What is the difference between VOLTAGE REGULATORS and POWER CONDNRS..

[Fender]

Tell me very basically, What is the difference? Power Conditioner and the Voltage regulator? They all accept lower and higher voltage, they all have filtering? I tought conditioner only prevents the upcoming higher voltage and the Voltage regulator does it both.. I mean, lower voltage and the higher voltage.. But When I read the specs, I am really confused what are they doing.. And some high priced models even don't have double filtering.. So can someone please explain their difference..
Thanks in advance.

[agedhorse]

THe definitions are not very clear-cut. This may be why it is confusing.

A power conditioner may include voltage regulation in addition to RFI filtering and transient (voltage spike) protection.

Voltage regulation is accomplished in two different ways, but basically keeps the output to your gear at 115v even if the input voltage varies between about 95v and 140v or so.

[Fender]

This is Power Conditioner Furman PL-Plus Pwr Conditioner w/Digital Readout SPECS are.

Specifications

Current rating: 15 amps
Input Voltage: 85 to 135 VAC
Spike Protection Modes: Line to neutral, neutral to ground, line to ground
Spike Clamping Voltage: Initial turn-on at 200 volts; TVSS rating of 400 volts peak at 500 amps, L-N, N-G, L-G (tested to UL-1449)
Response time: 1 nanosecond
Maximum surge current: 6,500 amps
Maximum spike energy: 80 joules per mode, 240 joules total protection
Noise attenuation: Transverse and common modes: 20 dB at 200 kHz, rising to >40 dB, 1 to 100 MHz
Mechanical:
Dimensions: 1.75" H x 19" W x 8" D.
Weight: 6 lbs (2.7 kg).
Construction: Steel chassis, zinc chromate plating; .125" brushed and black anodized aluminum front panel; glass epoxy printed circuit boards
Power Consumption: 20 watts
-----------------------------------

This is Furman AR1215 Rackmount AC Line Regulator SPECS
Specifications

Current Rating: 15 amperes for input voltages of 124V or higher; derate at 113 mA per volt to a minimum of 12.3A
“In Regulation” Range: Provides regulation ±5V in 120V mode from 97 to 141V
Shutdown Range: 120V mode, below 75V or above 150V; 100V mode, below 65V or above 135V
Voltmeter Accuracy: ±5V
Spike Protection Modes: Line to neutral, neutral to ground, line to ground
Spike Clamping Voltage: Initial turn-on at 200V; TVSS rating of 400 volts peak at 500 A, L-N, N-G, L-G (tested to UL-1449)
Response Time: 1 nanosecond
Maximum Surge Current: 6,500 amps (8 x 20 ms pulse)
Maximum Spike Energy: 80 joules per node; 240 joules total
Noise Attenuation: Differential mode: Greater than 40 dB
Transverse and common modes: Greater than 60 dB, 1-200 MHz
Dimensions: 1.75" H x 19" W x 8" D (4.5 x 48.3 x 20.5 cm)
Weight: 12 lbs. (5 kg)

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There is almost $300 price difference. Can somebody tell me what is the biggest and most important difference between this two units by looking their specs?

[OMNIFEX]

A Regulator will stablize the voltage to 120. Whether the line voltage is 100 volts, or, 130 volts.


A Line Conditioner will clean the voltage from spikes. If
and when the voltage drops, the conditioner won't boost
the voltage back to 120.


A voltage regulator would be best for your processors. You
could use it for your amps, but beware of the potential current your amps pull, for you don't want it to exceed your regulators maximum current limit.

Incidently, a voltage regulator will give you a better overall protection than a line conditioner.

[Fender]

I see, thanks to everyone..

[agedhorse]

Originally posted by Fender
This is Furman AR1215 Rackmount AC Line Regulator SPECS
Specifications

Current Rating: 15 amperes for input voltages of 124V or higher; derate at 113 mA per volt to a minimum of 12.3A
“In Regulation” Range: Provides regulation ±5V in 120V mode from 97 to 141V
Shutdown Range: 120V mode, below 75V or above 150V; 100V mode, below 65V or above 135V
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There is almost $300 price difference. Can somebody tell me what is the biggest and most important difference between this two units by looking their specs?

$300 buys you the voltage regulation part, which is a "commutated" multi-tapped toroidal transformer and control circuit.

[Fender]

Check this one out for me.. I guess it does what $450 worth furman do . right?
http://tripplite.com/products/product.cfm?productID=211

[McKee]

A voltage regulator SHOULD maintain voltage at a useable level.

A power conditioner SHOULD take out the little mis-steps that represent the fluctuation in the power wave coming in. Grid power is really dirty stuff when you look at it in wave form. Conditioning smoothes the wave out. Really good units turn it into a true, smooth sine wave.

[Fender]

What do you think about tripplites rack mount unit? There is a link 2 message up

[agedhorse]

Originally posted by McKee
A voltage regulator SHOULD maintain voltage at a useable level.

A power conditioner SHOULD take out the little mis-steps that represent the fluctuation in the power wave coming in. Grid power is really dirty stuff when you look at it in wave form. Conditioning smoothes the wave out. Really good units turn it into a true, smooth sine wave.

Conditioning in general removes spikes, but the waveform will still be "dirty" as you are not removing the distortion of the voltage (and current) waveform due to the utility's loads being non-linear (flourescent lighting, motor controllers, contactors, phase controlled loads etc).

To remove the distortion (that can be as high as 10-15%), usually a switching inverter is used. The incoming AC is rectified into DC, then PWM switched at zbout 20-30kHz and recombined into a NEW, 60 Hz waveform. Regulation is included as part of the function. This is what high quality on-line UPS's do, they arealways activly generating the 60Hz output power, the input comes from the line or batteries depending on condition of the grid.

[McKee]

Originally posted by agedhorse



To remove the distortion (that can be as high as 10-15%), usually a switching inverter is used. The incoming AC is rectified into DC, then PWM switched at zbout 20-30kHz and recombined into a NEW, 60 Hz waveform. Regulation is included as part of the function. This is what high quality on-line UPS's do, they arealways activly generating the 60Hz output power, the input comes from the line or batteries depending on condition of the grid.

I have a Statpower Truecharge 40+ battery charger from an alternative energy system I put together a couple years ago. Since I no longer use the system I am trying to find out from Xantrex (they now own Trace, manufacturer of perhaps the best-quality True Sine Inverters) if there's a danger of running AC into the Statpower, then feeding the 40 amp DC output directly into the DC input of a Sine Wave Inverter, then feeding the resulting AC current into the band's electronics. The result should be nice, clean, tasty power from a fairly mobile unit, including the necessary fusing.

The only downfalls I see:

- The possibility the Statpower unit would be damaged if the AC current coming into it ran significantly lower than 110 volts.
- Grounding might be funky
- Will the "clean" power still carry any noise that started upstream in the AC source?
- It will add yet another thing to haul back and forth to gigs. The unit would be too large to rackmount.

[agedhorse]

You will still need a small battery for filtering purposes, and for starting the inverter. Most battery chargers use mostly pulsed DC, and there may be a regulator function that controls the duty cycle of the charger.

I had a good friend who was an enginer at Trace, I got to see over the years many improvements in inverter technology. I also have run some pretty large PA's on inverter power without any problems.

[blackba]

So how many people actually use Voltage regulators or power conditioners in their PA setup?

Do potential power issues warrent buying some voltage regulators?

[B. Adams]

I always have power "conditioners" in my racks. They are great power strips with lights, and that's what I use them as.