Re: X-10 Broadcast Storm Detector

[nobody@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Dave Houston)]

I don't think there's anything special about the transformer. When I first
reviewed the ESM1, shortly after it was introduced, I was attacked rather
viciously by Claus Vader and someone who claimed to have designed it who
further claimed the readings could be influenced by placing the electronic
unit close to the transformer.

I contacted the company who designed it who had hired someone else to
redesign it (the original had a different name) and I subsequently had an
exchange of emails with both the owner and engineer (Paul Beam) although I
don't recall asking specifically whether there was anything special about
the transformer. Anyway, I tested for transformer induced effects and found
none. I went further, replacing the transformer with one I got from Jameco
and found no measurable difference in performance so I suspect any of the
12V AC wall transformers you may have will work equally well.

This was all before Elk bought the rights to it. Brian Karas was pondering
buying the rights before Elk got involved and I had volunteered to write a
Windows interface if Paul would add an RS232 output.

9V AC may not hurt anything but will certainly affect the calibration as you
will be getting less than ±18V DC for the opamp. There's no regulation on
these supplies.

"Robert Green" <ROBERT_GREEN1963@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>My bad.  I figured it out when trying to figure out which lead was plus and
>which was minus!  Neither, of course.  Looking closely at the transformer
>label would have clued me in, too.  Oh well, AC only is going to make
>finding replacements a little harder so the search begins again.  Good thing
>I posted before I finalized the order.  I guess my subconcious was trying to
>look out for me even if my concious mind is a little dopey!  Thanks.
>
>I have a number of AC 12V wall warts, so I can still do some testing to see
>how the ESM1 responds to different types of AC power supplies.  I'm assuming
>using a 9V power supply isn't going to hurt anything.  I'd like to test one
>to see the results.  On the plus side, the AC power source shouldn't cause
>the voltage drop problems that a DC power supply might.  That's a concern of
>mine since I want the branch monitoring transformers that feed the cradle's
>rotary input switch locating at the very ends of each different circuit
>branch since that's where bad signal problems are most likely to manifest
>themselves.
>
>Also, thanks for the link to the schematic although it's probably not going
>to be of much use.  One of the whole points of this exercise is NOT making
>any mods to the ESM1 so that it can easily snapped out of the cradle for
>standalone use throughout the house.  The cradle should also help with
>replacement if switching power supplies somehow causes all the magic smoke
>to escape!