Data Logger for Voltage/Current

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d21x

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Does anyone know of a good data logger I can purchase at a reasonable price. I will be measuring 3 phase voltage and current. Will also need to be able to pull the data and be able to see min, max, and rms. Let me know what everyone is using. Thanks!
 
d21x said:
Does anyone know of a good data logger I can purchase at a reasonable price. I will be measuring 3 phase voltage and current. Will also need to be able to pull the data and be able to see min, max, and rms. Let me know what everyone is using. Thanks!
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Dranetz make a range but you might want to hire rather than buy.
 
Besoeker said:
Dranetz make a range but you might want to hire rather than buy.
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I have been hiring an electrical contractor to take readings for me and we have used them several times, probably more than $2,000 this yr just for getting data. Might be more cost effective for me to have my own and take as many readings as I want, especially at $50 per day for data.
 
2,000.00 I assume he has only completed one job at that price?

Rent first, then buy, try Drantez, Fluke 435, 1750 (I think), Hyoki, on the low end Amprobe.
 
d21x said:
I have been hiring an electrical contractor to take readings for me and we have used them several times, probably more than $2,000 this yr just for getting data. Might be more cost effective for me to have my own and take as many readings as I want, especially at $50 per day for data.
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What you are paying for is not just the guys time, but also his expertise in being able to do this without getting killed or starting a fire. Are you qualified to be poking around in electrical equipment?

Assuming you can do this without getting killed, if you start a fire your insurance company is going to want to know why you didn't hire a licensed contractor...
 
d21x said:
I have been hiring an electrical contractor to take readings for me and we have used them several times, probably more than $2,000 this yr just for getting data. Might be more cost effective for me to have my own and take as many readings as I want, especially at $50 per day for data.
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I suppose it might depend on what data you want to collect, how you want to use it, and how often you want to or need to collect it.
At times, I'm the guy on the other side of the fence - I get contracted in to look at supply quality problems. It's not work I seek - it finds me.
For basic problems I use a digital scope with a storage medium - old hat but it works. For anything that needs 24 hour monitoring, I connect a laptop set up to trigger it and do a download every 30 minutes.
Analysis is done later and that's the time consuming part.
The rate for doing the job rarely reflects that aspect.
I continue to do it more for learning than earning.
 
Besoeker said:
I suppose it might depend on what data you want to collect, how you want to use it, and how often you want to or need to collect it.
At times, I'm the guy on the other side of the fence - I get contracted in to look at supply quality problems. It's not work I seek - it finds me.
For basic problems I use a digital scope with a storage medium - old hat but it works. For anything that needs 24 hour monitoring, I connect a laptop set up to trigger it and do a download every 30 minutes.
Analysis is done later and that's the time consuming part.
The rate for doing the job rarely reflects that aspect.
I continue to do it more for learning than earning.
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Not that it matters to me BUT, I see you are an engineer, often engineering firms hire me to make the connections set up the equipment (which I own).

Do you do all your own field work? installation and investigation?
 
brian john said:
Not that it matters to me BUT, I see you are an engineer, often engineering firms hire me to make the connections set up the equipment (which I own).

Do you do all your own field work? installation and investigation?
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I do.
There isn't much by way of installation.
I'd expect the customer to give me access to his CTs and VTs and a supply for my instrumentation.
Other than that, I do everything else myself.
I'm a pernickety old bar steward and I try to do the best job I can.
If I need to present an analysis to a customer, I need to be satisfied that it based on sound data.
 
d21x said:
I have been hiring an electrical contractor to take readings for me and we have used them several times, probably more than $2,000 this yr just for getting data. Might be more cost effective for me to have my own and take as many readings as I want, especially at $50 per day for data.
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Wow $50/day! Rental costs in this area are well beyond that level for 3-phase power monitoring plus there is a charge for CTs and a minimum rental period. Last one I dealt with was more than $2K.

What type of data do you log? Amps and volts, or transients and sags/swells?
 
I rent a Dranetz PX5 with 3000 amp flex CT's for less than $900 for a month.
This includes the software rental while you have the unit.

The software thing didn't work out beacuse the USB key has to go back after the rental of the meter. We bought the software so we can analyze the data after we send the meter back.
 
I charge between 280.00-680.00 per day rental, depending on what we are doing, minimum 4 hour set up, 4 hour removal and 2-4 hours for reports.
 
Thankfully I had billed that prior to leaving it on site it was originally a monthly rental 3,280.00. And he received the report, but asked the monitor be left for an additional month (which we did not bill). The reason he found the meter they were in bankruptcy and were moving out.
 
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