I recall reading in the manual about a switch one can throw if the line voltage is higher or lower than normal. Looking underneath I see this. There¡¯s no position for ¡°normal¡± voltage - only higher or lower than normal. It looks like the transformer can probably be reconfigured to run on 230 V, but at this point I don¡¯t want to open it up, in case it¡¯s not as described in the auction. I have a 500 VA transformer.?
On Wed, 17 Aug 2022 at 13:44, Dr. David Kirkby <
drkirkby@...> wrote:
I bought an old Boonton 160-A Q-meter that's designed to run from the American 120 V system. However, I want to use it in the UK, where the main voltage is nominally 230 V, and mine is pretty close to that, after getting it dropped by 5% as it was going too high.
It's made in the mid 1930's, which pre-dates the invention of the transistor, so the Q-meter obviously does not have a SMPS. There's a transformer in there, to drop down the voltage for some of the tubes, which run as low as 2.x on the heater. I believe there's a voltage stabiliser, which I think runs works off the AC directly. I forget the operating frequency of these, but they will run from 50 Hz.
I'm wondering if it's a good idea to run this with a 230 -> 120 V transformer, or whether one of these converters would do, which I assume are some sort of switch mode supply. It takes 75 W, so I assume one rated at 200 W would be up to the job (Chinese Watts are a bit different to English ones).
Dr David Kirkby Ph.D
Email:
drkirkby@... Web:
Kirkby Microwave Ltd
(Tel 01621-680100 / +44 1621-680100)
Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 6DT.
--
Dr. David Kirkby,
Kirkby Microwave Ltd,
drkirkby@...Telephone 01621-680100./ +44 1621 680100
Registered in England & Wales, company number 08914892.
Registered office:
Stokes Hall Lodge, Burnham Rd, Althorne, Chelmsford, Essex, CM3 6DT, United Kingdom
Dr. David Kirkby, Kirkby Microwave Ltd