Voltage recorder

J_B

Not sure if this is the right section but ....


Is it possible to buy a device that will record mains voltage over a long (2 weeks?) period - ideally that could be accessed remotely.


We have a house that we don't live at that has occasional issues that I wonder may be related to voltage fluctuations.

DUTR

Out of interest, what sort of issues?

forgotmyname

Plenty of multimeters with data logging options. Either to a memory card built in or to connect to a PC or arduino/pi etc.

J_B

DUTR wrote: »

Out of interest, what sort of issues?

We have a lift which sometimes stops working for no apparent reason

coffeehound

You could try asking your electricity provider. In times gone by they would lend you a suitable recorder if you thought there was a problem. Don't know whether that is still the case..

J_B

forgotmyname wrote: »

Plenty of multimeters with data logging options. Either to a memory card built in or to connect to a PC or arduino/pi etc.

Can you suggest where I would start to look as I wouldn't have a clue really

coffeehound wrote: »

You could try asking your electricity provider. In times gone by they would lend you a suitable recorder if you thought there was a problem. Don't know whether that is still the case..

IME they have always been reluctant to offer such a thing

that

here is one, not sure if it last 3 weeks, or remote https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-435-Three-Phase-Power-Quality-Analyzer-Meter-w-Interharmonics-Inrush/333436247551?

this is cheaper, think it will work, but insure https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLUKE-VR1710-VOLTAGE-QUALITY-RECORDER-GREAT-CONDITION/372854417774?

Think with a bit of luck be able use team viewer to get the logs off a pc remotely. but you had better check this. The last one I used 3 decades ago to log mains had a reel of thermal paper an lot fancy one like this.

Depending on your secondary school electrical knowledge, you could also use a step-down transformer, 2 resistors as a voltage divider, and audacity (the audio software) and make your own

forgotmyname

CPC Farnells, RS components, Mouser, Rapid.. etc etc

Or Amazon, Ebay or even local hardware stores like B&Q, Screwfix or Toolstation. Maybe even Supermarkets. ALDI/LIDL sometimes have them.

onomatopoeia99

that wrote: »

The last one I used 3 decades ago to log mains had a reel of thermal paper an lot fancy one like this.

In about 1985 the place I worked during the school summer holidays had a HP Mini computer (it was a bit bigger than a fridge freezer) that was intermittently misbehaving and no cause could be found. They ended up getting a device exactly like you described to log the mains voltage as they couldn't think of any other explanation. It was interesting as it showed the voltage varied quite a lot but usually in about 4V increments and it didn't ever get more than about 5% away from 240V.

knightstyle

You can hire this sort of thing for a week or two. Not cheap though.

J_B

that wrote: »

here is one, not sure if it last 3 weeks, or remote https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fluke-435-Three-Phase-Power-Quality-Analyzer-Meter-w-Interharmonics-Inrush/333436247551?

this is cheaper, think it will work, but insure https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FLUKE-VR1710-VOLTAGE-QUALITY-RECORDER-GREAT-CONDITION/372854417774?

Ouch. I naively thought they might be less than that

that wrote: »

Depending on your secondary school electrical knowledge, you could also use a step-down transformer, 2 resistors as a voltage divider, and audacity (the audio software) and make your own

Not sure my (failed) Physics A level could manage that