Power conditioner help

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Hi guys. Recently during some night my lights have been flickering when the bar downstairs cranks the music. I think they have something like 25 big screen TVs down there, a projector or two, along with several kilowatts worth of amplification for their numerous speaker systems. (They also have live music from time to time and bring out louder equipment)

Anyway, I've noticed that some nights my lights flicker a bit. They'll be normal for the most part, but once or twice a minute they'll get dimmer for a couple seconds before going back to normal. This does not bother me, but what does bother me is that I think I'm getting that same flickering through my projector.

This could be a symptom of a bulb going bad in the projector, but I don't know. I have not bothered with anything besides some basic power strips until this point since I've never had issues with my power before. With the flickering lights, I have some tangible evidence that something's a little wonky with my power.

I've done very little research for power conditioning products and have seen the insides of some of them which have been less than impressive.

Is a ~$200 power conditioner worth my trouble based on the information I have provided? Is there anything I can do to try to figure out if my projector flickering problem is related to the lights?

I have a Panasonic AE900U and I've had to replace the bulb once already. I have read up on some flickering problems with the bulb before which can sometimes be remedied by switching the bulb to high power rather than low power. Next time I notice the flickering, I'm going to try that and see if that changes anything. I will also disable dynamic iris just to make sure there isn't something screwy going on with that.

If I did get a power conditioner, the projector is probably the only thing I'd plug into it. Based on the specifications, it only draws a couple hundred watts maximum.

So basically three questions:

1. How can I find out if my power problem is causing my flickering?
2. Would a somewhat affordable power conditioner potentially fix the problem?
3. Any specific recommendations on units in my pricerange?

While I wait for an opportunity to see if I can eliminate the flickering problem on my own, I found a couple options for comment just to get the ball rolling.

APC H15
Belkin PF60

If my lights are dimming, is that voltage sag? Would those units correct that?


Update:

Anyone care to comment about their thoughts on this?

This is a bit different than before...

The original situation was that every once in a while the lights would get dimmer for a few seconds and then go back to normal.

Right now my lights are going slightly dimmer for just a short period of time at intervals of ~10-20 seconds. Since it's being so regular, I was able to take a video of it that doesn't quite give the full effect, but you can sort of see it in the video.
(Right when the video starts, then 10 seconds in, then 24 seconds in) <a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu......Random/Flicker.wmv"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/sp...web/Random/Flicker.wmv"><a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/spmclaughlin/web/Random/Flicker.wmv">https://mywebspace.wi............licker.wmv</a></a></a>

This is the first time I've noticed this kind of effect from the lights. The degree of brightness difference is reduced vs. before (it was worse before) and the duration is much shorter than before, but it's at very regular intervals now.

Update 2:

Property management guys came by today to take a look and found 20+ unlabeled electrical boxes in the basement so they will be calling the power company.

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Y...DAjello/Electrical.JPG

Update 3:

Thanks to "The Boston Dangler" on hooking me up with this!

http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Y...wsDAjello/IMG_0739.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Y...wsDAjello/IMG_0735.JPG
http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/Y...wsDAjello/IMG_0742.JPG

Yes, I need to dust and reorganize my cables.

I think I should have had a partner for placing that thing in the rack. Placing that 65 pound beast carefully in the middle of the shelf evenly took a bit of effort.

 

[Tiamat]

I don't think they will help. You need something that will stabilize the voltage (if that is the problem). I take it your landlord does not want to wire your apartment on a completely different circuit than the establishment below you? I bought on of those monster power conditioning surge suppressors and they did absolutely nothing for "blips" that occurred every time I flipped on the bathroom fluorescent light or the fridge compressor kicked in. I would be very wary of your situation as you might be almost getting "brown out" conditions were the voltage is sagging and it could compromise your equipment.

 

[SlickSnake]

What is happening to you seems to be low voltage conditions and you need some sort of slightly more expensive battery backup to provide a stable voltage. Projection TVs and projectors using a high output bulb are very susceptible to low voltage power damage. In fact, many electronics can be permanently adversely effected by low voltage.

