geoff@utstat.uucp (Geoff Collyer) (10/13/89)
Here in Sidney Smith, the power from the wall outlets has always brutalised our sensitive equipment (e.g. terminals, disks, PCs, computers) with spikes and dips far outside normal tolerances (e.g. we recently saw voltage drop below 95). Terminals in this building have an unusually high mortality rate (there are is a matrix of something like 30 dead Ampex terminals in the Dean's office). We are having an especially bad time this week, with our disks (Fujitsu Eagles) taking a battering. On the other hand, Ramsey Wright, next door, has incredibly clean power (which I lust after). What are other buildings on campus like? We are about to rent a power-line monitor to document the poor power in this building. We have previously had little success in getting Physical Plant to improve their power (e.g. our ``isolated'' circuits appear not to be isolated), to prevent it damaging our equipment. Has anyone else documented power problems? Did you get anywhere with Physical Plant? -- Geoff Collyer utzoo!utstat!geoff, geoff@utstat.toronto.edu
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (10/13/89)
In article <1989Oct13.065045.1769@utstat.uucp> geoff@utstat.uucp (Geoff Collyer) writes: >... On the other hand, Ramsey Wright, next door, has incredibly >clean power (which I lust after)... I think the biggest variable here is the attitudes of the building planners. Sid Smith seems to have been designed by humanities types who think an electric pencil sharpener is heavy electrical equipment. :-) Ramsay Wright had considerable design input from our old (now retired) Electronics chief, and the department chairman of the time had had plenty of experience with power problems. So it's not an accident that Sid Smith is wired like an "Electronics For Children" kit and Ramsay Wright is wired like a Hydro substation. -- A bit of tolerance is worth a | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology megabyte of flaming. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu