and he notes - What you are hearing is the hysteresis effect between the plates on the primary field. It doesn't draw much current unless the plates are corroded or poorly made. All AC transformers have this effect but as the transformer gets older it uses more current to create the field, causing the plates to vibrate, or "hum" louder. For more information on this subject, visit this site and scroll down to Variations in Hysteresis Curves
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/solids/hyst.html Aside from the above effect, a watt is a watt and a 300 watt transformer is the safe load the field can carry without frying Little Leroy. With no load, the transformer is drawing negligible current. Wattage is not the amount of power used, but rather the amount of energy dissipated, usually as heat - ergo a light bulb. Item, such as light bulbs, based on wattage because it is easier for the consumer to understand. Using an AC transformer to power a laptop sounds intriguing. If you use a Lionel unit, you might get the computer to whistle! Raleigh At 12:29 PM 1/27/2005, Marty.Thorin wrote: >Continuing this question, how many watts is the transformer drawing when >there isn't a load? You can't tell me nothing. I can hear it humming! > >Thorin > > > _____________________________________________ > > From: Marty.Thorin > > Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 11:26 AM > > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: RE: How much power am I using? > > > > I wish to thank everyone who has answered. Everyone is unanimous that > > 0.1 amps * 16 volts = 1.6 watts. > > > > That is how much power the BULB is drawing from the TRANSFORMER. But > > how many watts is the 300 watt TRANSFORMER drawing from the WALL to > > provide that 1.6 watts on the secondary? > > > > Thank you for your patience. > > Thorin > > > > _____________________________________________ > > From: Marty.Thorin > > Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2005 10:37 AM > > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: How much power am I using? > > > > This is addressed to the electrical engineers on our list. > > > > If I have a 300 watt transformer (say an American Flyer 19B) with a > > load of one #52 bulb across the transformer's 16 V AC outputs, how > > many watts am I drawing from the line? > > > > I am assuming 110V, 60 Hz input. A #52 bulb is a 0.1 amp load. > > > > Thanks! > > Thorin > > > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >The poll results are in....... To REPLY to the list, use REPLY ALL, to >reply to the sender, use REPLY. I do NOT know if this works on all e-mail >software, but it works on some of the most common ones. > >Change your membership, change your message settings, use our CALENDAR, >view shared files or photos, view the list archives, GO TO >http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ >Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > The poll results are in....... To REPLY to the list, use REPLY ALL, to reply to the sender, use REPLY. I do NOT know if this works on all e-mail software, but it works on some of the most common ones. Change your membership, change your message settings, use our CALENDAR, view shared files or photos, view the list archives, GO TO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
