Something Random

[ddrueding]

Your home theater sounds like it would draw 100A :wink:

Ah, but if we're watching a movie, the lights are off So long as I have enough spare juice to run the popcorn machine, we're good.

 

[Stereodude]

Your home theater sounds like it would draw 100A :wink:

My HT might draw 100A, but his... Highly unlikely! :bglaugh:

 

[ddrueding]

Incidentally, with so many houses here built 50, 60, even 80 years ago, and never upgraded, inspectors have better things to worry about than people doing their own wiring. In most cases, DIY wiring is going to be better than whatever it replaces in these old houses. Pre-1960s houses are especially problematic. They used to use wiring with cloth insulation. After half a century, the insulation just crumbles away, leaving the potential for shorts. Not only that, but many old houses are wired with half the circuits of one breaker. I suppose this was OK in the 1950s when all you had were a few lights in each room, but not now. It took years to get the wiring in my parent's house in order. I added lots of outlets, put existing ones on their own circuits, added switches and ceiling boxes for light fixtures, added outdoor outlets, and so forth. I dread to think what it all would have cost having an electrician do it. Besides that, they probably would have made a mess breaking up walls to do it in the least time.

Quite so. My house was built in 1960, and done quite poorly. I had first planned to leave the configuration alone and simply replace everything in place. Then I started to see how it was put together. 90% of the outlets and fixtures were on a single circuit done with #14 wire (max 15A). However, it must have kept tripping, as someone stuck a 30A breaker on it! That would have never tripped! There were also examples of 5 wires being interconnected in a ball of duct tape (not electrical, and not in a junction box) directly over the ceiling, over the stove.

After seeing a few more examples of suicidal wiring, I've decided to remove every trace of past wiring and redo the entire thing beyond current code; GFCI or Arc breakers everywhere, #12 wire for everything, careful separation and labeling of every circuit, easily accessible and well labeled junction boxes, etc.

Like computer code, most electrical systems are not made to be maintained easily, only to function as originally specified in as easy a way as possible. This will be built with the intent of easy upgrading and maintenance.

 

[Stereodude]

You don't need GFCI's everywhere. Only the kitchen outlets, bathrooms, & garage. You need Arc Fault breakers for the bedrooms.

 

[time]

The fire department looks quite favorably at having a master switch on the outside. So much so that my homeowners insurance gets reduced.

That's really quite interesting. I can't find much info on this concept, except that it's more likely to be an issue where your switchboard is in a basement, for example. The only references I did find were US based.

A wall with the "goop" sprayed in between the studs will be neither waterproof or airtight, and it won't stop bugs entering your house. That was my point.

 

[time]

200A is the standard now, but 100A is still the code minimum, and was considered enough in 1960.

Excuse my ignorance, but is that for 110V or 220V?

I thought you guys were mainly 220V now. If so, 200A is an awful lot.

Current standard here is either 80A or 100A single phase 240V. Three-phase starts at 60A per phase, which is pretty close to 220V @ 200A.

Loads that demand 3-phase include some pool pumps and big A/C (used to be more common before the advent of Inverters).

 

[time]

My parents house was built in the mid 70's and they don't have a master breaker.

A master isolation switch has been the norm here as far back as I can ascertain. Might be because electricity utilities were all government owned.

A master breaker is now the norm, but apparently not an enforced requirement.

Every property has a pole fuse - with underground supply there's a small box on the boundary. Perhaps this is less common in the US?

 

[time]

You know... the home of municipalities that won't even give a DIY'ers a permit to protect their union brotherhood buddies who are in the trades.

Spoken like a true idealogue.

Residential and light commercial property builders here always use subcontractors who are highly unlikely to be union members. However, you need an electrician's license to do any kind of electrical work (similar to Jtr's description). It's got nothing to do with labor unions and everything to do with guilds, i.e. it benefits companies rather than workers.

I think the system that applies where Ddrueding lives is more reasonable.

 

[Stereodude]

Spoken like a true idealogue.

Hey, it's true. I've read the stories on AVSforum from people trying to DIY their theater project, but are unable to get a permit because they're not a contractor or a trades person. This only seems to happen in the north east.

 

[ddrueding]

Even though the power comes in at 220, the only things that don't run 110 are the major appliances. Because of that the rating is in 110, with a 100A box being fused with a pair of 50A breakers linked together (one per phase).

 

[time]

Ah, thanks, that all makes sense now. I can see why others thought your 100A supply a bit small, a 40A cooktop could in theory take 80% of your capacity!

So I assume that a standard 110V circuit is rated at 15A? And that explains why Stereodude's bass amps are limited to 1200W output each?

Presumably, your electric kettles are not exactly speed demons and a portable induction cooker would be limited to about 1500W or so?

 

[ddrueding]

A wall with the "goop" sprayed in between the studs will be neither waterproof or airtight, and it won't stop bugs entering your house. That was my point.