Electrical Wiring in the Home This guy seems to be knowledgeable on the subject, and explains how he demonstrates the problems of low voltage to groups. While he is referring primarily to motors, the effect on electronics using an electronic relay of some sort would also be a potential problem area for a failure in low voltages, as he states. An example would be the electronic devices switching off and on multiple times in a row during a low power event causing a heat or current overload to the circuits.

If you are getting brown outs due to current overloads in the club, it could be for various reasons. If you share an electrical breaker box with the club, they might be using insufficient breakers which is effecting you. This could be an unsafe situation if it caught fire. And the possibility also exists they are driving the utility line transformer you are both using to the limits, which might lead to a transformer fire or failure. And even both of these power problems could be at fault, depending on your situation. Also, the wiring in the building, if it is an older building, might not be able to take all the loads they are putting on the wiring, too.

At any rate, I would consider consulting the power company, the city building code enforcement department or the fire marshals office (which ever handles electrical inspections) and briefly explain the problem because the club might need to have its wiring looked at by a professional before it burns up, and you, along with it.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Thanks guys. I have about 10 months left in this place before I move on to some other location. Over the last couple years I've been here the landlord has been pretty solid about issues we've had with the water and such, so I imagine they would consider my requests on this.

I don't know how the wiring is hooked up in the building. There are 5 apartment units on my floor with the bar below us. The 5 apartments run through a breaker box on our floor but I don't know what goes on downstairs. Electrical is included in with the rent too so I'm not sure how much I'm using personally either.

I've only noticed this flickering a couple times so far, and only the last time did I wonder if it was the bar downstairs that may have been a cause for it. I think I'll wait for the flickering to happen again to see if it is again correlated with high power usage in the bar downstairs (so I can have my facts straight for a message to the landlord).

The APC unit I linked to first says it features voltage stabilization. Would this be insufficient for the kind of problem I'm describing? I suppose it's capacitor based and would not be able to sustain correct voltage over much time compared to a battery based device?


From the APC manual:

AVR Range Function - Allows you to adjust the AVR Range of the H15.
APC recommends the following settings:
? ?Wide? if the line voltage in your area is not stable.
? ?Narrow? if the line voltage in your area is stable (generally around
120V).
Press the Setup push button until the ?SET AVR RANGE ?? menu is displayed
as shown in Figure 6. Then press the Select push button to change
the AVR Range setting. After you select the proper AVR Range setting,
press the Setup push button to accept the setting.
Figure 6. AVR Range Display
The AVR Range adjustments have the following value:
? Narrow AVR Range: 102-132 Volts, Regulates to: 120 Volts + 5%.
? Normal AVR Range: 97-139 Volts, Regulates to: 120 Volts + 10%.
? Wide AVR Range: 92 - 145V, Regulates to: 120V + 15%.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

The APC unit I linked to first says it features voltage stabilization. Would this be insufficient for the kind of problem I'm describing? I suppose it's capacitor based and would not be able to sustain correct voltage over much time compared to a battery based device?

exactly. the capacitor is meant to smooth out millisecond variations, not a 2 second brown-out. the available voltage is probably dipping to 100-105V. if it is a frequent occurrence, i would start to be concerned for the health of your gear.

the apc unit you linked looks pretty nice, and includes voltage and amperage on the display. i'll consider that for a future purchase. 15A seems to be the norm for these - i wonder if they are all rolling of the same assembly line? i don't put too much faith in the filtering that manufacturers claim help electronics. since my m:roll:nster power supply died, i've noticed absolutely no change with a simple tripp-lite power strip. as for the surge protection for phone, cable, etc. don't use them - they should already be grounded, and this can only introduce problems like a ground loop, noise, or signal loss.

and stop stealing the bar's electricity! jk, keep doing it

 

[sdifox]

Always keep the projector on a UPS, assuming you buy one big enough for your projector to give you enough time to shutdown the lamp. Lamps are expensive and one brownout can kill your lamp. Go with 1000va, you can never have enough UPS

This should be SOP for any high-rise dwellers. You don't know how good the isolation (if any) from your neighbour is.

this one is 2000VA

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...&body=MAIN#detailspecs

APC 1300

http://www.tigerdirect.com/app...o=3353851&Sku=A75-2326

These are just examples. I would recommend you shop local or somewhere with free shipping, these things are heavy.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

 

[Muadib]

I would try the switching to high power thing first. My AE700U would do the same thing, but after an hour in high, it would go away.

