[rescue] SGI Challenge L systems available in Denver

[Joshua Boyd]

On Thu, Sep 16, 2004 at 02:32:37PM -0400, Ethan O'Toole wrote:

> > 1 Octane (SI+TRam, two disks that are rather hot)
> 
> POWER SUCKER!

Don't I know it.  There is not a spot in the apartment where one can't
hear the Octane.  Even in the bathroom (the farthest room) with the door
closed, you can still hear it. 

If only I could afford a better one.

I hear that a dual R14k with Vpro graphics (even V12) takes less power
than the R10k Impact machine do.

Actually, I just thought of something.  On top of that list of machines
running all the time, I leave them on when I use the vacuum cleaner,
which claims to draw a few amps all by itself.
 
> You should be careful. When I was younger, still living with parents but
> employed (and onsale.com was big) I picked up a number of systems.
> Unfortunately my room was tied on the same outlet as the outlet in the
> parents bathroom. Hair dryer! When I moved out, I guess the wiring cooled
> down and the circuit "broke" ... I fixed it, but found the insulation /
> wire nut caps had actually melted in the junction box! YIKES! Thre breaker
> did trip once or twice, but be careful because breakers aren't as reliable
> as their old counterparts... the fuse.

And this place has old wiring too.

However, the lights don't dim with the machines turning on, and crude
calculations of the wattages involved indicate that I'm probably not
pulling too many amps.

Still, I will feel much better when things can be wired properly.
 
> I feel ya.
> 
> I recently picked up a very large UPS, so now am ?lucky? enough to have 60
> amps x 3 phases going into the UPS, which then has a sub panel that feeds
> into power boxes in racks. I still have yet to migrate all of the systems
> over to the UPS. The other issue is the batteries for the UPS are almost 3
> years old. At around 5 years old I will start to not trust them, and they
> will probably have to be replaced. I priced them at about $100 each online
> just picking a random site, and it uses... gulp... 60 of them. The thing
> is, there are 3 cabinets each with 20, and you can run it on just one. So
> if I had the $6000 to replace the batteries (which I don't), I would
> probably to invest $4000 in a used generator set versus batteries. 20
> batteries provides like 20 minutes of runtime at 8000 watts? With all 60
> batteries, it can do 24,000 watts for 18 minutes! The UPS is actually
> rated to supply three 100 amp legs, but since my service is only 100 amps
> at the space I have it on a 60 amp breaker, the remaining power is used
> for a few desktops and the HVAC.
> 
> I picked up off of eBay three 100:5 current transformers, and a thing
> called a PowerLogic unit made by square D. We had them in the MGE PDU's at
> NASA. So I recently hooked it all up, and I can tell what each leg is
> pulling in terms of amps by looking at the powerlogic unit. It's pretty
> slick, we plugged it into a portable generator and was able to see how
> much THD the thing was pushing. Yikes. If you find a current transformer,
> you should be able to use it to measure current draw. You run the hot wire
> (black in the US) thru the round thing, then attach a meter to the two
> terminals. It is an inductive device... similiar to the clamp on meters (a
> split core current transformer is what they use).
> 
> When I get a chance I will shoot a picture or two of the UPS setup (once
> the area is cleaned up a bit). It's pretty neat. A friend helped install
> it all (He is an electrician and more familiar with the 3 phase stuff).
> The UPS is an older model Exide that came from a local ISP. I've been
> watching generators heavily but at the current time don't have the moolah.
> I need something like a 60kw 3 phase Onan / Cat-Olympian / Generac /
> Kohler diesel with switchgear (switchgear is fairly easy to get).

You sir inhale with vigor.

-- 
Joshua D. Boyd
jdboyd at jdboyd.net
http://www.jdboyd.net/
http://www.joshuaboyd.org/