RE: Input power measurement

["Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>]

Original poster: "John H. Couture by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <couturejh-at-mgte-dot-com>


Steve -

There is only one way to measure TC currents or watts that is cheap and
accurate. However, it requires a little more research and on your part and a
little more understanding of what is going on in the circuits.

The solution is shown in the Tesla Coil Construction Guide. This shows how
the proper incandescent lamp can be used as a sensor to detect currents and
wattages under the harsh enviroment of Tesla coil operation. The lamp gives
you true RMS values and is not affected by waveform, frequency, power
factor, or current pulses. The non linearity problems of the lamp are
avoided by calibrating the lamp for each measurement.

There are other possibilities but all are more expensive than this method
and are usually less accurate.

John Couture

----------------------------------


-----Original Message-----
From: Tesla list [mailto:tesla-at-pupman-dot-com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 10:42 PM
To: tesla-at-pupman-dot-com
Subject: Re: Input power measurement


Original poster: "S & J Young by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<youngs-at-konnections-dot-net>



Very true, but can someone who has actually used one in TC service state
that it actually works correctly with the horrible EM environment to which
it will be subjected?  Many DVMs and the like become quite erratic or
useless when used near an operating coil.  I believe the watt meter Jim
refers to is good up to about 1.5 KW.
--Steve Young

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 7:36 AM
Subject: Re: Input power measurement


  >
  > Original poster: "Jim Lux by way of Terry Fritz <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>"
<jimlux-at-earthlink-dot-net>
  >
  > The "kill-a-watt" (that's the brand name) watt meter runs about $30-40
from
  > all manner of sources (including Radio Shack), and measures VA, Watts,
PF,
  > etc. with an accuracy of better than 1%..
  >
  >
  > ----- Original Message -----
  > From: "Tesla list" <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
  > To: <tesla-at-pupman-dot-com>
  > Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 5:24 PM
  > Subject: RE: Input power measurement
  >
  >
  >  > Original poster: "Skip Greiner by way of Terry Fritz
  > <teslalist-at-qwest-dot-net>" <sgreiner-at-wwnet-dot-com>
  >  >
  >  > Hi Everyone
  >  > Thank to everyone who helped explain what I am actually measuring when
  > using
  >  > an iron vane ammeter to check the input current to an NST running in
  >  > resonant mode.
  >  >
  >  > Now the question becomes...how does one measure the actual (RMS ?)
input
  >  > current in order to calculate the wall plug watts? Must one purchase
or
  >  > borrow a multi-buck wattmeter?
  >  >
  >  > Again thanks in advance for any help.
  >  >
  >  >
  >
  >
  >