Home AC power meter question

Gus · May 18, 2008

Has anyone used this?
http://www.p3international.com/products/special/P4400/P4400-CE.html

I am wondering how well it does power factor and power with switching power supplies? I am looking for a power meter that I can test HDTVs in standby and on before I buy one.

sonicmook56 · May 18, 2008

Not sure how it works but when I noticed the same power meter model in a Harbor Freight flyer I got in the mail this weekend, I thought I should get one to see what my refrigerator is doing to my electric bill.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?function=Search

Steve Jones · May 18, 2008

I have a 240V one here in Australia that looks a lot like that, cost me about $18 on Ebay, it works a treat.

sodderboy · May 18, 2008

It is a great tool. I use it for testing all sorts of loads, reactive and resistive. I did the same thing to test home appliance quiescent current draw, which added to 3 amps with all the $hite plugged in :shock: :shock:
Now we do more like a UK sitch with switches after outlets and power things when we need them. No clock radios and A/V garbaggio, just an answering machine.
Mike

Rob Flinn · May 19, 2008

What about just using a clamp meter??

OK it doesn't give you the kwatt/hours readout, but you can easily just clamp it round anything while it's fired up. i.e the mains feed into your house.

bcarso · May 19, 2008

You need to know both current and voltage and instantaneously four-quadrant multiply, hence a clamp-on ammeter won't cut it except for crude estimations.

Gus · May 19, 2008

There are clamp meters that read current and use leads to the meter to read voltage.

Question is how close are the simple or even expensive power meters measuring switching supplies?

bcarso · May 19, 2008

I guess these are cheap enough that I could get one and compare to the Valhalla I have on loan.

I'll bet someone in sales at Valhalla could tell us how bad the cheap stuff is :razz:

sodderboy · May 20, 2008

It works great for switching supplies. The quiescent current drawn by all of my computer junk when it is "off" is .15 A and draws a kW in 55 1/2 hours. I switch it off now at the outlet.
It is convenient to use, and more accurate with individual appliances than a clamp meter.
Mike

Ptownkid · May 20, 2008

That leads me to question I've had for a while. Why in the hell do many things draw so much power when they are off?

Home AC power meter question

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