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Author Topic: Signal Level  (Read 3703 times)

hollisav

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Signal Level
« on: September 02, 2011, 10:17:53 AM »

First of all I would like to commend Jeff on the 2 kits that I bought from him, the XTB-IIR and the XTBM.  They both worked perfectly the first time I powered them up.  I am using the XTB-IIR in 110V mode as I am waiting for the electric en to hook up the 220V.  I am using the XPCP as my coupler.  I have the CM15A plugged into the XTB-IIR and when I test the outlet that it is in the meter reads 9.99V's.  I get the same reading on the outlet one up from it the feed to this circuit and I get 9.99V's on the outlet 1 down from it.  However on the outlet 2 outlets away from the XTB-IIR I only get 5.65 V's on my XTBM and that is what I get on the rest of that circuit with nothing plugged into any of the other outlets other then a AF120 that my computer and serge protector is plugged into.  The AF120 is plugged into the same outlet one down from the XTB-IIR of which I am getting the 9.99v reading.  The next outlet down is only 4 feet from this outlet and I am getting 5.65 V's on it.  What am I missing.

hollisav
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Noam

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Re: Signal Level
« Reply #1 on: September 02, 2011, 10:25:45 AM »

From your post, it seems the XTB-IIR is plugged into an outlet in the middle of the circuit, and the outlets beyond it start to get a degraded signal. What else is plugged in between the XTB-IIR and the end of that circuit? Are you sure that both of those outlets are on the same circuit?
Does the signal level change if you unplug the AF120 and the surge protector completely?
Does the signal level change if you remove the AF120, and plug the surge protector in directly?
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JeffVolp

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Re: Signal Level
« Reply #2 on: September 02, 2011, 10:34:03 AM »


Those other outlets may be on another circuit.  If your XTB-IIR is plugged into a 120V outlet that is a long way from the distribution panel, a lot of signal can be lost in the run to the panel.  That is why I recommend connecting the XTB-IIR directly to the panel for best performance.

Jeff
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Noam

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Re: Signal Level
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2011, 12:53:41 PM »


Those other outlets may be on another circuit.  If your XTB-IIR is plugged into a 120V outlet that is a long way from the distribution panel, a lot of signal can be lost in the run to the panel.  That is why I recommend connecting the XTB-IIR directly to the panel for best performance.

Jeff
Per Jeff's recommendation, I wired the XTB-IIR to a 220V plug, and I installed a dedicated 220V outlet in a box next to the panel, wired to the new dedicated double-pole breaker.
In addition, I added a split-wired duplex outlet in that same box (each half wired to one of the two breakers), so I'd have a test point on each phase, right at the panel, with nothing else on that circuit (I can even unplug the XTB-IIR if I need to have a totally clean circuit to test on).
It was this setup that helped me determine that the noise in my system was coming from outside the house (a neighbor's noisy CFL bulb).

Once you are having an electrician come in to install your XTB-IIR, it probably wouldn't cost much more to do it that way.
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hollisav

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Re: Signal Level
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2011, 02:33:00 PM »

These outlets are on the same circuit.  I helped wire them myself.  The outlet that the AF120 is on is one of the outlets that I am getting the 9.99V signal.  The next one down from this outlet is where I start getting the 5.65V signal along with the rest of the outlets on this circuit.  There are a total of 7 outlets on this circuit and the first 3 are the ones that I get the 9.99V signals in.  The XTB-IIR is plugged into the center of these 3 outlets,  4 threw 7 are the ones with the 5.65V signals.  This set up is in my shop and there are only 2 circuits in it besides the light circuit which I filtered with a XPF filter and that brought my noise level down to .00.  The signal level on the only other circuit is 5.65V's on the other 7 outlets.  The wiring in my shop is less then 5 years old.  My shop is on a sub panel from my main house panel but I have the coupler on the sub panel.
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JeffVolp

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Re: Signal Level
« Reply #5 on: September 02, 2011, 04:24:48 PM »


While some attenuation is expected as the signal propagates away from the source, that is a LOT of attenuation between two outlets daisy chained together on the same circuit.

Even though they are on the same circuit, is it possible that one circuit is a Y-branch with the XTB-IIR feeding one arm of the Y, and the low readings on the other arm?  If the common point is near the sub panel, that could explain why all the other outlets are reading in the 5V range.

Note that a 5Vpp signal strength is more than adequate for reliable operation.

Jeff
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