[ARC5] BC 453 request - ham radio

[Richard Knoppow]

    A diode will cut the voltage. I think the bulb savers were 
varistors, voltage variable resistors. These do cut inrush 
current but that is not a problem with CF or LED lamps. The 
tungsten filament of incandescent lamps has a large positive 
temperature coefficient of resistance so the lamps have 
relatively low resistance when cold becoming less as they come up 
to operating temperature.
    What the Oz folk may be concerned with is power factor, 
American power companies are also. High power factor inductive 
loads make conventional watt-hour meters read low (i.e. you get 
the power cheap). Most power companies have banks of capacitors 
at their distribution stations to cut in to keep the power factor 
as close to unity as possible. Some power companies will give you 
a price break on the power if you have a capacitive load.
    BTW, I have been in a distribution plant yard when a bank of 
caps was switched in, it sounded like a cannon going off.

On 11/1/2019 7:29 AM, Doran Platt wrote:
> Very interesting point, Brian.  I never even considered that 
> factor.  I wonder how this would affect things on the grander scale?
> Jeep K3HVG
>> On November 1, 2019 at 9:10 AM Brian Clarke 
>> <brianclarke01 at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
>>
>> Hello Jeep,
>>
>> If those lamps are being fed from the AC mains, then a diode in 
>> series sends DC back into the mains. In Australia, that is 
>> illegal because it reduces the effectiveness of distribution 
>> transformers, the pole pigs in the USA. Further, putting diodes 
>> in series with the mains generates spikes that can cause EMI. 
>> You could follow your idea and not send DC back into the AC 
>> mains if you balance your use of diodes, so that always an even 
>> number is turned on and one half of the diodes are in reverse 
>> to the other half. You would still need to deal with the EMI.
>>
>> 73 de Brian, VK2GCE
>>
>> *From:*arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net 
>> [mailto:arc5-bounces at mailman.qth.net] *On Behalf Of *Doran Platt
>> *Sent:* Friday, 1 November 2019 10:00 PM
>> *To:* arc5 at mailman.qth.net
>> *Subject:* Re: [ARC5] BC 453 request - ham radio
>>
>> Funny thing, I was want to add a 1N4005 diode in cords and lamp 
>> fixtures, etc.  It was quite amazing how the life of incand. 
>> bulbs was extended.  No inrush, although less lumins, of 
>> course.  A 100w would last 2-3 years as an outside night 
>> light.  They used to sell "bulbsaver" socket disks.
>>
>> Jeep K3HVG
>>
> 
> 
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-- 
Richard Knoppow
1oldlens1 at ix.netcom.com
WB6KBL