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Electronics Forum / Electronics / August 2008Anyone know much about Cent a meters.
http://www.centameter.com.au/products.htm In particular, what their accuracy is at low power levels,less than 50 watts. The tech specs on the units seem very vague about this. Tnx "Mauried" > http://www.centameter.com.au/products.htm > > In particular, what their accuracy is at low power levels,less than 50 > watts. > The tech specs on the units seem very vague about this. ** The specs are damn vague about everything - and deliberately so. Here is the user manual: http://www.clipsal.com/trade/__data/page/81/W624.pdf What is clear is that the device is NOT a power OR energy consumption meter at all - as it only detects the line current and assumes the supply is 240 volts. There is no spec for accuracy below 1 amp current !!!! The unit measures in VA and not power. Wot a POS. ..... Phil > "Mauried" > [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Wot a POS. Wow, you're not wrong! I heard this thing wasn't that greatest, but geeze... Didn't this thing win on new inventors many years back? :-> Dave. >> "Mauried" >> [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > > Didn't this thing win on new inventors many years back? :-> **Just like that ridiculous LED streetlight last year. It seems that The Inventors don't ask too many questions about the veracity of the claims.  SignatureTrevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au On Aug 26, 5:04 pm, "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote: > >> "Mauried" > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > **Just like that ridiculous LED streetlight last year. It seems that The > Inventors don't ask too many questions about the veracity of the claims. They have had some howlers. No one ever gets a hammering on the show. The Protex safety device springs to mind, it was much discussed on here at the time. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/newinventors/txt/s1356442.htm I liked that Dragon's Den inventors show much better, they weren't afraid to stick it to'em if the product was shite. Dave. I have been told that you need to replace the battery in the sensor nearly once a month which is a complete pain. > On Aug 26, 5:04 pm, "Trevor Wilson" > <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote: > > "David L. Jones" <altz...@gmail.com> wrote in messagenews:376a3783-1dab-47d3-b773-ed5fca548c8d@v16g2000prc.googlegroups.co m... > > >> "Mauried" > > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Dave. >I have been told that you need to replace the battery in the sensor nearly >once a month which is a complete pain. [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >> >> Dave. Thanks all. The device did sound a bit dodgy. The biggest problem with the Inventors show is the panel. Some ppl who actually know something would help. >>I have been told that you need to replace the battery in the sensor nearly >>once a month which is a complete pain. [quoted text clipped - 59 lines] > The biggest problem with the Inventors show is the panel. > Some ppl who actually know something would help. **What a pathetic lie. SOME of the panel DO have some expertise in some areas. It's just that they often know very little about some technologies. Like the LED streetlights I previously cited. SignatureTrevor Wilson www.rageaudio.com.au On Aug 27, 8:32 am, "Trevor Wilson" <trevor@_SPAMBLOCK_rageaudio.com.au> wrote: > >>I have been told that you need to replace the battery in the sensor nearly > >>once a month which is a complete pain. [quoted text clipped - 63 lines] > areas. It's just that they often know very little about some technologies. > Like the LED streetlights I previously cited. I agree that some of the panel do appear to have some expertise, but it's not just expertise needed. If that was the case then they would need an expert panel judge to cover every field possible. What's needed is panel members (and/or even behind the scenes researchers) who are better able to research the field and ask the right questions. And they do get time to research the field in question for each invention and prepare questions ahead of time. Having at least one panel member who plays the devil's advocate role would make the show much more interesting. Dave. >>>I have been told that you need to replace the battery in the sensor >>>nearly [quoted text clipped - 65 lines] > areas. It's just that they often know very little about some technologies. > Like the LED streetlights I previously cited. It's no different from the rest of bloody telly. The panel are certain to be under instructions to keep it simple and pleasant. Although I recall one instance when they nearly lost their rag when a guy came on claiming to have an induction motor with vastly higher efficiency. And did anyone see the one a few months ago when one of the panel suggested that the brother of the guy showing his invention was thick as two planks (he was mentioned as trialling the invention). And the brother was in the audience. "Mauried" > Thanks all. > The device did sound a bit dodgy. ** It works well enough for the purpose it is sold for - ie, monitoring the power use of a WHOLE house. Major home appliances ( and incandescent lighting ) have unity or near unity power factor - only electronic stuff and CFLs do not. > The biggest problem with the Inventors show is the panel. > Some ppl who actually know something would help. ** 99% or all inventions are mechanical devices - so the panel is made of people who have expertise in that. ..... Phil > "Mauried" > [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > ..... Phil The cement mixer in tonites show might be reliable 'batch to batch' with the same water supply, but not at all likely to be the same at a different location. No one even mentioned the widely variabe conductivity of water. Surely thats what it is measuring? What a bunch of crapp! Mark > "Mauried" >> http://www.centameter.com.au/products.htm [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > ..... Phil If they'd thought about it a bit they could have killed more than one bird with one stone. Replace the battery-hungry display with a mains powered unit, that gives you a voltage reference, and a phase reference for one phase if a 3-phase installation. you can then get a lot closer to a proper (ie. real) power measurement by assuming that the phase set is angularly symmetrical, which is likely to be the case with grid supply. The way the manual is written, it looks less evasive than dumb. Maybe a bit of both. > If they'd thought about it a bit they could have killed more than one bird > with one stone. Replace the battery-hungry display with a mains powered > unit, that gives you a voltage reference, and a phase reference for one > phase if a 3-phase installation. you can then get a lot closer to a proper > (ie. real) power measurement by assuming that the phase set is angularly > symmetrical, which is likely to be the case with grid supply. but then they'd need to transmit a lot more data from the current sensor, AIUI they're not allowed to transmit full-time on the band they use. only short bursts... so then they'd need a wired connection... Bye. Jasen |
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