On 4/3/2011 3:24 AM, David Cutter wrote: > I'm looking forward to a time when all domestic lighting can be run > from a 12V supply at the main switchboard.
Be careful what you wish for. A major advantage of higher voltage distribution is that copper losses are much less, and much smaller copper conductors are required. This makes the 240V system used in much of the world superior to the 100V and 120V systems used in Japan and North America. It gives 240V a 20:1 advantage over 12V. More important, try a quick calculation for the cost of converting every building in the world from the existing 120VAC or 240VAC to your 12VDC. Remember -- none of the old wiring is sufficient, so one must rip out the walls and start over. Please tell me when this is going to happen -- I want to buy stock in the copper industry, because the price is going to multiply by a factor of at least 5X, because copper is going to become VERY scarce. In addition, distribution of power as an AC voltage means that it is easily transformed from one voltage to another by transformers that don't make electrical noise. The electrical noise produced by switching power supplies to do that would wipe out all radio communications! 73, Jim K9YC ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