I did buy a power conditioner, because many had success with it. It was cheap, so I got it. It was made by Monster, and BB sold it for $50. It doesn't look like monster makes it anymore though.

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

ho hum. PJ is a computer product, not audio product, all power gets fed to a switchin psu. It is more of a concern for audio application (unless you got a D Class amp). Even so, unless you are running really crappy gear (or analogue gear) you should not be affected.

BTW, my pre/pro is on an ups, so is my Mitsubishi HC4900. Same one in fact. Amp is not on the ups because I don't have one big enough to handle 5x165

 

[SlickSnake]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

I use 2 of these for short uninterrupted power supply backup on my PCs:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1000 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1000LCD 1000VA 500W - 3 Minute Full-load - 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Backup/Surge-protected, 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Surge-protected

or this for a bit more if you want to plug multiple devices into it:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1500 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1500LCD Tripp Lite SmartPro LCD UPS 1500VA 120V 8-Outlet 5-15P USB DB9 1500 VA

Specs in the manual state for PC or HT use, so with this, you are good to go either way. The smaller cheaper one would be fine for just your projector. And Tripp lites warranty service is excellent. If it fails in 2 years, they replace the UPS with a new one. These models do not have a user changeable battery and need to be kept on to maintain the battery memory, is the downside. But the displays look cool, lol. And you can mount them upright or on the side, and change the LCD display to match. And they are pretty cheap here for the 1000va one.

And BTW, after reading the reviews there, both of mine also died after about 1 1/2 years about 2 weeks apart. And the Tripp lite tech claimed it was from old stock at the retailer from where it was shipped. These are shipped fully charged from Tripp lite, and my first 2 were not fully charged when I received them from Buy.com. And the 2 shipped from Tripp lite about a month ago were new, mint, and fully charged. And it was a no hassle replacement. And the old ones still work as a surge protector, just the battery and LCD portion failed. The LCD is dependent on the battery to display data, at least on the older ones I had. The newer ones are an upgraded model with a different LCD, too. And there may be a battery to repair these with, I hadn't bothered to search for one, since I don't need one yet.

They also do get a bit warm, my first 2 I had mounted on their sides, with rubber feet, but they might get hotter that way, so I decided to mount these standing upright and see if they run a bit cooler. So far, it seems to help. And the 1500va model has a lot more vents on the back if heat was a factor in battery failure, but it is almost twice as heavy and large, too.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Muadib
I would try the switching to high power thing first. My AE700U would do the same thing, but after an hour in high, it would go away.

I did buy a power conditioner, because many had success with it. It was cheap, so I got it. It was made by Monster, and BB sold it for $50. It doesn't look like monster makes it anymore though.

The same thing happened with my previous bulb. It continued working fine for a while and then totally started spazzing out.

I don't think I want to put another bulb through this AE900U. I have a slight vertical banding problem that has gradually become the bane of my movie watching experience.

I'll certainly get some power protection before I hook up a new projector or put a new bulb in this one though.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: sdifox

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

ho hum. PJ is a computer product, not audio product, all power gets fed to a switchin psu. It is more of a concern for audio application (unless you got a D Class amp). Even so, unless you are running really crappy gear (or analogue gear) you should not be affected.

BTW, my pre/pro is on an ups, so is my Mitsubishi HC4900. Same one in fact. Amp is not on the ups because I don't have one big enough to handle 5x165

I don't think I'd want to hook up my amp through a UPS either, but I might consider the pre-pro as well.

