Power brownouts (was Re: Bouncey-Bouncey)

[Bill Kennedy]

In article <3871 at juniper.uucp> gbh at juniper.UUCP (Geoffrey B Hoese) writes:
[ 3B1 swimming screen and observed low voltage in the house ]
>
>The best cure for this would be a UPS, but as I can't really afford one
>right now, so i'm looking out for a good deal on a constant voltage 
>transformer.  Mind you, a surge protector won't help as this is the
>opposite problem - drops in voltage rather than rises. Something else to
>watch for, anyway.

This is a tough call.  On the one hand we can claim to be unable to afford
power conditioning equipment and on the other, when the worst happens, we
spend more on repair.  The issue gets complicated by some irresponsible
manufacturers' claims of "UPS" when their unit is really a standby (switches
in the inverter after some period of no/low power).

I'll not elaborate on what I have spent for power conditioning, the pain
is recent memory as is the motivation.  I will evangelize a bit on the
benefits.  My site has the misfortune to be on a rural electric cooperative
so it has the idea that if the irrigation pumps are running the power is OK.
Even if you are on a good public utility with a reliable grid, you are not
immune as the others have pointed out (swimming screen, fried power supply).

The problem is two-fold, the terrible stuff that comes down the line when the
power is on and the worse stuff that comes down when the power comes back
after an outage.  Many surge suppressors and standby units just don't have
the ability to swallow the stuff.  Some perform the "supreme sacrifice" and
melt down trying, but now you're naked, it's gone for the next time.  The
CV transformer will handle a lot of those problems as well as voltage fluc-
tuations that your power supply can't.  A standby unit can handle the outage
altogether.

When my on-line UPS bit the dust a consultant suggested getting a huge CV
transformer and using standby units on the equipment that couldn't take an
outage.  The recommendation was a good one and very cost effective.  It was
not what I did, but that was for another reason.  If you are serious about
power conditioning (and you should be), you might give this fellow a call.
Sure, he sells the stuff, but he's price competitive and very willing to
talk to a "small fry" user.  He helped me size an air conditioner once and
didn't charge a penny.  I have no affiliation with him other than as a
satisfied customer.

Oma Graves      (pronounce Oh ma)
Computer Room Technologies
P.O. Box 458008
San Antonio, TX 78280-8008
(512) 675-3117  (he returns calls on his nickel when the box answers)

The last time I spoke with him he said he'd be glad to help anyone fashion
a cost effective solution and didn't mind working by long distance.  You
might find that he can offer a more affordable approach than the consequences
of not having any power protection.
-- 
Bill Kennedy  Internet:  bill at ssbn.WLK.COM
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