View Full Version : Voltage issue...
Ok... here's the deal... :)
Just as I was building up to the excitement of unpacking and installing my spanky new Eastern Electric MiniMax DAC (recently hand-delivered from Hong Kong by a friend returning from his holiday there) into my system, I noticed that the box indicates that the DAC is rated for 230V, while here in Brunei the voltage runs closer to 250V! :brickwall: to date, I haven't had any problems on equipment rated for 240V...
Hence, after admiring the build quality, I put it back in the box, still spanky new :lol:
Anyone has any thoughts as to the safety (or lack of) of me just plugging it in anyway; and pray that the house doesn't burn down? :oops:
250V is approx 10% higher, so you may get away with it. No doubt someone better qualified here will comment :)
250V is approx 10% higher, so you may get away with it. No doubt someone better qualified here will comment :)
Maybe I should've posted this in the D.I.Y section :lol:
StanleyB
19-11-2010, 08:44
It really depends on the design of the power supply section inside and outside the DAC. My design for example can handle anything between 100V to 280V at the mains end. But some other designs that I have seen can only handle one specific mains supply, such as 110V, or 220V.
If the power supply you got is a switched mode type then it will handle 250V.
Contact the manaufacture and see what they say
It really depends on the design of the power supply section inside and outside the DAC. My design for example can handle anything between 100V to 280V at the mains end. But some other designs that I have seen can only handle one specific mains supply, such as 110V, or 220V.
If the power supply you got is a switched mode type then it will handle 250V.
Thank you for the input Stanley :)
Contact the manaufacture and see what they say
I've already emailed Alex (the designer); however, I'm getting jittery waiting for him to reply :dance:
Jitter... oops,voltage issue resolved! :eyebrows:
****
Hi Malek,
Nice to hear you.
The unit that you picked up at Hit Audio should have been set up for 230V. The DAC is however switchable to 240V which is much ideal for your country. If you open the top cover, you will see a plastic jumper box nearly by the IEC with label clearly indicated 3 different voltages namely 120V, 230V and 240V. You can simply open the plastic cover of the jumper and connect the wire to the 240V position. Please note that there is an arrow, on the plastic cover, which should be pointing to the front of the DAC.
Hope the above is helpful. I hope you will enjoy the DAC.
Thanks.
Best regards,
Alex
****
Hmmm... a little D.I.Y is in order :scratch: not exactly my forte electronics-wise :dummy:
dave2010
22-11-2010, 10:48
This is a moderately interesting issue, and also for people in the UK as well as other countries. I have noticed an increasing tendency for new equipment to be marked as 230V, yet in the past the UK voltage was stated as 240V. Under a somewhat specious argument linked to "harmonisation" of voltages in the EU, some bureaucrats (no doubt) noticed that 230V -/+5% is 218.5V-241.5V with even wider limits for 10% variation. Thus nominally, if limits are specified at 5%, then the UK voltage of 240V does come in spec, though any variation in supply may take it out of spec.
A few years ago there were some scares about the UK voltage being reduced. However I've never measured it at less than 237V, with the voltage in my house being a pretty steady 240V. Some users at the end of long transmission spurs may get values closer to 230V.
For the consumer in the UK the issue is whether equipment rated at 220V or 230V will experience problems when connected to the UK supply. Some equipment will be OK, while other equipment may burn out (e.g lightbulbs), or just not function correctly, or have a shorter lifespan, or be unsafe (e.g heating and cooking devices such as kettles, toasters, raclettes etc.). I'd suggest in the first instance that actually measuring the voltage in your area to see what it is typically would be useful. Then check with the manufacturer to see if the typical voltage and typical variations are compatible with the equipment to be used.
If your supply is subject to overvoltage spikes then it might also be wise to use some form of protection device, particularly for expensive kit.
AFAIK, the current definition of EU voltage is
230 V+10%-6% (216.2–253 V)
I thought it was -5% but Wiki has -6%.
Techno Commander
22-11-2010, 12:50
Having a mains voltage that can vary by almost 40V and still be "in tolerance" is pretty piss poor in my opinion. I am sure the wide tolerance is to allow us to keep 240V, but still "comply" with Eu requirements for 230V.