I don't think you are thinking of the product that I am using. This sprays on as a liquid, and adheres to all the surfaces in the framing bay, then it expands and hardens into a monolithic piece of closed-cell foam. Because it has sealed itself against all the surfaces, there is no way around it (other than through a stud). Because it is a closed-cell foam, it is air and water tight (same product used in boat fabrication for positive buoyancy). Because it is rigid and won't degrade, it maintains this state for a very long time and resists pest intrusion.

Product Link.

 

[Pradeep]

Ah, thanks, that all makes sense now. I can see why others thought your 100A supply a bit small, a 40A cooktop could in theory take 80% of your capacity!

So I assume that a standard 110V circuit is rated at 15A? And that explains why Stereodude's bass amps are limited to 1200W output each?

Presumably, your electric kettles are not exactly speed demons and a portable induction cooker would be limited to about 1500W or so?

Yeah, 15A or 20A circuit breakers, most power strips are limited to 12A or so once it's derated 20%.

Plug in a portable electric heater and feel the cord get warm as it sucks 10A down, I'm always scared thevacuum cleaner cord is going to catch on fire.

My place the furnace, drier and stove are natural gas so the only high load is the central AC on 220V.

I miss the Aussie days of 2400W power strips.

 

[Pradeep]

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/ampinfo.htm#b02

You can see the issues that arise in the bigger amps, I can't figure out how they get UL listing if they can draw more than 20A at 110V, why it wouldn't be a 220V model.

 

[Stereodude]

And that explains why Stereodude's bass amps are limited to 1200W output each?

The amps are rated for 2400W each, but they have a 15A plug on the end of them. They can deliver 2400W, but obviously will have issues with popping breakers if you were to try to reproduce sine waves with normal content that has a crest factor it's not an issue. I will be connecting each one to it's own 20A circuit. Most circuits in a house are 15A because the builders are to cheap to run 12ga wire unless they have to.

FWIW, I have a single 200A breaker in my electrical panel. However, I'm not sure if that's 200A on each phase of the split phase 240V, or 100A on each phase.

 

[Stereodude]

http://www.crownaudio.com/amp_htm/ampinfo.htm#b02

You can see the issues that arise in the bigger amps, I can't figure out how they get UL listing if they can draw more than 20A at 110V, why it wouldn't be a 220V model.

Usually they have an internal circuit breaker that will trip if you're pushing them too hard for too long. They also can pull more than 20A, but they do so in short transients that won't pop breakers.

 

[Stereodude]

FWIW, I have a single 200A breaker in my electrical panel. However, I'm not sure if that's 200A on each phase of the split phase 240V, or 100A on each phase.

My subsequent research on this indicates that it's 200A of split phase 240V, so there's really 400A total of 120V power available in the house, although no leg of the split phase 240V can exceed 200A. So that means my 200A service is 4x what ddrueding has.

 

[time]

The feed coming into your house must use massive wires. Are there separate Neutrals that are joined as Common in your panel? Otherwise that would be 400A on one wire ... :-o

I take it the Common is connected to Ground at the panel? Even then, I'll bet you could measure a differential once some of that 400A gets loaded up.

 

[ddrueding]

Around here it is standard practice to connect the Neutral to the Ground at the main box, with that Ground going to two 8' copper stakes set into the ground 8' apart, and also wired to the water main as it enters the house, with an additional bridge across the water meter.

 

[Pradeep]

So the Tesla electric cars can charge at upto 70A at 240V, off a 90A breaker. And it still takes 3.5 hours to fully charge.

Hydrogen appears to be a better "battery" with fills in a few minutes.

 

[ddrueding]

Hydrogen is great, but I think the secret to battery powered cars is having the capacity be much larger. If the battery capacity is 750+ miles, then you can charge as you can when you can without hitting empty.

 

[Stereodude]

The feed coming into your house must use massive wires.

It's pretty large. It's maybe 1.5"w x .75" thick. I'm not sure on the conductor count or configuration. I'll have to pay attention next time I have the cover off.

 

[CougTek]

MacGruber is by far the worst movie I've seen this year. And I don't know why I'm writing "seen", because I'm only always thru and I don't know how I'm gonna force myself to watch it untill the end. It's so bad that washing the dishes seems to be a more pleasant alternative right now. Forget waterboarding for Guantanamo's prisoners. Just strap them to a chair and make them watch MacGruber. They won't make it past the first hour before talking.

In an illustrated dictionnary, they should put MacGruber's face in "aweful"'s description. Everyone would get it.

I'll stop this torture or I'll ruin my 24" Dell LCD by puking on it. I really didn't need to see a naked guy grabbing his bag and trying to walking with a celery stuck in his ass.

Aweful. Period.

 

[Mercutio]

MacGruber was based on a Saturday Night Live sketch. I think awful was supposed to be a big part of the point.

Expendables was deeply moronic. I liked Scott Pilgrim a lot more than I thought I would.

