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Data logging devices are commonplace now days. Many high-end multimeters have such a feature where you can plug the meter up to a power source and record levels over time.

But I'm interested in recording out-of-bounds events such as spikes and sags in mains supply.

This type of measurement is typically only found in power systems analyzers which are quite "$pendy".

Anybody know of an event logger that is affordable?

THanks,
Dave

Buy a used Dranetz?


ST

Dave,

I did this years ago for nothing.

All of the APC SmartUPS Uninterruptable Power Supplies monitor the power
line and report anomalies (high or low voltage out of range, spikes,
dropouts, etc) using their PowerChute software which comes with the UPS. You
ought to be able to pick up one of these at a thrift store for $10-$15
because people discard them after the battery runs down. They don't know
that the batteries can be replaced. They use ordinary sealed lead acid
batteries you can buy at any alarm company or from eBay. You may be able to
use it to monitor the power line with a bad battery in it (I never tried).

The PowerChute software is available for Windows. I believe you can download
it from the APC web site (I did the last time I used it). It can be tailored
to monitor specific events. It generates a text file of the anomalous events
you decide to have it watch for. You can watch in real time as well.

The older SmartUPS power supplies had a DB9 connector on them but it was not
wired like you would expect. It required a special APC serial cable which
used different wiring.

The newer power supplies use USB if I am not mistaken.

Dennis

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

On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 5:37 AM, Dave C <davec2468@...> wrote:

Data logging devices are commonplace now days. Many high-end multimeters
have such a feature where you can plug the meter up to a power source and
record levels over time.

But I'm interested in recording out-of-bounds events such as spikes and sags
in mains supply.
This type of measurement is typically only found in power systems analyzers
which are quite "$pendy".
Anybody know of an event logger that is affordable?

THanks,
Dave

On 22 Jan 2013 at 16:08, TekScopes@... wrote:

Running an APC UPS without batteries is fraught with problems, even if it
will power up correctly, many wont. Running with bad batteries will work
as a logger for you, but you'll have to silence the warning beeper
somehow. Maybe it would work too, with just some huge bank of
electrolytic caps? I've not tried that.

If you try to find a compatable version of Powerchute from APC for an
older product, but a current version of Windows, good luck, they tend not
to keep old versions on their sites for products that are no longer made.
Plus, one of the reasons why the UPS's are cast asside, other than bad
batteries, is that the user updates their computers (for whatever reason)
and a new version of Windows comes along, and the existing Powerchute no
longer runs.

However, all is not lost! Enter "APCUPSD" (Google it) an open source,
cross platform tool, that will monitor, log and control your UPS (USB or
D9 connected.) Plus, the documentation also details the needed RS232 to
APC 9way cable wiring. That, is also easy to find on the web with a bit
of googling too.

There is also "Network UPS Tools (NUT)" too (more googling.) That will
work with and monitor APC UPS's. (And lots of others...)

If you should replace the batteries in your "new to you" UPS, so it can
also do it's job as a UPS, then not only will the attached PC monitor and
log things for you, but it can also do an orderly shutdown if the utility
power goes out for more than a certaing ammount of time, or the battery
run's down to a given percentage of capacity. It can also signal to
other instances of APCUPSD running on other PC's on your LAN, also
powered by that UPS, to shutdown, with care, you can do that in a
specific order, so less important machines are safely powered down first,
allowing more important systems to run for longer in the case of
unsheduled sudden darkness.

Depending on your setup, an orderly restart can be configured to wait
until the battery has recharged, so as to safely support another orderly
shutdown too. Just in case.

A neat trick to say the least.

If you do decide to replace the batteries. Try not to use the el-cheapo
types, been there, tried that, you don't save money in the long term.
The CSB brand they often fit from new, realy do seem to last the longest
in service, and I've tried most of the common brands over the years, and
one or two "budget" types.

Regards.

Dave B.

Who has an old SmartUPS 1400 at home, on its' third set of batteries,
running three machines and the shack LAN hardware. One PC runs APCUPSD
connected to the UPS, the others communicate with that one, so it can
signal the other two to die, long before it needs to. I havent gone for
the automatic restart, as there are other non UPS supported issues to
sort out if there was a power outage for long enough for the main box to
quit.

Also a small fleet of them at work, old and new.

I have not used "Network UPS Tools", but looking at the project webpages,
I might give that a try soon.

-+-+-+-+-

______________________________________________________________________
Re: "Event logging" T & M equipment?
Posted by: "Dennis Tillman" dennis@...
putz_with_ear_lappers Date: Tue Jan 22, 2013 7:56 am ((PST))

Dave,

I did this years ago for nothing.

All of the APC SmartUPS Uninterruptable Power Supplies monitor the
power line and report anomalies (high or low voltage out of range,
spikes, dropouts, etc) using their PowerChute software which comes
with the UPS. You ought to be able to pick up one of these at a thrift
store for $10-$15 because people discard them after the battery runs
down. They don't know that the batteries can be replaced. They use
ordinary sealed lead acid batteries you can buy at any alarm company
or from eBay. You may be able to use it to monitor the power line with
a bad battery in it (I never tried).

The PowerChute software is available for Windows. I believe you can
download it from the APC web site (I did the last time I used it). It
can be tailored to monitor specific events. It generates a text file
of the anomalous events you decide to have it watch for. You can watch
in real time as well.

The older SmartUPS power supplies had a DB9 connector on them but it
was not wired like you would expect. It required a special APC serial
cable which used different wiring.

The newer power supplies use USB if I am not mistaken.

Dennis

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

On Sat, Jan 19, 2013 at 5:37 AM, Dave C <davec2468@...> wrote:

Data logging devices are commonplace now days. Many high-end
multimeters have such a feature where you can plug the meter up to a
power source and record levels over time.

But I'm interested in recording out-of-bounds events such as spikes
and sags in mains supply. This type of measurement is typically only
found in power systems analyzers which are quite "$pendy". Anybody
know of an event logger that is affordable?

THanks,
Dave