Aussie Mains Voltage

[Joe G \(Home\)]

Hi All,

Heard the the Aussie Mains voltage is now down to 230V ac "nominal".

Can some confirm?

Is there an Australian Government document or standard what refers to 230V
ac as the nominal standard?


Yes, I know the voltage varies aong the supply distribution lines..... I
more after an offiical doc or confirmation.


Thnaks in Advance Joe

 

[Joe G \(Home\)]

Hi All,

Heard the the Aussie Mains voltage is now down to 230V ac "nominal".

Can some confirm?

Is there an Australian Government document or standard what refers to 230V
ac as the nominal standard?


Yes, I know the voltage varies aong the supply distribution lines..... I
more after an offiical doc or confirmation.


Thnaks in Advance Joe

Oh... sorry, I fomd this on the 1st google search
http://bit.ly/YkR43

The Australian Govenment ACMA web site says nominal 240Vac
http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1988

Joe

 

[David]

Hi All,

Heard the the Aussie Mains voltage is now down to 230V ac "nominal".

Can some confirm?

Is there an Australian Government document or standard what refers to 230V
ac as the nominal standard?


Yes, I know the voltage varies aong the supply distribution lines..... I
more after an offiical doc or confirmation.

AS 60038 is the standard you are after. Nominal voltage for Australia is
230/400 V +10% -6%.

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

 

[David L. Jones]

AS 60038 is the standard you are after. Nominal voltage for Australia is
230/400 V +10% -6%.

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.

 

[Phil Allison]

"David"

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

** Currently = 7:33 pm on a cool Friday evening.

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

 

[John Tserkezis]

** Currently = 7:33 pm on a cool Friday evening.

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.....

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.

 

[TonyS]

AS 60038 is the standard you are after. Nominal voltage for Australia is
230/400 V +10% -6%.

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

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

 

[Andy Wood]

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
[email protected]

 

[John Tserkezis]

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.

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?

 

[Phil Allison]

"Andy Wood"

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.

** The only thing that committee did was change the percentage margins
around the new nominal voltage of 230 to +10% and -6%. IIRC, previously the
numbers were +6% and -10% around 240.

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

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


..... Phil

 

[terryc]

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

1) Cost, and
2) "Isn't this the same crap I've already seen"

 

[Eeyore]

"Andy Wood"

Very few countries used 230V.

** The only thing that committee did was change the percentage margins
around the new nominal voltage of 230 to +10% and -6%. IIRC, previously the
numbers were +6% and -10% around 240.

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

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

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

Graham

 

[Davo]

1) Cost, and
2) "Isn't this the same crap I've already seen"

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

 

[terryc]

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

Right!. so that is what I don't understand
<donk><donk><donk>.....
{.

 

[Mr.T]

Yes but the crap is much sharper and clearer

Pixelation/drop outs excepted.

and you get it in stereo

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

MrT.

 

[David]

"David"


** Currently = 7:33 pm on a cool Friday evening.

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

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

 

[Davo]

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.

 

[Eeyore]

Pixelation/drop outs excepted.


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

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

Graham

 

[David L. Jones]

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.

Measured mine again (22:04):
237.9V to 240.9V over several minutes.
Hills District as well, Crestwood.

Dave.

 

[Phil Allison]

"David"

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.

** Cause for a VERY serious complaint re massive over-voltage.

Or maybe you are a fucking liar.




........ Phil