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[Michael A. Yates]

This afternoon I was in the process of setting up for a gig in an new to me venue. During the usual power checks I stumbled upon this. This outlet is where my amp rack would have been hooked up at. Good thing I check my power!

Turns out it was a open neutral. And yes the volt meter is reading 45.1 volts.




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[Mike Sokol]

This afternoon I was in the process of setting up for a gig in an new to me venue. During the usual power checks I stumbled upon this. This outlet is where my amp rack would have been hooked up at. Good thing I check my power!

Turns out it was a open neutral. And yes the volt meter is reading 45.1 volts.

Good to see that you have what I consider to be the trinity of test gear: a Digital Voltmeter, a 3-light cube tester, and a NCVT (Non Contact Voltage Tester). With that gear anyone should be able to discover 99.99% of incorrectly wired outlets. The only conditions it might not find would be a very long run of too-small wire, or a swapped neutral and ground. But you should be able to determine those conditions once you put a load on the outlet.

[Frank DeWitt]

This afternoon I was in the process of setting up for a gig in an new to me venue. During the usual power checks I stumbled upon this. This outlet is where my amp rack would have been hooked up at. Good thing I check my power!

Turns out it was a open neutral. And yes the volt meter is reading 45.1 volts.

So that implies that somewhere in that building is another outlet that is at 195 volts.  perhaps the one near where you want your powered speaker.

[Scott Helmke]

Reading a funny in-between voltage is often a good clue towards an open neutral. Modern meters don't put any real load on the circuit, so you get your return path basically through the air or surface contamination or whatever. In the old days an analog meter wouldn't be so easily fooled.

[Michael A. Yates]

So that implies that somewhere in that building is another outlet that is at 195 volts.  perhaps the one near where you want your powered speaker.

The outlet above was chained to 12 other outlets... (All on one 20 amp breaker) they where all showing issues whether it be just a simple open ground or as the one above an open neutral. I told the venue they needed to get an electrician to check it all out. Found another outlet on stage that was an obvious reverse bootleg ground. The whole outlet was live no matter where I put my tester. Let's just say it was hard to find a power leg that everything was correct on to run my system. But I found a good leg and the show went on without a problem. Mind that this venue was built in the early 1900s. It probably has some old Nob and tube running some of them outlets???


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[Mike Sokol]

Mind that this venue was built in the early 1900s.

I once did a seminar at a church where they told me I was going to be in the new addition that was put on back in the 90's. Oh, they meant the 1890's. They had knocked holes in the plaster walls with old Edison light sockets poking out and outlet adapters screwed into them. That was some scary stuff...

[Frank DeWitt]

I once did a seminar at a church where they told me I was going to be in the new addition that was put on back in the 90's. Oh, they meant the 1890's. They had knocked holes in the plaster walls with old Edison light sockets poking out and outlet adapters screwed into them. That was some scary stuff...

In the 1890 outlets had not become standard.  Edison did an incredible job of creating a system including everything from the power plant to the fuses to the socket, to the bulbs, but he didn't foresee small appliances or anything else  being plugged in.  The first outlets were light sockets with there bulbs removed, then splitters to give you a bulb and a place to screw in your plug.  Nest came wall plates with "light sockets" in them,  some with a little brass door.

http://www.rexophone.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/0ACN.jpg

I collect this stuff,  I  don't know why.

[Ray Aberle]

I collect this stuff,  I  don't know why.

Because it's a fascinating look at our country's early electrical history?

Sursly, I think it's pretty cool, and haven't seen those pictured items before!

-Ray

[BobWitte]

Frank: I collect this stuff,  I  don't know why.

BECAUSE, Like most hobbies, it's a good outlet for you!

[Frank DeWitt]

Frank: I collect this stuff,  I  don't know why.

BECAUSE, Like most hobbies, it's a good outlet for you!

That was so bad it left a mark.  on the other hand, I make make a sign and put it on my display.   Yes,  You have made me see the light...bulb

I collect this because it is
a good outlet for me.

That could work.

Thanks for putting in a plug for the hobby.

(You can put this in a receptacle)

http://lbpinc.com/light8.jpg
http://lbpinc.com/light7.jpg

[ProSoundWeb Community]