Author Topic: US and UK power "Electricity Load Meter and Monitors"  (Read 872 times)

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DanG

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US and UK power "Electricity Load Meter and Monitors"
« on: September 02, 2008, 10:51:49 PM »
I am posting to mention good tools for 'fun' conservation purposes for a good price..


P3 Kill A Watt Electricity Load Meter and Monitor


$20.98 USD after shipping using coupon code EMCAKACAF ($4 off to $13.99)

---> http://tinyurl.com/33tt6e (coupon expires 8 September 2008)


The advanced P3 monitor w/ battery backup is selling for $38 USD with free shipping AND is probably the real bargain monitor at NewEgg...

---> http://tinyurl.com/399flz


UK residents -- Damon found one discounted to £7.99 at Maplin.com - no clue about shipping cost,

---> http://tinyurl.com/68wa6w


13 September 2008 NOTE: prices, coupons and links out of date
DanG
« Last Edit: September 02, 2008, 10:51:49 PM by (unknown) »

frackers

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Re: US and UK power Electricity Load Meter and Mo
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2008, 03:17:08 PM »
I have a Elto EMA-1 power meter made by Cixi Yidong Electronic Co Ltd which looks the same apart from the plug pins (different shape here).


A word of warning about these meters - beware the smell of burning if used to monitor a modified sine inverter and a sudden drop of reading to zero!! Dismantling revealed a very charred resistor.


The measurement part of the meter gets its power from the line (the display is from the 2 button cells). It does this with an R-C network that relies on the waveform being a sine wave to determine how much current passes through the 'C' part of the circuit. Apply the fast edges of a modified sine inverter and the 'R' part gets cooked.


In case anyone else has this problem, I emailed the manufacturers in China and was very pleased to receive a response in less than a week that the resistor should be 150 ohms. Comparing a friends unit which had a 100ohm resistor fitted, I ended up putting in 120ohm but upgraded from a 0.5 watt to 2 watt.


I've not tried it on the inverter again but at least I can use in on my grid stuff again :-)

« Last Edit: September 05, 2008, 03:17:08 PM by frackers »
Robin Down Under (Or Are You Up Over)

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Re: US and UK power Electricity Load Meter and Mo
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2008, 03:29:07 PM »
In NZ "the warehouse" has these for $20 if anyone needs to know...
« Last Edit: September 05, 2008, 03:29:07 PM by independent »

frackers

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Re: US and UK power Electricity Load Meter and Mo
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2008, 10:50:02 PM »
I got mine in the local Mitre-10 Mega. Same price though.


What IS very impressive is that the same company makes a 8 program 7 day electronic timer with battery backup that retails for NZ$7.95. Works well on my irrigation system!

« Last Edit: September 05, 2008, 10:50:02 PM by frackers »
Robin Down Under (Or Are You Up Over)

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Re: US and UK power "Electricity Load Meter and Monitors"
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2010, 07:06:57 AM »
I've just done the same to mine as you did. Trying to work out what I can do to be able to reliably use it on the inverter now, as that would be *really* useful. Been 20 years since I really did any electronics though, so any suggestions appreciated...

independent

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Re: US and UK power "Electricity Load Meter and Monitors"
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2010, 05:51:03 PM »
Seeing as this thread has been resurrected I'd like to point out those meters are pretty useless (Elto EMA-1). I bought one for my old man and it was measuring way off the mark. My one is just off enough to be nearly reliable. But it's inaccurate, especially in the low voltage ranges. As well, the measured PFC looks a fair bit wrong too

DamonHD

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Re: US and UK power "Electricity Load Meter and Monitors"
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2010, 02:59:23 AM »
Here was my review of available meters in the UK.  All seem reasonable though the later ones are better for lower-power loads:

http://www.earth.org.uk/note-on-plug-in-power-meters-for-the-UK-REVIEW.html

Rgds

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