FILENAMES: Conv.jpg DESCRIPTION: This is a picture of very simple 3 phase converter. Posted by Jim Rozen . Jim provided the following description: ================================================================= Here's a snapshot of my phase converter setup. It's made from a 5 hp motor that I got for free, mounted on a wooden platform. There's a 1/4 hp repulsion-induction start motor mounted on another hinged platform with the belt tension set by the motor. The idler motor is powered thru a fused knife switch which is fed from a 240 volt, 15 amp breaker. The converter runs my milling machine and lathe, each of which have about 1 hp motors in them. There are no power factor correction capacitors, no balancing capacitors, and no starting capacitors. It's manual start, by powering the kicker motor which is plugged into a switched outlet just ouside the view of the picture. Once the idler comes up to speed the knife switch applies the excitation. Then the kicker is switched off. Lifting up the hinged platform allows the belt to fly off. This converter draws about 12 amps or so of reactive current when it is just idling, but that does not spin the electric meter. This setup is sort of stone-age because there are no bells or whistles at all, but it was built for free and it has been running my machines for about 10 years now. The only fancy bit is that the wooden framework is resting on some large rubber stoppers to provide vibration isolation. It's pretty quite while running.