Re: Kill-a-watt devices
On 11/28/06, Dave Johnson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I have a kill-a-watt too. The only thing (besides a computer interface) I don't like about it is the lack of battery backed or otherwise persistant cumulative usage. Every time you unplug it or power goes out the totals are lost, but that's what you get for the price. There is an application out there (damn if I can't seem to google it now..) that points a webcam at a needle dial guage, digitizes it and translates it to a number. Hey, it's one way to get the data where it belongs :-) ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
Tom Buskey writes: > > $33 http://www.invertersrus.com/killawatt.html > $21 http://www.sustainabilitysystems.com/products.php?cat=8 > > > Measures: > > # Cumulative kWh over time (using built in timer) > # Watts (active power) > # VA (apparent power) > # Volts > # Current (amps) > # Frequency (hertz) > # Power Factor > > 1875VA limit > 15 A limit. > > I googled a review that said it showed 0.06 kWh after 2 hours for a TV. > > I'd imagine the utility co's unit has a higher amp rating. I have a kill-a-watt too. The only thing (besides a computer interface) I don't like about it is the lack of battery backed or otherwise persistant cumulative usage. Every time you unplug it or power goes out the totals are lost, but that's what you get for the price. There are other alterntives but a bit more expensive. The 'Watts Up' and 'Watts Up Pro' go for about $100-$200 but have more features including persistant logging. See: https://www.doubleed.com/products.html -- Dave ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
On 11/28/06, Jeff Kinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Any suggestions on better ways to do this? How about a worse way? I've measured constant loads using a $20 multimeter wired in series with the AC mains plug. Not good for loads that vary over time, and at $20 the Kill-A-Watt is *definitely* worth it, but hey, I didn't have one of those at the time. :) Thanks to Tom Buskey for the link to the $21 KAW. At that price, it's a no-brained. >click< -- Ben ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
> Does anyone know if the Kill-a-watt devices are able to measure > consumption in smaller units than a single kilowatt hour? Mine reads 0.01 Kwh. It also does Power factor (and VA and watts), Hz (most useful for home generators, but maybe UPSes too). Also volts, amps, and hours. http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/7657/ -Ric Werme -- [EMAIL PROTECTED]http://werme.8m.net/ ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
On 11/28/06, Jeff Kinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Interesting stuff about the utility co's meter Does anyone know if the Kill-a-watt devices are able to measure consumption in smaller units than a single kilowatt hour? Any suggestions on better ways to do this? I have to assume the time it took to machine the metal and assemble the whole unit cost them more in time then buying a kill-a-watt meter itself. $33 http://www.invertersrus.com/killawatt.html $21 http://www.sustainabilitysystems.com/products.php?cat=8 Measures: # Cumulative kWh over time (using built in timer) # Watts (active power) # VA (apparent power) # Volts # Current (amps) # Frequency (hertz) # Power Factor 1875VA limit 15 A limit. I googled a review that said it showed 0.06 kWh after 2 hours for a TV. I'd imagine the utility co's unit has a higher amp rating. ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
I'll check my Kill-a-Watt tonight, I'm pretty sure it has much finer grained measurement than that. I've used it for laptop power measurement and it was good for that. Strike that, I'll get home around 10:30 tonight and immediately go to bed. I assure you, however, that the Kill-A-Watt can measure consumption at fairly low levels, though for very small devices (e.g. 2W) I did have to run for a couple of days to get a good set of numbers. --DTVZ On 11/28/06, Jeff Kinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Hi everyone, my local electric company has what they call "test metering equipment" for appliances. I went down to their offices last week and borrowed one of these devices. Imagine my surprise when they passed over the counter to me, an actual power meter, mounted on a nice gray utility box that was bolted to a fairly thick chunk of metal with giant rubber feet on it and to thick black electrical cords hanging off with it. Altogether it weighs about 25 pounds. >From the front, the circular glass dome and funny dials and numbers, with the floppy black appendages hanging off of it in almost resembles the flying spaghetti monster. I was a little shocked, :-) but I cradled the awkward, (it's about 18 inches high by six inches wide by three inches deep not including the glass dome or the metal plate on the bottom with the dangling floppy appendages), to my chest and lugged it out to the car. This meter is a little easier to read than the old-fashioned once with the series of rotating pointers, which alternate their direction of rotation as you go from pointer dial to pointer dial. While this one has the ubiquitous spinning disk deep down in its innards, the kilowatt hours consumed are displayed on a series of cylinders which have digits printed on