Aussie Mains Voltage

Oh... sorry, I fomd this on the 1st google search

The Australian Govenment ACMA web site says nominal 240Vac

Joe

AS 60038 is the standard you are after. Nominal voltage for Australia is

In Sydney, Energy Australia network standards still spec 240V +/-6% (226-254V) as a nominal ten minute average to 95% customers 95% of the time, with allowable fluctuations of +/-10% (216-264V).

Currently my mains voltage (Sydney) is 257V as measured on my Fluke 175.

David

Yes, this was mentioned in the March Silicon Chip Mailbag.

Just measured mine. 241.0V to 242.6V over the span of several minutes, Hills district Sydney.

Dave.

"David"

So THAT is waaayyyy too high !!!!!

Your Fluke 175 is badly in need of re-calibration OR you are in a massive HOT SPOT for AC voltage.

Like Perth,WA - after midnight.

Bulbs will blow.....

...... Phil

That's the way it is in some areas. I had only heard about it (and didn't believe it) till I actually measured it at a friend's place.

Scary.

Though, if you're in suburban Somewhere, you're unlikely to see such variations. My UPS only rarely whines even if I have the voltage limits set tight.

I am in Perth, about 200m from a mast top transformer. I have the digital Western Power meter that shows the voltage (and current) of each phase. The voltage is always around 249V in daytime. Never checked at night.

Tony

I thought the story was that in the early 1980s some committee came up with a 20 year plan to change to a nominal 230V all over the country, because 230V was more in line with international trading partners of that time. Perhaps they needed a 40 year plan, or maybe the whole idea was quietly forgotten at some point.

Andy Wood snipped-for-privacy@trap.ozemail.com.au

Sensibly, they realised that the extended life of a 50c light bulb was overshadowed by the decreased life of a $500+ refrigerator.

Or, at least, until we get overtaken by "international standardised" 230v gear to replace our "backyard defacto standard" 240v gear.

I think that it's recent enough that everyone remembers how many people were royally pissed off they had to replace their analogue phones with digital phones (at the user's cost of course) to go down that route again. Yes, I understand the carriers had to upgrade too, but they're the ones making the money remember?

And you're still wondering why digital TV is slow on the uptake?

"Andy Wood"

Works out virtually the same *actual* upper and lower limits on voltage.

Funny how incandescent light bulbs are still labelled as 240V.

.... Phil

-- Once again, our prime minister Kevin Rudd brings stability to the nation by reassurring the nation that one law still exists for the rich and another for the poor. After a personal visit;

Very few countries used 230V.

Exactly the same trick was done in the UK to 'harmonise' us with Continental Europe where 220V was the norm.

Graham

Yes but the crap is much sharper and clearer and you get it in stereo.

Right!. so that is what I don't understand ..... {:-).

-- Once again, our prime minister Kevin Rudd brings stability to the nation by reassurring the nation that one law still exists for the rich and another for the poor. After a personal visit;

Pixelation/drop outs excepted.

The analog system has also been stereo for a couple of decades. I guess you didn't notice.

MrT.

The Fluke has just had NATA calibration, so is not out, and agrees with other meters. Voltage here tonight at 20:40 is 255V. We pretty much always have have hight mains voltages, and we aren't even close to the transformer. Location: Sydney, Hills district.

David

Until about 1980 the standard voltage for WA was 254 Volts, then it was changed to 240 volts, now it's 230 Volts. Of course there's still a lot of supply transformers still set to the older voltages, plus there will be variations due to loads and where you are on the grid.

A guy I worked with once helped develop Nicam as used in the UK.

Graham

Measured mine again (22:04):

Dave.

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"David"

..... Phil