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: SlickSnake

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

I use 2 of these for short uninterrupted power supply backup on my PCs:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1000 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1000LCD 1000VA 500W - 3 Minute Full-load - 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Backup/Surge-protected, 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Surge-protected

or this for a bit more if you want to plug multiple devices into it:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1500 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1500LCD Tripp Lite SmartPro LCD UPS 1500VA 120V 8-Outlet 5-15P USB DB9 1500 VA

Specs in the manual state for PC or HT use, so with this, you are good to go either way. The smaller cheaper one would be fine for just your projector. And Tripp lites warranty service is excellent. If it fails in 2 years, they replace the UPS with a new one. These models do not have a user changeable battery and need to be kept on to maintain the battery memory, is the downside. But the displays look cool, lol. And you can mount them upright or on the side, and change the LCD display to match. And they are pretty cheap here for the 1000va one.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Still not sure what I'm going to do yet. I haven't even had the projector on again since the night before I made this thread.

 

[SlickSnake]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: SlickSnake

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
From my limited research of UPS units, it seems like there are some that are designed for computer use while others are more HT oriented. Is this just marketing?

I remember something about the waveform of some UPS units not being too friendly to HT equipment? (More like a square wave than a sine wave?)

I use 2 of these for short uninterrupted power supply backup on my PCs:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1000 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1000LCD 1000VA 500W - 3 Minute Full-load - 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Backup/Surge-protected, 4 x NEMA 5-15R - Surge-protected

or this for a bit more if you want to plug multiple devices into it:

Tripp Lite SmartPro 1500 VA Rackmount/Tower Digital UPS - SMART1500LCD Tripp Lite SmartPro LCD UPS 1500VA 120V 8-Outlet 5-15P USB DB9 1500 VA

Specs in the manual state for PC or HT use, so with this, you are good to go either way. The smaller cheaper one would be fine for just your projector. And Tripp lites warranty service is excellent. If it fails in 2 years, they replace the UPS with a new one. These models do not have a user changeable battery and need to be kept on to maintain the battery memory, is the downside. But the displays look cool, lol. And you can mount them upright or on the side, and change the LCD display to match. And they are pretty cheap here for the 1000va one.

Thanks for the recommendations.

Still not sure what I'm going to do yet. I haven't even had the projector on again since the night before I made this thread.

I updated my original post after I read some reviews of failures on Buy.coms site. But I still think for the price of $125 and free shipping this is a good deal, and all you need for just the projector to protect the bulb and circuits. It will run my PC and 21" LCD monitor for almost 9 minutes in battery mode, fully charged.

 

[Modelworks]

There are two type of UPS .

The first one always runs off the battery supply. The output never changes because there is no switchover time. You are essentially always running off the UPS batteries and the UPS is charging those batteries while AC is there. About the only thing that can harm equipment on one of these is a lightning strike. Power surges and sags have no effect on the output. The output is pure sine wave, just like your regular AC power.

The second is the cheaper one. It has batteries that it keeps trickle charged and when it senses a power problem it turns on a relay, switches the inverter on and runs your PC or whatever off the batteries. The output is a modified sine wave, that works with most equipment but some supplies do not like it and may make a high pitched whining noise.

If there is a surge , that surge will make it through to whatever is plugged in for the amount of time that it takes the UPS to switch over or clamp/boost the voltage.

Cost for the best kind is about double what the cheaper model cost, but to me is worth it.

http://www.tripplite.com/EN/pr...?txtSeriesID=661&CID=1

 

[SlickSnake]

Originally posted by: Modelworks
There are two type of UPS .

The first one always runs off the battery supply. The output never changes because there is no switchover time. You are essentially always running off the UPS batteries and the UPS is charging those batteries while AC is there. About the only thing that can harm equipment on one of these is a lightning strike. Power surges and sags have no effect on the output. The output is pure sine wave, just like your regular AC power.

The second is the cheaper one. It has batteries that it keeps trickle charged and when it senses a power problem it turns on a relay, switches the inverter on and runs your PC or whatever off the batteries. The output is a modified sine wave, that works with most equipment but some supplies do not like it and may make a high pitched whining noise.

If there is a surge , that surge will make it through to whatever is plugged in for the amount of time that it takes the UPS to switch over or clamp/boost the voltage.

