low voltage on power supply

[ad0lescnts]

hey guys,
I just got a power conditioner that has an amp and voltage meter on it. The problem is that when i have everything turned on and going the voltage goes down to about 113. The amperage isn't bad though, at about 4A. How unhealthy is this for my gear/sound? I know the standard is about 120 V.

Thanks,
T

 

[tomleblanc]

Mine consistently runs a bit high, around 123-126V. I don't have an amperage readout on mine...it's one of those Furman conditioners. I always wondered what the significance of this deviance was too, so I'm eager to hear if anyone has a good explanation.

 

[xstatic]

Anything above 110 should be just fine. I don't trust the Furman voltage readouts too much, but as power conditioners they seem to work really well

 

[ad0lescnts]

hmm.. I have the ART conditioner with the analog meters. I wonder how accurate they really are. ?? When not a lot is plugged in the voltage runs at about 122, but it drains when theres more plugged in

T

 

[guitarlover]

hey guys,
I just got a power conditioner that has an amp and voltage meter on it. The problem is that when i have everything turned on and going the voltage goes down to about 113. The amperage isn't bad though, at about 4A. How unhealthy is this for my gear/sound? I know the standard is about 120 V.

Thanks,
T

The question you should be asking yourself is whether the conditioner is doing the job. I have no personal experience with conditioners as they relate to audio but I have used power supplies extensively for amatuer radio (My call is NO8P). As you load the PS to its max, it loses its ability to filter. If you have enough on it to lower the voltage from where the manual says it should be, you may have a problem. On the other hand, it may be perfectly mormal. I would contact the manufacturer to see what they say.

One thing you can do in the mean time is remove something from the PS that draws significant current and see what happens to the voltage. If it goes up significantly, you may have a problem.

Your problem can be anything from low local voltage (what is coming in to the studio may be low to start with, which is not at all uncommon) to a bad meter, to overloading etc. Unfortunately, with the info you ahve provided, there are too many things to choose from to say with any certainty.

I hope this helps but I fear I may have just made things more complicated. I just wanted you to realize that there can be many causes for the symptoms you describe.

Regards, Steve Brown

 

[boingoman]

The only thing you really need to be concerned about is, oddly enough, really new gear and really old gear. Digital gear shuts off under a specific voltage(listed in the specs under operating range) but they fudge it. You can push it a bit further, usually, and lots of stuff goes from 85-130 volts. Even if it shuts off, it usually doesn't hurt anything. On the old side, some Hammond organs won't play in tune if they are starved for voltage. Some old tube amps start to get a "brown" sound. Maybe old tape machines slow down? Analog solid state gear keeps on rockin'.
All your stuff worked before you knew what the voltage actually was, didn't it?
If you are really concerned you can get a voltage regulator($400 AT LEAST!)
It will keep your voltage at a rock solid 120. All those "power conditioners" do is keep out RF noise. Oh, plus the pull-out lights and extra outlets.

 

[Cave Dweller]

In North America, you can expect voltages of anywhere from 110-125V. It usually has to do with the transformers in your neighborhood, or of there is industry nearby. The main issue is that equipment will operate with less headroom, especially power amplifiers. Their output is directly related to the mains voltage. less voltage = less output, more power consumption.

Low voltage may cause tape players to run slow, but i think their speed is mainly controlled by the frequency of the power, which is 60 hz. i could only see that as being a problem if the power is really low, or really high.