Amp Recorder or Inverter Monitoring Software? [RE-wrenches]

[Jim Easton]

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I like the HOBO recorders with current transformers for AC current 
recording.  They are small & very easy to use.

Jim Easton, PE
 (E 11974)
4364 Bonita Road, No. 166
Bonita, CA 91902-1421
Tel: 858-527-0240
Fax: 619-470-8616
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Nuese" <r.nuese at comcast.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Friday, August 24, 2007 4:21 PM
Subject: Amp Recorder or Inverter Monitoring Software? [RE-wrenches]


>
>
> Greetings Wrenches
>
> I hope this question hasn't been hashed over
> thoroughly before. I've repeatedly tried searching
> the archives, but topica seems to be having a bit
> of a problem at the moment, always telling me:
> "Sorry, but we experienced an error processing your request."
>
> I tried searching through the archives cronologically,
> and found nothing in the last 9 months before I gave
> up. If this has been covered, I apologize, and I'd
> appreciate being told the dates of the posts.
>
>
> I have two jobs right now where I need to be able to
> record amperage levels for periods that might range
> from a few days to maybe four months.
>
> On one job, we built a non-battery, grid-tie
> system for a new house. Now that it's all going,
> the client is satisfied that the PV system is
> working, but we discover that it only covers
> half of their electric use. Before I expand the
> system, we'd like to check out the loads on
> several circuits, including well and pool filter
> pumps, to try to see if we can find any faults
> and pare down use.
>
> For this I'd like to use a recording meter. I gather
> that a dedicated multimeter, with a clamp or clamp
> attachment, and with data storage and exchange
> features, such as a Fluke 187 would do the job.
> However, I expect that a computer based system
> with graphical output would do the same job at a lower
> price, and possibly have some advantages. It would be
> very nice if it could record more than just amps - voltage
> and frequency would be helpful, and if it could record all
> these at once, that would be great, but not essential. It
> would also be nice if it would work with a fairly cheap
> used laptop PC, so I could leave it on the jobsite for a
> months if necessary. If it also worked on my usual
> computer, a Mac, that would be nice too - but not
> essential.
>
> So, my first question:
> Can anyone recommend a suitable tool for this sort of
> application?
>
>
> On the other job, a client's SW4048 periodically pops its
> overload breaker on intermittently. This happens maybe an
> average of once in 5 months over the last couple of years.
> Then there is no power to the dedicated subpanel until
> someone resets it. The inverter indicator lights and display
> don't indicate an overload situation. The client doesn't think
> they've been overloading the system. Maybe the breaker is
> faulty - I'll try swapping it, but it would be good to find a way
> to monitor the loads with some sort of recording system.
> The sort of PC-based recording meter system I asked about
> above would probably be quite suitable in this case, and I
> think that would be my first choice, since it would have wide
> application, but I wonder if there would be a significant
> advantage here in using either RightHand Engineering's
> WinVerter-Monitor, or Maui Solar Energy's TraceTools?.
>
> So my next questions are:
> Would either of these be particularly suitable for this problem?
> Can anybody speak of the relative merits of the two, and
> of either of these vs a PC based logging meter?
>
> Thanks very much, Robert Nuese
> --
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
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> 


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