400A Main turns off by itself

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jim dungar

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Wisconsin
Occupation
PE (Retired) - Power Systems
His part number did not indicate presence of motor control.
Do any of the breaker guys on here know if that activator is present lacking only the trigger in such case?

The motor operator, for an LA breaker, is an externally mounted device. It literally moves the same breaker handle as you do manually. I am not sure if you could even read the breaker part number without first removing the motor operator.

I stopped caring about the outcome since the OP has been reluctant to use a padlock attachment.
 

petersonra

Senior Member
Location
Northern illinois
Occupation
engineer
The motor operator, for an LA breaker, is an externally mounted device. It literally moves the same breaker handle as you do manually. I am not sure if you could even read the breaker part number without first removing the motor operator.

I stopped caring about the outcome since the OP has been reluctant to use a padlock attachment.

putting a padlock on it seems like an easy and cheap next step and the OP's reluctance to do so makes me even more suspicious that either he is trolling or he is leaving out material information (perhaps unintentionally).
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
OP has given enough information that makes sense that I haven't written his credibility off yet. I do wish he would post some pictures as well as lock this breaker somehow to see what happens. He has even mentioned possibly installing a fused disconnect to replace the breaker. Sounds like an expensive joke if he is going to go that far.
 

big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
OP has given enough information that makes sense that I haven't written his credibility off yet. I do wish he would post some pictures as well as lock this breaker somehow to see what happens. He has even mentioned possibly installing a fused disconnect to replace the breaker. Sounds like an expensive joke if he is going to go that far.
What bugs me is that for all the playing with cameras or the tremendous amount of trouble to install a fused disco, why has a $20 breaker lock not been tried?

Seems like we're skipping step "C" to jump right to steps "Y" and "Z."

Simple stuff first.
 
Wow, something that is unexplained, leads a person to the internet for some help. Being called a troll, a liar, assumed I have a multiple personality disorder, even a vocabulary test/comparison to another member ...I mean, come on folks! I'm sorry I do not document my day on here, but you know everything I do. I'm just as frustrated as it's MY BUILDING!

Ride the Lightning is the title to Metallica's 2nd album. I'm a fan of their early stuff. I'm not taking anyone for a ride as it seems to be me being taken for that ride since none of you have anything to lose due to my predicament. I thank all who have helped or at least attempted to, given the strange nature of this situation. So far, all has been normal in that building. I am so baffled by this as I haven't done anything to find a cause. I'm afraid to relax over this as I could get a call any minute. I will keep you all posted.

I have videos, though none show the breaker actually turning off. Just the picture distorts (or others tend to think the camera was moved) just prior to the last second it stops recording. MY opinion of the videos is that the camera "picture" moves in the same manner prior to the power going out every time. I'll be happy to load them up somewhere and provide a link as this forum wont allow the posting of the vids.

I'm a licensed E-1 Contractor in CT. The building is a starbucks.

Yes, I have some edu-ma-cation as in I barely graduated High school, but I still did. School and I always disagreed. Never went to college, am I dumber for it? The analysis of my postings are really irritating. I have never used a forum before, so I'm sorry if you assumed I was a previous "troll". I understand I'm connecting with complete strangers here and its absolutely frustrating feeling like I have to justify myself as anyone who knows me would never second guess my nature.
 

sii

Senior Member
Location
Nebraska
Wow, something that is unexplained, leads a person to the internet for some help. Being called a troll, a liar, assumed I have a multiple personality disorder, even a vocabulary test/comparison to another member ...I mean, come on folks! I'm sorry I do not document my day on here, but you know everything I do. I'm just as frustrated as it's MY BUILDING!

Ride the Lightning is the title to Metallica's 2nd album. I'm a fan of their early stuff. I'm not taking anyone for a ride as it seems to be me being taken for that ride since none of you have anything to lose due to my predicament. I thank all who have helped or at least attempted to, given the strange nature of this situation. So far, all has been normal in that building. I am so baffled by this as I haven't done anything to find a cause. I'm afraid to relax over this as I could get a call any minute. I will keep you all posted.

I have videos, though none show the breaker actually turning off. Just the picture distorts (or others tend to think the camera was moved) just prior to the last second it stops recording. MY opinion of the videos is that the camera "picture" moves in the same manner prior to the power going out every time. I'll be happy to load them up somewhere and provide a link as this forum wont allow the posting of the vids.

I'm a licensed E-1 Contractor in CT. The building is a starbucks.

Yes, I have some edu-ma-cation as in I barely graduated High school, but I still did. School and I always disagreed. Never went to college, am I dumber for it? The analysis of my postings are really irritating. I have never used a forum before, so I'm sorry if you assumed I was a previous "troll". I understand I'm connecting with complete strangers here and its absolutely frustrating feeling like I have to justify myself as anyone who knows me would never second guess my nature.

A simple solution to the credibility issue is to post some kind of visual evidence, literally anything. No one here WANTS this to be a trolling effort, everyone here at some point has seen something they could not explain initially. Post a pic or a video or two and the disbelief will stop and you'll eventually find your answer.
 

mgookin

Senior Member
Location
Fort Myers, FL
Wow, something that is unexplained, leads a person to the internet for some help. Being called a troll, a liar, assumed I have a multiple personality disorder, even a vocabulary test/comparison to another member ...I mean, come on folks! I'm sorry I do not document my day on here, but you know everything I do. I'm just as frustrated as it's MY BUILDING!

