Extensive load shedding in Cape Town Metro resulted in a complete CBD blackout by Tuesday 21 February 2006. Hope has been expressed that the city´s power will be back by the weekend of 25 January 2006.Eskom could offer no assurances that blackouts would not occur during the winter. Cape Town citizens are flocking to their nearest outdoor shops to stock up on any form of light and electricity generating equipment - from gas lamps, to camping gear.Engines and Forestry division at Goscor (Pty) Limited also reported record sales of Robin Subaru generators suitable for household use, and an increase in production has been ordered in light of seasonal changes.Users that are familiar with the Amps/phase required could use simple formulas to calculate the kVA required in order to supply sufficient power based on their needs and purchase the correct generator.Robin Subaru generators are known for their extremely quiet operation and economical fuel consumption, with high quality output with continuous operating hours of up to 7 hours at 50hz and 8 hours at 60hz depending on the generator used.New generation inverter technology generators prove to be extremely popular. These generators include a power saving mode, are capable of delivering increased power on demand and are also equipped with a built in inverter circuit that protects sensitive electronics.During a recent field test, a Robin Subaru R 1700i Generator powered 1 x JADE LR, 1 x pc (laptop), 1 x 21" LCD TV screen, 1 x Video recorder, 1 x light fitting during a field demonstration."The generator did not switch up to provide additional power. It remained in low power mode, thus providing more than 5 hours continuous use with no need to top up the petrol. The demonstration took place less than 10 meters from the generator, and could hardly be heard above the conversation level", reported Francois Collin from F. Collin logistics and consulting.Generators division at Goscor (Pty)Ltd advise that clients should use the following formula based on the WATTS used per electrical applicance in order to calculate the total power required to run a household:Kettle = 1000 wFridge = 250 wTV = 150 wLights x 4 (100w)= 400 wTOTAL : 1800 w (1.8 KVA generator)When an electrical appliance is turned on, it initially requires more power than the appliances specified watts. This varies from appliance to appliance. For example, the start up power required for a borehole pump or fridge compressor is far more than a Microwave or TV. In order to compensate for startup power, users should multiply the Watts by 2 in order to purchase a generator that will provide enough power to suit their needs:Example: 1800 W X 2 = 3,6000 (3,6 KVA generator)Justin Kitson at Goscor also provided the following advice to business owners and home users: " If you need to use sensitive equipment such as computers it is advisable to use a generator fitted with an AVR unit or one that uses inverter technology. What these units do, is to keep the voltage coming through at a constant level preventing any spiking. Spiking takes place when the voltage increases or decreases due to fluctuations in the engines revs. Generators such as the Robin R 1700i use inverter technology which eliminates spiking making it ideal for users requiring generators to be used for sensitive equipment."It does not seem as if there will be an end to the blackouts in Cape Town soon, as another occured on Tuesday 28 February 2006. With winter looming, it is best advised that Cape Town citizens obtain alternative means to supply themselves with power as soon as possible.The media and interested parties are invited to visit the Engines & forestry web site for details or contact any distributor for more information.About Goscor Engines & forestry:Goscor engines & forestry was established in 1984 as a sole distributor for Robin Engines, Pumps and Generators manufactured in Japan by Fuji Heavy Industries.Through the years we have continued to supply a quality product and service to the Agricultural, Construction and Lawnmower industries. We are also the sole distributors of Tanong Ruby High Pressure Piston Pumps mainly used in the agricultural sector for its use in Fire Fighting Equipment.Featuring personal hosting plans starting at $1.95/month. All plans include cPanel and Fantastico with PHP, Perl, MySQL, and one-click script installs.Contact InfoE-SPECTATIONS.COMPhone: 2731 9163219Web site: http://www.e-spectations.comP.O. Box 1792AmanzimtotiKwazulu NatalSouth Africa4125