What are Your Venue's Mains Voltage Readings

[Gern]

I'm curious as to What are Your Venue's Mains Power Readings are.
Mine are 126v to 129v throughout the day and night, read on my Lightline Electronics L-220 meter.
The Local 40 Shop tells me, "That's normal".
I'm using APC Smart-UPS SC1500's on my Ion's.

 

[sk8rsdad]

Actually 119 to 121 but not allowed to select that.

 

[Gern]

Actually 119 to 121 but not allowed to select that.

Ha HA, my bad...

 

[Footer]

Anywhere from 118 to 124.

 

[mstaylor]

Usually 115v to 125v.

 

[tjrobb]

Normally dead-on 127V. Not really ever higher, but may sag to 125V

 

[Nelson]

It varies. Typically is around 124 or so, but varies depending on load, time of day, relative position of sun and moon, so on and so on. Can be as high as 130 or as low as 105. On rare occasion when it does drop that low, I shut down sensitive equipment until the brownout is over.

 

[derekleffew]

Interesting history/explanation from Electrical FAQ answers by Licensed Philadelphia Electrician, GFCI. Electric shock. Electrical problem, troubleshooting questions :

Thomas Edison [no kidding] invented the electric light bulb, and needed to distribute electricity to make it usable. He built a system based on 110 volts DC. It was uneconomical and had large conductors and big voltage drops.
George Westinghouse came up with the idea of using alternating current to transmit electricity. This was valuable, in that the voltage could be changed by the use of a transformer, which allowed the transmission of electricity at a higher voltage, thus reducing line losses due to conductor resistance.
The initial voltage level delivered to homes using the Westinghouse method was nominally 100 volts. Over the years, the secondary voltage has been incrementally raised to 110, then 115, and 120 until it is common today to find 125, 127 and 130 or 132 volts in homes.
The reason for this is the upward ratcheting of transmission voltages to allow for higher demand. Every time your neighbor buys a new device that requires electricity to run, it increases the demand for electrical current on your utility's service conductors. Since these wires are not changed to bigger cables [with lowered resistance due to larger conductor cross-section area] every time demand increases, the only variable under the utility control is voltage levels.
The only way to push a certain variable demanded current [which consumers define] through a fixed resistance [unchanging wire] is to increase the voltage [electrical pressure].

 

[Nelson]

Interesting history/explanation from Electrical FAQ answers by Licensed Philadelphia Electrician, GFCI. Electric shock. Electrical problem, troubleshooting questions :

Hence why people still call it "110" and "220"! I say 120 and 240, because generally, under load, those are the voltages that I measure at the equipment. It might be 124 at the panel, but under load and with nominal cable loss, the device won't get quite 124 volts.

 

[ccm1495]

122 no load down to nearly 108 with load

 

[dramatech]

Derek, If the history channel and PBS are to be believed, Nikola Tesla actually wrote several articles before coming to the US about the advantages of Alternating Current. Tesla worked for Westinghouse and he and Westinghouse together fought hard to get AC as the accepted standard. Edison did everything in his power to keep DC as the standard, even when it was shown to be less efficient.
Tesla's life history is one of incredible exposing the brilliant nature of one of the most understood and underrated geniuses of recorded history.

Tom Johnson

 

[WooferHound]

118vac to 123vac

 

[porkchop]

In my experience most US venues are 119V-125V when you tie in. Then once you start to actually use the power it drops to 110V-122V. Part of the reason we always struck up the old equipment that got really angry below 208V first, then went on to strike our newer stuff.

 

[EricE]

Interesting history/explanation from Electrical FAQ answers by Licensed Philadelphia Electrician, GFCI. Electric shock. Electrical problem, troubleshooting questions :

A big correction - George Westinghouse DID NOT come up with AC - Nikola Tesla did. Tesla worked for Westinghouse.

How sad is it that only Edison is widely remembered for the lightbulb, but the father of the electrical system that powers not only the light bulb but everything else is rarely known

 

[DaveySimps]

Mine stays quite consistent at 122.

~Dave

 

[tjrobb]

And Edison didn't even invent it, only perfect it. Anyone heard of Joseph Swan, or others before Edison?