Love your story, It may have been the voltage changing under load more than the frequency, the frequency is usually pretty stable. Another source of accurate frequency in most peoples houses is the TV set. Just run a wire across the top of the TV set and you can pick up the scan line frequency (depends what country you are in as to the actually frequency), this frequency is ok for a calibration check. If you know your TV set inside out then a more accurate frequency is the colour burst frequency that is locked into the TV stations accurate source.(WARNING don't go there if you don't know what you are doing) :-) Roy ----- Original Message ----- From: "David VanHorn" To: Sent: Tuesday, November 18, 2003 5:46 AM Subject: Re: [EE:] scope timebase calibration > > > >That's interesting, but suprising. Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but... > > > >Every generator set that contributes to the grid has to be running in > >perfect frequency and phase with the grid. Therefore, if immense loading on > >the grid would slow down the frequency, it must correspondingly slow down > >all of the connected generator sets and in turn, the turbines or engines > >that drive them. Which seems odd. > > This was Oahu, Hawaii. We had a "grid" consisting of two generators. > Still, Oahu in the 70's was as civilized as it could get. :) > > We had a large blackout and weeks of "rolling blackouts" after a cane fire shorted a transmission line, leading to an amusing industrial control incident that left us with one generator having a bent turbine shaft. > > I think you need way more than two plants, to use a grid approach, so that any one plant can go offline without causing overloads elsewhere. > > "you take the load".. "no YOU take it", "ok, I've got it", "Ouch overload, you take it"...... BANG.. Darkness falls. Geckos chirp.. > > -- > http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList > mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu > --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.541 / Virus Database: 335 - Release Date: 14/11/2003 -- http://www.piclist.com hint: To leave the PICList mailto:piclist-unsubscribe-request@mitvma.mit.edu