A regular in the skies above Australia's major sporting events, the American-built promotional airship was grounded recently by the failure of its imported ground-based power supply ... until Macfarlanes were called in to help.

With equipment capable of running on American 120V power supply system not readily available in Australia, Macfarlanes quickly modified a Robin Subaru engine and Markon alternator (supplied by Crommelins of Western Australia) to get the airship airborne again.

"This is certainly the first time we've had anything to do with an airship," Macfarlane Generators' Managing Director Gerald Kay admits.

"Our equipment has been under Sydney harbour while the tunnel was being built, it's lit the way for the Australian Cricket Team to win at the MCG when the Great Southern Stand was under construction, and has powered the Australia Telescope at Narrabri.

"We've also supplied generators to the Australian Defence Forces, water supply authorities, and many other notable customers, but this is certainly something different again."

When the American generators failed the airship, a call for assistance went direct to AETCO who in turn came to Macfarlanes to help, according to Gerald Kay.

"Two competitors, Crommelins and AETCO, together with Macfarlanes, solved the problem by modifying a Robin Markon generator to provide 120V at 60Hz," Gerald Kay explains.

A familiar site in Australia since September, the promotional airship has already been used here as a steady camera platform for the television coverage of major sporting events like the AFL Grand Final, the AMP 1000 motor race at Bathurst and the Melbourne Cup.

The airship is filled with 69 cubic ft of helium and measures 40 metres long, 13 metres high and 10 metres wide.

Propelled through the air by twin air-cooled 80 horespower four-cylinder Linbach engines, the Whitman's Chocolates' airship has an airspeed of up to 40 knots.

Australia's premier supplier of portable power for almost 50 years, Macfarlane Generators is a specialist in the design, development, construction and installation of commercial generator equipment.

Macfarlane also sells an extensive range of new and refurbished generators for both industrial and domestic applications, from small portable units suitable for camping and boating, to large diesel generators capable of running a major mine site or factory.

Within days of going on the Internet, Australia's premier generator specialists picked up a major export order from Malaysia ... significantly the company's largest single order ever outside a government contract.

A Malaysian forestry firm had accessed product and price details from Macfarlane's Internet site, and promptly arranged a visit here to check stock first-hand.

An order quickly followed for three 850kVA Dorman generator sets, all pre-owned with low hours, and fully serviced and detailed at Macfarlane's Melbourne headquarters.

Macfarlane Generators' Internet-led order is the first of its kind for the company, and demonstrates the potential business that could result from such an accessible worldwide communication system, according to Managing Director Gerald Kay.

"We have always done quite a bit of business overseas, but the Internet has certainly increased interest and speeded up the whole process ... it took just six weeks to deliver the Dormans to Malaysia from the time the enquiry was first received. "I started as a sceptic about the Internet but I must say I'm impressed." Macfarlane Generators are Australia's premier generator specialists.

In business since 1949, Macfarlane Generators offers a huge range of new and pre-owned generators, portable power supplies, and are specialists in the design, construction and installation of industrial and commercial generator equipment.

Proudly Australian-owned, Macfarlane Generators is also renowned for its manufacture of sound-reduced generators for the film and television industry.

CSIRO Australia, Department of Radiophysics recently installed an Emergency Standby Generator, supplied by MACFARLANE GENERATORS for the AUSTRALIA TELESCOPE at the PAUL WILD OBSERVATORY, near NARRABRI.

Located between the northern New South Wales towns of Narrabri and Wee Waa, reknown for its cotton production, clear dry skies and relative remoteness from strong sources of electro-magnetic and microwave radiation, usually associated with large cities and populations.

The Australia Telescope consists of not just one, but six giant mobile antennas positioned along a six kilometre track system, forming the "Compact Array" and can be linked to the famous PARKES RADIO TELESCOPE, MOPRA - (another antenna located near Coonabarabran) and other sites in Australia forming a very large "Array", all working together as a single instrument.

Each antenna gathers radio signals from space, the source of which, may be hundreds of millions of light years distant. This data is then transmitted along optical fibres to the Control Building, where it is merged, processed and enhanced to form a detailed map of the Southern Hemisphere's view of the universe.

The AUSTRALIA TELESCOPE is credited with an involvement in the study of the supernova 1987A (an exploded star) observed in the Large Magellanic Cloud system, our closest neighbouring Galaxy. A mere 170 000 light years away, which is only visible in the Southern Hemisphere.

The standby generator supplied by MACFARLANE GENERATORS for the PAUL WILD OBSERVATORY is a pre-owned SCANIA/STAMFORD standby unit, and like most units used in that application, has had little use.

The six cylinder, 190 horsepower Scania, generates around 175kVA from its close coupled Newage/Stamford UCI series PMG Alternator and is enclosed in a weatherproof canopy, on a fuel tank base. The unit's DEEP SEA ELECTRONICS, automatic control system communictes remotely through an RS232 Serial Interface.

"MACFARLANE GENERATORS is proud to be part of this exploration of the final frontier", says Managing Director Gerald Kay.

"The PAUL WILD OBSERVATORY required a stand by unit that would ensure a guaranteed uninterrupted power supply twenty four hours a day, as observations are made day and night, and any extended power failure could result in the loss of irreplaceable scientific data."

"Winning Government business is not always simply a matter of price... you must show your organisations ability to 'back up' your product with expertise and a first class service, and I believe this is why we are so successful in this field of business".

"In a Standby appplication such as this, it's 'good common sense' and cost effective to consider a pre-owned Generator Set which has had a minimum of use, particularly as all the Generator Sets we offer for sale have passed through our workshop, and have undergone a thorough checking, service and full load testing, to ensure they meet our own and our Customers expectations."

Macfarlane Generators has been contracted to supply the Melbourne Water Corporation with 24 back up generator sets incorporated in the construction of new water purification plants recently completed.

The units will play a standby role, in the event of a mains pwoer failure. "In Australia we tend to take pure drinking water for granted, but of course when the power supply fails, so does the purification system," says Gerald Kay, Macfarlane Generators' managing director.

"Given the potential for disaster should somethin go wrong, the reliability of the equipment and quality service back-up are essential..." he continued, "I believe that's what gave us the edge in winning this contract."

The generator sets provide emergency power for 14 hours continuosly, thanks to a large 37 litre fuel capacity. A further refinement, a remote control start system, enables the units to cut-in automatically in the event of a power failure.

The status of the machines can also be monitored from a remote location via a modem.

Low external noise levels and in-built block heaters to maintain prime operating temperatures irrespective of weather conditions are other key equipment features to ensure reliability, critical in their standby role.

Developed by Macfarlane to strict Department of Defence requirements for Army field unit service, the 6.25 kVA diesel generator sets each feature a Yanmar L100AE electric start engine which develops 8.8 horsepower at 3000rpm coupled to a Markon B105E 6 kW alternator.

The mechanical package is then mounted in a heavy-duty Macfarlane-designed roll frame, with attached wheels and handle for maximum portability.

Providing the Army with a reliable source of easy-to-operate portable power in the field, the specially-developed Department of Defence generators are typical of Macfarlane's product innovation, according to Macfarlane Generators Managing Director Gerald Kay.

"Purpose-built to meet the Army's stingent design criteria, Macfarlane's Model MGY 6000 has exceeded all specified requirements.

"It's just another example of how Macfarlane Generators' positive approach to tackling new challenges can produce excellent results," said Gerald Kay.

The specialists in the supply of new and used generators, Macfarlane can build equipment to specific customers requirements whether it's a small portable or a large industrial installation.

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