[Elecraft] variac question
I have a 2000VA chinese variac off ebay looks similar to a staco(. No schematic. It works fine when used normally. Varies my voltage from 0-148V. But when its switched off and left plugged in I have 0 V between and neutral and 120V between hot and ground and neutral and ground. Is this normal for a variac? I was hooking up a electromagnet @5V with the variac off but plugged in and I got a 120V bite even when the dial is all the way to 0. That’s why I started checking it. Ive been running my coil off it with no problems. John Cooper WT5Y __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] variac question
On 1/24/2015 9:33 PM, John Cooper wrote: > I have a 2000VA chinese variac off ebay looks similar to a staco(. > No schematic. It works fine when used normally. Varies my voltage > from 0-148V. But when its switched off and left plugged in I have 0 > V between and neutral and 120V between hot and ground and neutral and > ground. Is this normal for a variac? Absolutely not! This is not only dangerous, it is potentially lethal. If there is a "UL" label on it, no doubt it is counterfeit. II have been using real Variacs and its competing US-brand devices for decades and have never run across something as egregious as that. Were I in your shoes I would cut off the cord and throw the device in the metal recycle bin. You have no idea what other dangerous things were incorporated by accident or by intention. This is not personal - but you get what you pay for. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 Registered Professional Engineer (Electrical) >From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] variac question
John, I have one that sounds similar to yours. I tested, and it is okay. There is a typo in your post so that I cannot tell for sure what you are describing for voltage points, but I suspect your power cord may not be orientated correctly. Dick, n0ce Ohm Sweet Ohm > From: w...@gt.rr.com > To: te...@pupman.com; Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > Date: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 23:33:01 -0600 > Subject: [Elecraft] variac question > > I have a 2000VA chinese variac off ebay looks similar to a staco(. No > schematic. It works fine when used normally. Varies my voltage from 0-148V. > But when its switched off and left plugged in I have 0 V between and neutral > and 120V between hot and ground and neutral and ground. Is this normal for a > variac? > > I was hooking up a electromagnet @5V with the variac off but plugged in and I > got a 120V bite even when the dial is all the way to 0. That’s why I started > checking it. Ive been running my coil off it with no problems. > > > John Cooper WT5Y > __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] variac question
Just to be safe, you might want to check the outlet into which you have connected this variac. If the hot and neutral are reversed, of if the neutral and ground are not bonded in the distribution panel you might see problems like this! I have a similar inexpensive variac that I use on my home-brew hot-wire cutter. I haven't poked around with volt meter, but I haven't been bitten either/yet! Ken - ke4rg -Original Message- From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of John Cooper Sent: Sunday, January 25, 2015 12:33 AM To: tesla reflector; Elecraft reflector Subject: [Elecraft] variac question I have a 2000VA chinese variac off ebay looks similar to a staco(. No schematic. It works fine when used normally. Varies my voltage from 0-148V. But when its switched off and left plugged in I have 0 V between and neutral and 120V between hot and ground and neutral and ground. Is this normal for a variac? I was hooking up a electromagnet @5V with the variac off but plugged in and I got a 120V bite even when the dial is all the way to 0. That s why I started checking it. Ive been running my coil off it with no problems. John Cooper WT5Y __ 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 Message delivered to ke...@arrl.net __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] variac question
Sounds like the "off" switch is actually a bypass switch. Doesn't seem unreasonable to have a bypass switch on a variac. Consider the wall switch is the on/off switch. 73's Peter VK4JD -Original Message- From: Elecraft [mailto:elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Phil Kane Sent: Monday, 26 January 2015 2:24 AM To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net Subject: Re: [Elecraft] variac question On 1/24/2015 9:33 PM, John Cooper wrote: > I have a 2000VA chinese variac off ebay looks similar to a staco(. > No schematic. It works fine when used normally. Varies my voltage > from 0-148V. But when its switched off and left plugged in I have 0 V > between and neutral and 120V between hot and ground and neutral and > ground. Is this normal for a variac? Absolutely not! This is not only dangerous, it is potentially lethal. If there is a "UL" label on it, no doubt it is counterfeit. II have been using real Variacs and its competing US-brand devices for decades and have never run across something as egregious as that. Were I in your shoes I would cut off the cord and throw the device in the metal recycle bin. You have no idea what other dangerous things were incorporated by accident or by intention. This is not personal - but you get what you pay for. 73 de K2ASP - Phil Kane Elecraft K2/100 s/n 5402 Registered Professional Engineer (Electrical) >From a Clearing in the Silicon Forest Beaverton (Washington County) Oregon __ 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 Message delivered to plamb...@qa.com.au __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: [Elecraft] variac question
It sounds like a polarity problem. The line cord feeding the variac may be reversed, or the switch may be in the neutral instead of the 120V line (or if it's a double-pole switch, one pole may have failed "On".) Easy way to tell: check voltage from neutral to ground with the switch on. If it's zero when the switch is on and 120V with the switch off, the switch probably is in the neutral. If it's 120V both ways, the line cord or outlet is wired wrong. You definitely should fix it, but don't rely on the switch for safety. They can (and do) fail. Always unplug to be safe! --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. http://www.avast.com __ 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 Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