Ride the Lightning is the title to Metallica's 2nd album. I'm a fan of their early stuff. I'm not taking anyone for a ride as it seems to be me being taken for that ride since none of you have anything to lose due to my predicament. I thank all who have helped or at least attempted to, given the strange nature of this situation. So far, all has been normal in that building. I am so baffled by this as I haven't done anything to find a cause. I'm afraid to relax over this as I could get a call any minute. I will keep you all posted.

I have videos, though none show the breaker actually turning off. Just the picture distorts (or others tend to think the camera was moved) just prior to the last second it stops recording. MY opinion of the videos is that the camera "picture" moves in the same manner prior to the power going out every time. I'll be happy to load them up somewhere and provide a link as this forum wont allow the posting of the vids.

I'm a licensed E-1 Contractor in CT. The building is a starbucks.

Yes, I have some edu-ma-cation as in I barely graduated High school, but I still did. School and I always disagreed. Never went to college, am I dumber for it? The analysis of my postings are really irritating. I have never used a forum before, so I'm sorry if you assumed I was a previous "troll". I understand I'm connecting with complete strangers here and its absolutely frustrating feeling like I have to justify myself as anyone who knows me would never second guess my nature.

I think you're misinterpreting some of the dialogue here.

The analysis of your post was to compare it to that of another person who posted on here last year with a similar (exact same) problem. He never did tell us conclusively what was going on which leads us to believe it may have been a troll. We wanted to know what the probability was that the two posts were from the same person. We ruled that out. Because that analysis indicated a "grade level" of the writing, that is not intended to reflect the "grade level" of the author; it's intended to show the author what audience they can expect to comprehend something. Marketing material, for example, is written around the 5-8th grade level while financial reports are closer to a 12th grade level. No offense intended. It was my idea. Ruling out that you are not that same person affirms the legitimacy. Sorry if it offended you.

And now that I googled Ride The Lightning I do see that indeed it is a Metallica album. My apologies for my musical illiteracy.

If you need a place to upload some videos, you can put them on youtube or anything else. If you use a public domain I suggest you not use any location specific identifiable information.

Please understand that trolls have come along before. You're dealing with engineers and highly technical people. When something is extraordinary we analyze every aspect of it we can; that's how we think. And often our geekness is taken as harshness when in fact that's not the case at all.
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
The analysis of my postings are really irritating.

Please, accept my apologies for that, and realize that the results of the test I did showed in your favor, you are not the author of an old post along these same lines that never got an answer.

The test I did is just a part of MS Word called a Flesch-Kincaid readability test. It's a tool in Word used by authors to make their work more readable to their target audience. Used without making the recommended changes that Word suggests, the readability test, with 6 distinct parameters, acts like a means to obtain a 'fingerprint' of the author.

Please take note that I added a test of one of my own posts as a comparison. I did not mean to take a pot shot at your education, I was just trying to explain what the numbers that Word came up with meant.

I am VERY curious about this and like I told iwire, the worst you could be doing to us is pulling our leg. No great loss to us if you are. But if you aren't pulling our collective legs and we lead you to a solution to a VERY strange problem, we all get to share that information and all gain by it.

So please, accept my apologies and keep us in the loop.
 

big john

Senior Member
Location
Portland, ME
A simple solution to the credibility issue is to post some kind of visual evidence, literally anything. No one here WANTS this to be a trolling effort, everyone here at some point has seen something they could not explain initially. Post a pic or a video or two and the disbelief will stop and you'll eventually find your answer.
Bingo. I don't know the OP or have anything invested in this.

But it started with a claim that was already extremely difficult to explain when taken at face value, and has devolved considerably with discussions about ghosts and EMP.

Then we get told on top of that it apparently can't even be recorded because of further mysterious reasons.

This thread is long on words and very short on any systematic evidence. At the very least that's needed because you can't troubleshoot by guessing.
 

ActionDave

Chief Moderator
Staff member
Location
Durango, CO, 10 h 20 min from the winged horses.
Occupation
Licensed Electrician
Let's say I am giving him the benefit of the doubt. I will admit that RTLs reluctance to share photos and vids or use a lock is casting some sort of shadow on his story.

Also, since RTL is a 'new member', IIRC we are supposed to treat new members (less than 100 posts or something like that) differently, like trying to offer assistance instead of calling BS. I think I read that somewhere in the rules.
There is a sticky about treatment of new members and yes, we are asked to treat them politely. Back when I first joined new guys were getting their chops busted right from the start with little or no help given.

That has not been the case with this thread. I think the OP has been given some helpful advice and been challenged, and there has been some idle conversation in the background. I can't say I read anything that is outright rude.
 

junkhound

Senior Member
Location
Renton, WA
Occupation
EE, power electronics specialty
The building is a starbucks.

Simple follow up question

Did Starbucks install a new wifi router at the 2 month point ?
 

K8MHZ

Senior Member
Location
Michigan. It's a beautiful peninsula, I've looked
Occupation
Electrician
There is a sticky about treatment of new members and yes, we are asked to treat them politely. Back when I first joined new guys were getting their chops busted right from the start with little or no help given.

That has not been the case with this thread. I think the OP has been given some helpful advice and been challenged, and there has been some idle conversation in the background. I can't say I read anything that is outright rude.

I joined 11 months before you did. I don't remember being treated poorly and don't really remember people here ragging on new members. I figured the reason was due to the rules actually being followed.

Another forum I am on has no such rules and it shows. This forum's members show much more respect toward each other. I thank all of you for that, BTW.
 

brian john

Senior Member
Location
Leesburg, VA
My education and sometimes my imagination is lacking, l know, but I can not begin to think how a neutral to ground anything would account for a standard 400 amp breaker turning Off. Really close to the poltergeist theories followed by NWIH.


If you ever find out lets set up a training video and sell it for big bucks.
 
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