#1681228 - 05/28/05 05:45 PM
Brownouts
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Jason Poff
Senior Member
Registered: 05/11/01
Posts: 330
Loc: Lexington, Ky.UNITED STATES
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Hey guys,
I've just moved into a new (old) house and am experiencing brownouts. I know, I know, I should have thought about clean reliable power before now, but there was always something prettier, or cooler, or toobier to buy. Now it is an issue, and I'm curious what pieces are working well for you. As $$$ is an issue, I'll probably have to start with a line regulator, and then get a power conditioner and then a ups. Or maybe a ups first, I dunno. I'm looking for not quite top of the line, but reliable. What do you think?
Jason
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#1681229 - 05/28/05 08:06 PM
Re: Brownouts
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KenElevenShadows
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 12/20/00
Posts: 8624
Loc: Los Angeles,CA,UNITED STATES
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If the brownouts are fairly regular, I'd look into a good quality UPS if I were you (that also does line regulating/conditioning). Don't scrimp too much on stuff like this if you care about your equipment or have sensitive equipment.
And it almost goes without saying that if possible, you should track down the source of the brownouts and fix that first.
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#1681230 - 05/28/05 08:41 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Tedly Nightshade
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Registered: 01/03/02
Posts: 4649
Loc: applegate,OR,UNITED STATES
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Brownouts can destroy your gear, your refrigerator (especially anything with a motor), it's a very serious problem!
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#1681231 - 05/29/05 10:19 AM
Re: Brownouts
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flyscots
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 12/27/01
Posts: 2258
Loc: SW Scotland.
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We don't have this problem over here but I do remember it from my time in LA, nothing serious though. Do they happen for long periods of time or is it just like the lights temporarily dipping.
Thanks, I don't know much about it and am curious to find out.
They must be incredibly annoying.
John Scott
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#1681232 - 05/29/05 03:12 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Philip O'Keefe
10k Club
Registered: 12/17/00
Posts: 17674
Loc: Riverside,CA,UNITED STATES
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A good UPS with good filtering and voltage regulation is really your only option. Unfortunately, it's not going to be cheap. 
Gearmike had a Monster Pro Power Pro 2500 conditioner / filter in his rack that he brought in here a couple of weeks ago... and he stated that, when compared to other power conditioners, he heard a dramatic reduction in noise... however, this is only going to reduce noise and help protect you from spikes and wouldn't do anything for you insofar as power brownouts.
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#1681234 - 05/29/05 03:36 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Jason Poff
Senior Member
Registered: 05/11/01
Posts: 330
Loc: Lexington, Ky.UNITED STATES
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Thanks for the replies guys. I talked to the landlord's electrician when he came over to inspect the house, and he seemed to think there was nothing I could do the stop the brownouts. We have a 100 amp breaker box. One person who knows more than me about power has said the box needs to be upgraded to 200 amps. The electrician said a 200 amp box would definitely bring it up to code, but he didn't think it would stop the brownouts. Needless to say I will be purchasing gear in the near future to help with this problem, but I like Ken's idea about fixing the source. The landlord is a nice man, but he's unwilling to let anyone but "his" electrician to do any work. Any ideas???
Jason
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#1681235 - 05/29/05 04:12 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Philip O'Keefe
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Registered: 12/17/00
Posts: 17674
Loc: Riverside,CA,UNITED STATES
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If it's not up to code, I would imagine the landlord would be required by law to upgrade it... it is a potential safety / fire hazard if it's under-rated.
Check your local regulations and building codes.
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#1681236 - 05/29/05 04:36 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Jason Poff
Senior Member
Registered: 05/11/01
Posts: 330
Loc: Lexington, Ky.UNITED STATES
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The landlord will replace it. I'm just wondering if the problem will actually be solved.
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#1681237 - 05/30/05 01:50 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Keyrick
Senior Member
Registered: 12/07/03
Posts: 95
Loc: So. Cal / Orange County
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Jason,
The problem may be with the utility company. Does it happen all of the time or just during the day? If it is daytime only, it is likely that there may be a problem with the power company. Or, does it happen when a refrigerator compressor or a dishwasher or a washing machine kicks on? In that case, a new power panel will help, especially if you have a new seperate feed from the panel to power your studio.
If you have access to a meter you can check your voltage during the daytime and at night. It should be a little higher at night but not a lot. If the difference is substantial, say more than 10 or 15 volts, the power company is suspect, and they may need to replace the transformer that supplies your house.
If nothing else, for sure get a UPS, as others have mentioned. If you can afford to stop your recording during a brownout condition, then all you really need to protect is your computer, and a 500 watt unit would be sufficient. Don't plug a laser printer or a power amp into it, just your computer and maybe your computer display monitor.
Good luck.
Rick
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#1681238 - 05/31/05 05:39 PM
Re: Brownouts
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Mark Weiss
Senior Member
Registered: 10/15/03
Posts: 176
Loc: New Milford, CT USA
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I used to have a TrippLite LC2400, however, it is not a true line conditioner. It uses tap switching which itself produces nasty spikes.
The best solution is a Sola/Hevi-Duty harmonically-neutralized power conditioning transformer. They regulate voltage within 1% and reduce harmonic distortion of the line voltage to maximum 3%. It doesn't use relays or tap-switching, so its operation is smooth because it is a ferro-resonant transformer. Such a device will take care of your problems. Of course, you still need a UPS for power outages.
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#1681239 - 05/31/05 11:07 PM
Re: Brownouts
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paully
Platinum Member
Registered: 05/25/04
Posts: 1074
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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Originally posted by Mark Weiss:
I used to have a TrippLite LC2400, however, it is not a true line conditioner. It uses tap switching which itself produces nasty spikes.
The best solution is a Sola/Hevi-Duty harmonically-neutralized power conditioning transformer. They regulate voltage within 1% and reduce harmonic distortion of the line voltage to maximum 3%. It doesn't use relays or tap-switching, so its operation is smooth because it is a ferro-resonant transformer. Such a device will take care of your problems. Of course, you still need a UPS for power outages.
Mark, I'll take your word for it about the spikes, but I've never seen a computer screen glitch or heard any noise artifacts in the audio path during brownies, and I've been using Tripplite stuff(primarilly for computer, to avoid loosing data)for at least 15 years. It's pretty cheap insurance ($250), and Tripplite guarantees against damage to periferal equipment if there conditioners don't work: to the tune of $25,000 for two years.
The ferro-resonant transformer setup that you mentioned, any idea of their price range, or mabee a manufacturer web-site or supplier where I could get some more info. Something big enough to cover the power requirements of even a small studio has gotta be pretty expensive, but if it's worth it... Thanks, Paul
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