them. The cylinders are mounted vertically and at some time, as you consume more electricity they rotate counterclockwise. Imagine a miniature 55 gallon drum, standing on end with numbers painted around it facing a small window that you can see one number at a time through the window. So this gadget has no way to display any unit smaller than 1 kilowatt hour and, because the display is sort of an analog device, figuring out exactly when 1 kilowatt hour has been consumed is a little bit of a challenge. Even more so because the digits are not centered exactly in their windows when they come to a stop between movements. It seems to me that this gadget has a built-in read error factor based on how it displays the information. I have no way of knowing how much of the A. kilowatt hour has been produced at anytime between changes of the final digit. Right now I've been using it to measure a laptop, so far the laptop has been running for 83 hours without consuming a single kilowatt hour. For all I know we could roll over to that full kilowatt hour at any second or it could take another four days to get their. Does anyone know if the Kill-a-watt devices are able to measure consumption in smaller units than a single kilowatt hour? Any suggestions on better ways to do this? I have to assume the time it took to machine the metal and assemble the whole unit cost them more in time then buying a kill-a-watt meter itself. Thanks, Jeff -- This e-mail was created by voice dictation using Dragon's NaturallySpeaking. There may be errors, omissions, or additions present. ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/ ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Re: Kill-a-watt devices
http://www.the-gadgeteer.com/review/kill_a_watt_electric_usage_monitor_review Wouldn't turn off after exactly so much usage, but is relatively inexpensive, and would seem to give you the information you're looking for. On 11/28/06, Jeff Kinz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Does anyone know if the Kill-a-watt devices are able to measure consumption in smaller units than a single kilowatt hour? Any suggestions on better ways to do this? I have to assume the time it took to machine the metal and assemble the whole unit cost them more in time then buying a kill-a-watt meter itself. -- -- Thomas ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
Kill-a-watt devices
Hi everyone, my local electric company has what they call "test metering equipment" for appliances. I went down to their offices last week and borrowed one of these devices. Imagine my surprise when they passed over the counter to me, an actual power meter, mounted on a nice gray utility box that was bolted to a fairly thick chunk of metal with giant rubber feet on it and to thick black electrical cords hanging off with it. Altogether it weighs about 25 pounds. >From the front, the circular glass dome and funny dials and numbers, with the floppy black appendages hanging off of it in almost resembles the flying spaghetti monster. I was a little shocked, :-) but I cradled the awkward, (it's about 18 inches high by six inches wide by three inches deep not including the glass dome or the metal plate on the bottom with the dangling floppy appendages), to my chest and lugged it out to the car. This meter is a little easier to read than the old-fashioned once with the series of rotating pointers, which alternate their direction of rotation as you go from pointer dial to pointer dial. While this one has the ubiquitous spinning disk deep down in its innards, the kilowatt hours consumed are displayed on a series of cylinders which have digits printed on them. The cylinders are mounted vertically and at some time, as you consume more electricity they rotate counterclockwise. Imagine a miniature 55 gallon drum, standing on end with numbers painted around it facing a small window that you can see one number at a time through the window. So this gadget has no way to display any unit smaller than 1 kilowatt hour and, because the display is sort of an analog device, figuring out exactly when 1 kilowatt hour has been consumed is a little bit of a challenge. Even more so because the digits are not centered exactly in their windows when they come to a stop between movements. It seems to me that this gadget has a built-in read error factor based on how it displays the information. I have no way of knowing how much of the A. kilowatt hour has been produced at anytime between changes of the final digit. Right now I've been using it to measure a laptop, so far the laptop has been running for 83 hours without consuming a single kilowatt hour. For all I know we could roll over to that full kilowatt hour at any second or it could take another four days to get their. Does anyone know if the Kill-a-watt devices are able to measure consumption in smaller units than a single kilowatt hour? Any suggestions on better ways to do this? I have to assume the time it took to machine the metal and assemble the whole unit cost them more in time then buying a kill-a-watt meter itself. Thanks, Jeff -- This e-mail was created by voice dictation using Dragon's NaturallySpeaking. There may be errors, omissions, or additions present. ___ gnhlug-discuss mailing list gnhlug-discuss@mail.gnhlug.org http://mail.gnhlug.org/mailman/listinfo/gnhlug-discuss/
