have not progressed enough to try nuclear power; is there another step between basic setups and complicated nuclear setups, I can research and implement?

Thanks for any help,

[Wendo]

Well, multiple geothermal generators will obviously produce more power. You can also look at bigger storage options (MFE and MFSU) however be aware they output higher "voltage" and need to have transformers or connected machines will blow up

For low/no maintainence solar and wind are they way to go, however both produce very little power unless you start getting into the compact solar arrays, at which point you need a LOT of mats to build them. Of course once you get to a HV solar array you are pretty much set for life, but a couple of MV solar arrays are achievable and will sustain you for power pretty well