Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!exodus!oobleck.Eng.Sun.COM!bender
From: bender@oobleck.Eng.Sun.COM (I want to be eating rich soup in another town)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: wanted: device to turn brownouts into blackouts
Keywords: brownout blackout
Message-ID: <11568@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 15 Apr 91 19:59:57 GMT
References: <1991Apr15.180755.19771@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Sender: news@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM
Distribution: na
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
Lines: 19

In article <1991Apr15.180755.19771@odin.corp.sgi.com> nelson@bolyard.wpd.sgi.com (Nelson Bolyard) writes:
>This morning at 6:19 AM PDT, a power line went down in the city of
>Milpitas, causing a brownout condition that lasted for 58 minutes
>before the power went out completely.  During the brownout, we got 60
>volts AC out of the wall sockets.  This did nasty things to my
>computer equipment, and to the compressor motors in my fridge and
>freezer, and to the furnace blower.  Motors just don't like low
>voltage.  

The question really is, why did the power company supply you with 60 VAC for
that long a period instead of just cutting off power completely?  I thought
that part of the utility's charter was to provide voltage and frequency
within a certain narrow range??

mike
--
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We just can't tell you anymore, We've never made oobleck before! | MSC #298726