Line load tester

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081124-1948 EST

Matt Blum:

What kind of degree do you have?

What do you mean by available current? I can momentary short circuit a source and the peak current will be a function of the voltage source and the internal impedance. Is this your question. If the duration of the short is small enough, then the breaker will not trip. But this will not produce the maximum possible current.

If the system source voltage and internal impedance is capable of more current than the breaker will allow, then the breaker is the determining factor. The one cycle trip point of the breaker might be 6 times the breaker rating.

With a stiff source, low impedance, your voltage drop might be very little at the maximum breaker capability. A soft source might not even trip a breaker under short circuit conditions.

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No, what this would be used for is Film/video production. On small/mid productions there can be a few moves to new locations a day. Each time needing to figure out where power can be supplied from. I say about the breaker panel because there are times when it can take a bit of time to find and the location owner does not always know
 
It is not possible to do what you are asking.

Measuring current at your outlet does not take into account any other loads that may be connected to the circuit. For example, if you were actually able to determine that you could pull 13A at 10:00am, how much can you pull 1 minute later after the office microwave has been turned on?
 
get a tractor trailer, put a nice kohler on it, and haul it around wherever you want. Sounds like sooner or later you are going to damage someone's premiss wiring and/or fire. (isn't this the reason film crews usually have a gaffer on hand ?)
 
short of a pulling a trailer mounted generator as previously suggested, just how many watts are we talking about here? is an on board power inverter in one of your vehicles an option?
 
Matt Blum said:
Thanks, Okay well this conformed want I thought.
One thought, does a circuit breaker create any harmonics when it nears it's tripping point?
Click to expand...

Why would it, a breaker doesn't clap, it releases, its not like a pull-in contactor, that might clap.

Have your ever opened or seen the inside of a Circuit breaker ?
A breaker is set to be sprung and release not to be held in.
Opposite of a contactor.

Harmonic's, well I just consider that a secondary function of applying
power, and how one's applies the power to a device involved.

One always has to remember that in applying work the first by-product is heat the second IMO is noise.

Can you equate harmonics to noise, well that's another thread!

gar, gave a great over-view of alot aspects of looking at all this!
 
cadpoint said:
Why would it, a breaker doesn't clap, it releases, its not like a pull-in contactor, that might clap.

Have your ever opened or seen the inside of a Circuit breaker ?
A breaker is set to be sprung and release not to be held in.
Opposite of a contactor.

Harmonic's, well I just consider that a secondary function of applying
power, and how one's applies the power to a device involved.

One always has to remember that in applying work the first by-product is heat the second IMO is noise.

Can you equate harmonics to noise, well that's another thread!

gar, gave a great over-view of alot aspects of looking at all this!
Click to expand...
Well I was thinking of the electromagnet in the breaker that would cause the harmonics. Only they are probably to low compared to all the other noise.
 
Matt Blum said:
Hi, I'm looking if there is a way to test the amount of available current on a circuit and without tripping the breaker.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
You might want to look into the Ideal 61-165 SureTest Circuit Anayzer. I had some first hand information that they were adding a Estimated Load on Line (ELL) feature. This appears to be what your looking for. I also was given a draft of the change for the manual, so it's not vaporware!

This was several months ago but I'm not sure if the feature was added yet. I'd check to make sure first before purchasing one.
 
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