 

[Stereodude]

Don't waste your time watching The Fourth Kind. It was horrible. I would have been a tad bit better if the they hadn't tried to portray it as based on real events, when it's actually a complete fabrication down to the "actual" audio and video.

The Blind Side was pretty good though.

 

[time]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/03/3002314.htm

Looks like it's going to go Labor.

LOL at Little Johnny Howard hyping up the left wing conspiracy. In the end a 10 billion dollar Liberal porkie pie sees them come undone.

Yes, it finally went to the Australian Labor Party, after 17 days without an official government (the Prime Minister role continues until terminated, not so sure about the other ministers).

By one vote, i.e. 76 to 74. Would have been two except that the extra vote belongs to an independent who happens to be a friend of the former prime minister that they knifed. Karma ...

So if any of the government members becomes seriously ill, dies or quits, there is a real prospect of a change of government. The government is now a tentative coalition of ALP (center-right on most things but still partially funded by unions), Greens (center-left to far-left and partially funded by unions), rural independents (center), and other independent (center-left). The opposition is a coalition of Liberal (a misnomer; center-right to far-right, funded by big business), various National parties (varying widely between socialist left and conservative far-right), and rural independent (see National parties - only on steroids).

Fortunately, under the Westminster system with its permanent bureaucracy, the country runs itself.

 

[Chewy509]

Yes, it finally went to the Australian Labor Party, after 17 days without an official government (the Prime Minister role continues until terminated, not so sure about the other ministers).

Not to talk too much about politics, but I'm glad it's over and done with.

Now life can continue as normal.

 

[time]

Do you think I was fair with the political compasses? I don't put much stock in wings myself, but they're something that people can at least get a handle on.

 

[time]

Pradeep, extra karma for 'little Johnny' from the independent I've dubbed center-left:

Once a 'young liberal' (right-wing youth movement that was recently infamous for a member comparing President Obama to a monkey), he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Australian Army, worked for Raytheon in the US, and as an Australian defense intelligence analyst.

He resigned from his job and went public with his assessment that on all the intelligence evidence available, Iraq didn't actually have any WMD. The government of the time (March 2003) was in the middle of committing to Iraq, and ipso facto, was lying about the intelligence analysis. They tried very hard to crucify him and pretty much succeeded in trashing his reputation.

Fast forward seven years and he's just been elected as a member of parliament. Not just any member, but one of the three independents who insured that the remnants of that earlier government - with 'little Johnny' still as cheerleader - remained in the wilderness.

Revenge is a dish best served cold ...

 

[Pradeep]

 

[Chewy509]

Do you think I was fair with the political compasses? I don't put much stock in wings myself, but they're something that people can at least get a handle on.

Pretty spot on with the left-right.

However I don't take too much stock in it, as most politicians change there stance/view more often than I change my underwear (and I change them once a day).

 

[ddrueding]

I know a number of politicians personally, and I wouldn't trust any of them as far as I could throw them. The only public servant that I actually like, and feel is a good person, is Leon Panetta. He was up the street at the boss' place for dinner a couple weeks ago.

 

[Handruin]

I know most of you don't use facebook, but I follow Newegg and they've reported that they're listening to their customers on the poor OEM hard drive packing techniques and are trying new methods. Attached are pictures that they've posted of the new hard drive packaging they may be using soon from the CA.

You spoke and we listened! We're now testing new hard drive packaging in our CA warehouse location.

What do you think? Any other suggestions? Our Logistics team would love to hear your comments & feedback!

 

[jtr1962]

I know most of you don't use facebook, but I follow Newegg and they've reported that they're listening to their customers on the poor OEM hard drive packing techniques and are trying new methods. Attached are pictures that they've posted of the new hard drive packaging they may be using soon from the CA.

Great news to me! At least they finally acknowledged the problem.

 

[Mercutio]

Unfortunately, almost everything I get these days comes from the New Jersey warehouse.

I don't understand why anyone is on facebook.

 

[ddrueding]

I don't understand why anyone is on facebook.

Perhaps this will help?

Narcissists, Insecure People Flock To Facebook

 

[Handruin]

It's a nice way to stay up to date with friends and family happenings. I also use to play some basic competitive games with them too, but not so much anymore. I also find it serves as a journal of where I've been and what I've done over the past few years. I can then reflect on what has happened and what has changed in my life. Also, it works as a tool to give feedback to companies and products that I use, such as the case with Newegg. I've not really thought of myself as narcissist or insecure, but it's entirely possible.

 

[ddrueding]

Sorry Handy, wasn't aiming that at you....just a timely link from /.

 

[Handruin]

I wasn't saying you were. I thought about it for a bit to see if I fit into that bucket. I know I have moments of being insecure, but I don't need facebook validation to be happy in life. I use it in spurts, but most lately I haven't been using it.

 

[timwhit]

I have an account so I can monitor who tags me in photos, I can then ask them to remove the photo if it's not appropriate. If I didn't have an account I wouldn't even know that the photo was added.