StanleyB
22-11-2010, 13:09
Switched mode power supplies have a very wide tolerance. Regulated power supplies tend to have a narrower range of tolerance.
dave2010
22-11-2010, 14:34
Having a mains voltage that can vary by almost 40V and still be "in tolerance" is pretty piss poor in my opinion. I am sure the wide tolerance is to allow us to keep 240V, but still "comply" with Eu requirements for 230V.Andy
Quite!
I think the tolerance as the juice comes out of the power stations is far tighter, and even allowing for grid distribution I believe it's usually fairly tight.
It does matter if manufacturers and distributors sell inappropriate kit and hope it'll work on 240V. Conversely there is some wastage if all kit has to be manufactured to cope with 240+ Volts. It really depends on the equipment. As Stan says, some will manage with wide voltage variations.
Ali Tait
22-11-2010, 14:41
AFAIK, the current definition of EU voltage is
230 V+10%-6% (216.2–253 V)
I thought it was -5% but Wiki has -6%.
Yes that's correct Nick.
I think the tolerance as the juice comes out of the power stations is far tighter, and even allowing for grid distribution I believe it's usually fairly tight.
That may or not be the case, Ali might know, but it matters not as the voltage we see if set by the local substation.
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 15:29
You mean the loading on the substation ;) It's up & down as regular as clockwork here in the week :eyebrows: About 245V at 6.50AM which then drops until about 8.45AM when it gradually rises again.. It may peak at 248V in the day & then drop again from 3PM onwards to a low of about 237V at about 6-7PM & then gradually up again to to the low 240s for the rest of the evening. At about 11PM it's usually up to about 245V once again...
Like any transformer it's subject to load regulation ;)
anthonyTD
22-11-2010, 15:32
And the stuff marked up 220v [switch mode excused] that suposedly will work no problem on our voltage, well,,,we all know the answer to that!!!:eek:
:lolsign:
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 15:34
we all know the answer to that!!!:eek:
:lolsign:
Aye, it's called an auto transformer, a variac would do just as well :)
Ali Tait
22-11-2010, 15:38
No,substations respond to load by tapping the transformers to up the voltage in response,and of course down again when demand drops. The problem is that most subs have voltage control that is 50+ years old,so it doesn't work that well! The modern electronic relays are much better in this respect.
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 16:02
So the voltage is still load dependant then Ali :eyebrows: It can only swap taps so many times ;)
Ali Tait
22-11-2010, 17:19
Not really.Depends were you live and how modern your substation is.
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 17:27
Not really.Depends were you live and how modern your substation is.
Well it's at least 28 years old Ali (moved here in 1982) ;) It's at the bottom of the garden as i mentioned previously & apart from having a high current 240V cable added recently (to a new load of houses down the road :rolleyes:) it has remained the same transformer wise at least. Oh, the fence round it changed a few years back to :lol: Ok, so that changes nothing but i thought i'd mention it :scratch:
Ali Tait
22-11-2010, 18:09
If it's just a small distribution sub,the trannie in there doesn't tap,it's the 11kV trannie at the grid supply point,the sub that feeds your local sub,that taps.
I've never seen our supply vary by more than 5v,usually it's bang on 240v.
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 18:22
I was going to describe the thing, but pictures do so much better :) I'll get a pic of it tomorrow, queue the neighbours thinking i'm some wacked out terrorist :eyebrows:
anthonyTD
22-11-2010, 19:51
Aye, it's called an auto transformer, a variac would do just as well :)
hi mark,
i was talking about the ordinary person in the street purchasing one of these devices and not realising its being over voltaged untill they start to smell the smoke!!!:doh:
Anthony,TD...
Reid Malenfant
22-11-2010, 19:57
Yes, it is a shame but in all honesty Anthony anyone who is even contemplating buying something from overseas really should look into it before leaping ;) If that involves joing a forum like ours then it can't be too difficult, after all we are on the worldwide web as well, i'd assume they must have web access if they were purchasing from another country :)
You are dead right though, some people wonder what's going on when the private fireworks display kicks off :doh:
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