Cost for the best kind is about double what the cheaper model cost, but to me is worth it.

http://www.tripplite.com/EN/pr...?txtSeriesID=661&CID=1

Model #: SMART1000LCD SmartPro Digital UPS - Line interactive UPS for personal computers, workstations, home entertainment System and media centers

In my experience with this product, if the battery is dead, it will not work. Therefore, It maintains a steady current at least partly through the battery. I never heard a relay click on this model when it worked, but you may be right on your assumption about it using a relay of some sort. But the claim is instantaneous power switchover, not delayed.

It claims in the description: Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) circuits regulate brownouts as low as 89 volts back to usable levels without using battery power.

and in the specs:

VOLTAGE REGULATION
Voltage regulation description: Line interactive voltage regulation corrects brownouts as low as 89V back to usable values
Direct pass through: Voltages of 105V and greater are passed through to connected equipment unchanged
Brownout correction: Input voltages between 89 and 104 are boosted by 14% and it audibly and digitally alerts you if the voltage is too high or too low and corrects it instantly.

And:

AC suppression response time: Instantaneous

So the surge protection is not delayed, otherwise, they have to pay you up to $250k insurance if it's not.

And:

Output voltage regulation: BATTERY MODE: PWM sine wave 115V +/-5%

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Thanks for the info Modelworks. I thought there was some kind of distinction there but I wasn't sure on real world significance.

Someday maybe I'll end up running my whole system off UPS units like those, but I can't see myself spending $400 on a basic one at this point.

 

[SlickSnake]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
Thanks for the info Modelworks. I thought there was some kind of distinction there but I wasn't sure on real world significance.

Someday maybe I'll end up running my whole system off UPS units like those, but I can't see myself spending $400 on a basic one at this point.

Yea, not for just a projector, at any rate.

 

[sdifox]

I think the line interactive ones are great, but overkill for this application. That is basically for mission critical data applications where you nee 59 uptime. I live close to a substation so I get quite a bit of power issues. My cheap ass Ultra 1000VA UPS kept my gear safe. Even with power tripping off and on right away, my gear kept on working right, the UPS was screaming murder though

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: SlickSnake
[ Model #: SMART1000LCD SmartPro Digital UPS - Line interactive UPS for personal computers, workstations, home entertainment System and media centers

In my experience with this product, if the battery is dead, it will not work. Therefore, It maintains a steady current at least partly through the battery. I never heard a relay click on this model when it worked, but you may be right on your assumption about it using a relay of some sort. But the claim is instantaneous power switchover, not delayed.

It could be using a SCR to switch the load, same effect, neither has instant switch over.
The reason it will not work with the battery dead is because the micro inside checks the battery level.

It claims in the description: Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) circuits regulate brownouts as low as 89 volts back to usable levels without using battery power.

and in the specs:

VOLTAGE REGULATION
Voltage regulation description: Line interactive voltage regulation corrects brownouts as low as 89V back to usable values
Direct pass through: Voltages of 105V and greater are passed through to connected equipment unchanged
Brownout correction: Input voltages between 89 and 104 are boosted by 14% and it audibly and digitally alerts you if the voltage is too high or too low and corrects it instantly.

And:

AC suppression response time: Instantaneous

Not possible to have zero switching or instant surge protection on a line interactive model.

So the surge protection is not delayed, otherwise, they have to pay you up to $250k insurance if it's not.

Filing a claim for lost equipment is very costly in itself. You have to ship the UPS, The equipment and any receipts for the equipment to them at your expense. Just for info, they rarely pay out a claim. That is why it is common knowledge in the electronics industry to get the most protection you can before any damage occurs.

And:

Output voltage regulation: BATTERY MODE: PWM sine wave 115V +/-5%

[/quote]
That is a modified sine wave. Not a pure sine wave. When it is a pure sine wave it will say just that 'Pure Sine Wave"
They did use modified sine wave, but that scared away customers so they changed it to PWM sine wave, because most people don't know what PWM is, they just see the sine wave part.

