[time-nuts] Line Voltage [Was: Anyone (ideally in the UK) ...]

[Mark Spencer]

Hi:

A few quick comments.   

I've used a Variac for years at home to drop the line voltage for older equipment with linear power supplies that run hotter than I would like.   (My HP5370B's don't fall into that category for me but I can understand why this is an issue for some individuals.)

I've encountered situations where the line voltage has been deliberately lowered to entire buildings which has in turn caused issues for equipment I was responsible for. 

In dealing with line voltage issues in Canada I've found that readings from my handheld fluke DMM seem to be accepted at face value by the individuals I've been dealing with.   Data collected from UPS systems doesn't seem to be as well accepted.

Mark Spencer

> On Jan 1, 2017, at 4:14 AM, Dr. David Kirkby (Kirkby Microwave Ltd) <drkirkby at kirkbymicrowave.co.uk> wrote:
> 
>> On 1 Jan 2017 11:10, "Hal Murray" <hmurray at megapathdsl.net> wrote:
>> 
>> The nice thing about the APC units is that they are close to free if you
> are
>> already going to purchase a UPS.
>> 
>> I agree that something like the Dranetz 658 would be better, but a quick
> peek
>> at eBay shows prices far beyond what I'm willing to pay.
>> 
>>> What's the sample rate on your APC UPS?
>> 
>> I don't know what the internal sampling rate is.  The API is
>>  tell me the current voltage
>>  tell me the lowest voltage since the last time I asked
>>  tell me the highest voltage since the last time I asked
> 
> Em, not a lot. My handheld true RMS Tektronix can give me the average. (One
> assumes an average of RMS values).
> 
>> I have a hack that reads as fast as it can.  If nothing interesting has
>> happened, it adds a line to the log file every 5 minutes.
> 
> Again,  I think if attending presenting data for others,  one wants to
> avoid hacks like that. One can always post-proces to indicate the points of
> particular interest.
> My biggest problem is that it is not very practical to log data at the
> incoming point, which is just above my back door.  If I lived on my own,  I
> could set up equipment easily to do this. But sharing a house with a my
> wife and a large German Shepherd dog, it is not practical to do it with the
> equipment I have.
> 
> I think measuring voltage elsewhere would give someone more reason to
> question its accuracy.  In my case, measuring in my lab would almost
> certainly give a power supply voltage lower than that coming in.
> 
> Anyway,  short term I will use a variac to lower the voltage to test
> equipment with linear power supplies.  I am less concerned about equipment
> with switch mode supplies.
> 
> Dave.
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