OT: was Power supply musings

[Harry Bissell]

There are better alternatives...  Tapped transformers with electronic switching
(zero cross) can do the same thing and better... The variac suffers from slow
response time... the electronic swtitched xfmr will respond in 3 line cycles...

Not at the surplus store though... and not cheap (like me)

OT variac story: My dad had a TV repairman come to the house (under service
contract) to fix a bad HV problem with the set. The repairman insisted... Its
not the set, its just a brownout...
Dad: "Kid... go get the Variac"
Me: "Aye-aye dad"
Repairman "you got a Variac?" (gulp-sound of repairman who knows bullsh!t won't
work here) "OK kid... turn it up... higher...higher...HIGHER... there, you see
its a brownout"
Dad "Kid... whats the voltage read now ???"
ME "One hundred fifty volts SIR!"
Repairman "turn it down turn it down turn it DOWN"
Dad "Now... fix me F at CKING TV... allright ???"




Paul Perry wrote:

> At 10:18 AM 10/06/99 -0700, reverend bluE  wrote:
>
> >the question is this:
> >       would you pay extra for electricity that guaranteed to not ever drop
> >below 108v or go above 128v?  (or insert your own figures there)..
>
> For 'brown-out' protection, a servo-driven variac makes sense..
> they used to have these in labs to provide a stabilised mains supply
> so valve test gear stayed happy..
> Perhaps the surplus stores have some. Weightwise, they put most 'boatanchor'
> gear to shame.
> The whine of the motor as it hunts back & foward is very romantic in a
> 1950 SF movie kind of way..
>
> paul perry melbourne australia