There is a reason the pure sine wave, online UPS are more expensive. You can't make one for the same prices as the models that sell for under $200


Now I am not saying the cheaper UPS are useless, I use them myself, just that in this case it is true that you get what you pay for.

 

[zzuupp]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
...

I don't think I want to put another bulb through this AE900U. I have a slight vertical banding problem that has gradually become the bane of my movie watching experience.

I'll certainly get some power protection before I hook up a new projector or put a new bulb in this one though.

I'm a bit late in this, but isn't that a sign of a ground loop??

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: zzuupp

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
...

I don't think I want to put another bulb through this AE900U. I have a slight vertical banding problem that has gradually become the bane of my movie watching experience.

I'll certainly get some power protection before I hook up a new projector or put a new bulb in this one though.

I'm a bit late in this, but isn't that a sign of a ground loop??

It's been a problem with the panasonics that has been getting better. The vertical banding I'm talking about isn't a distortion that runs up and down the screen, but rather a variation in brightness of vertical bands of the green LCD panel in the projector. I can use the service menu to do adjustments on it, but the best results I've been able to get are not perfect. I can adjust the panel to give me vertical bars / lines of slight color variation between about 3" in width down to about 1/2" in width. It is most apparent in large white / gray colored areas when there is panning going on. If I adjust the blue and red panels, I can reproduce the same problem on them, but I am able to get those panels adjusted to eliminate the banding on them. With the green one, I reach the end of the service menu options before the banding disappears. If I had 2-3 more steps on the scale, I think I could eliminate it.

It's not viewable most of the time, but when it's there it has become quite a distraction. This is a major reason why I don't want to put another bulb through this thing unless I have to.

EDIT: link
http://i.org.helsinki.fi/lassi..._video/Panasonic_AE900

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello

Originally posted by: zzuupp

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
...

I don't think I want to put another bulb through this AE900U. I have a slight vertical banding problem that has gradually become the bane of my movie watching experience.

I'll certainly get some power protection before I hook up a new projector or put a new bulb in this one though.

I'm a bit late in this, but isn't that a sign of a ground loop??

It's been a problem with the panasonics that has been getting better. The vertical banding I'm talking about isn't a distortion that runs up and down the screen, but rather a variation in brightness of vertical bands of the green LCD panel in the projector. I can use the service menu to do adjustments on it, but the best results I've been able to get are not perfect. I can adjust the panel to give me vertical bars / lines of slight color variation between about 3" in width down to about 1/2" in width. It is most apparent in large white / gray colored areas when there is panning going on. If I adjust the blue and red panels, I can reproduce the same problem on them, but I am able to get those panels adjusted to eliminate the banding on them. With the green one, I reach the end of the service menu options before the banding disappears. If I had 2-3 more steps on the scale, I think I could eliminate it.

It's not viewable most of the time, but when it's there it has become quite a distraction. This is a major reason why I don't want to put another bulb through this thing unless I have to.

EDIT: link
http://i.org.helsinki.fi/lassi..._video/Panasonic_AE900

So what you are saying is, you need a new projector instead of a UPS

 

[Old Hippie]

That is a modified sine wave. Not a pure sine wave. When it is a pure sine wave it will say just that 'Pure Sine Wave"

Then, what about the one I bought? It's advertised as having a Waveform Sinewave .

More advertising hocus-pocus?

 

[Modelworks]

Originally posted by: Old Hippie

That is a modified sine wave. Not a pure sine wave. When it is a pure sine wave it will say just that 'Pure Sine Wave"

Then, what about the one I bought? It's advertised as having a Waveform Sinewave .

More advertising hocus-pocus?

That one is really confusing because a Sine wave is a waveform, as is a square wave, a PWM signal, etc.

You really have to dig into the manufacturers web sites sometimes to find out what is a true sine wave. I didn't see that exact ups on their website, but the fact that one is a online ups it probably is a pure sine wave.

Example of a ups with pure sine wave on their site:
http://www.powerware.com/UPS/5115_UPS.asp

Delivers smooth, continuous power with pure sine wave output

When a UPS has a pure sine wave they usually hype it on the specs, if it isn't they try to spin it so it looks just as good as one that does.