Looking for an Auto Voltage Regulator (AVR)

Is there an Auto Voltage Regulator that is compatible with a 330W AC adapter?

 

Which voltage are you trying to stabilise? AC mains or DC? There's no need to worry about the AC unless, unusually, you don't have a switched mode PSU. What is the AC voltage range on the PSU label? Switched mode PSUs can handle a very wide input voltage.

John

 

Hi John,

Here at home, the electricity is unstable atm because of the damaged transformer that causing the power to fluctuate. Sometimes there will be a sudden brown out and in a few seconds it turns back on, and keeps going on like this for a few months now, that already toasted the motherboard of my GT80S Titan. Also in rare occasions, there is also a power surge. The neighbors and I have already called the electric company and they said they are going to fix it but it's already been 3 months and no action.

I'm looking for a good AVR + Surge Protector that will help prevent against these hazards. I don't want to toast another motherboard. Tbh, I don't know about electrical or current require by each devices.

 

Thanks for the clarification. The power fluctuations when a (probably heavily loaded) supply restarts can be substantial. Nearly 25 years ago when I was working in the Philippines it was possible to buy small power protectors which, after a power cut, would delay for a few tens of seconds (random amounts for different devices) after the supply returned before passing power to the connected device(s). I wonder if something similar would meet your needs. Here is an example. Another option would be a good quality UPS (which is always good to have if the supply is not 99.9% reliable). I'm not sure that a voltage regulator would respond quickly enough as they can take a second or two to react.

John

 

John, thanks for the input.

I couldn't find that brand in a local online shop. However, I searched power surge and I found this one. I'm not sure if its compatible with my laptop or if its reliable. Do you know a specific brand that is both durable and reliable?

 

That's a standard UPS and should be OK. Explain your problem to the supplier and see if they think it would work. It will try to regulate the voltage and, if that's not possible, it will switch to the built-in battery. I would note that this battery is only good for a few minutes of running to give users time to shut down their computer but that's not an issue as your notebook has its own battery.

John

 

I found a Power Surge Protector made by Panther. I guess it make sense than the UPS.

 

Am I reading your reply right? The UPS is always the better option 'brownouts' are just as dangerous for electronics as surges.

 

Too much makes no sense. For example, if your Titan was damaged by that electrical anomaly, then so many other and less robust appliances are also damaged. What is protecting a dishwasher, every GFCI, furnace, clocks, garage door opener, TVs, router, refrigerator, central air, dimmer switches, clock radios, toaster, and smoke detectors? If a PSU needs protection, then so do other appliances.

Second, normal (completely acceptable) power for electronics is even when incandescent bulbs dim to 50% intensity. Is your voltage dropping that low? Then every motorized appliance is at risk. Motorized appliances (not electronics) must be protected from that anomaly.

Third, a 120 volt surge protector does nothing until voltage well exceeds the let-through voltage - 330 volts. How often is your voltage rising that much? Then listed are many other damaged appliances. A protectors does nothing for lesser overvoltages.

Four, did you have a universal supply? Laptops routinely work on any voltage from 85 to 265 volts. And withstand short duration overvoltages that may even exceed 600 volts without damage. What is in a power supply (not those other magic boxes) provide best protection.

Five, long before PCs existed, international design standards required all electronics to not be damaged by any low voltage down to and including zero. But if any low voltage causes damage, then power off (which creates a slowly dropping voltage) also causes damage.

Unfortunately efforts to cure from something that should not cause damage is ill advised. What makes more sense are parts that violated industry standards or did not have the protection always required in standard designs. Even missing is description of a motherboard part damaged by what? A valid conclusion is not possible without that fact.

If anything needs surge protection, then everything needs protection. Nothing above provides that protection. What is always found in facilities that cannot have damage is strongly recommended for your building. It costs about $1 per protected appliance.

Voltage variations from the AC utility must be made irrelevant by earth grounds in your facility and provided by the utility. If those are insufficient or compromised, then in rare cases, a major human safety threat exists. Best is to get that defect fixed. If necessary, that is why a PUC exists. Not taking appropriate action or trying to cure a defect by curing symptoms is also ill advised.

 

Have you read my second post? If not the unstable power then I don't know what caused the damaged to the motherboard of the laptop. Surely it's not defective because I've been using it for 10 months, if it was defective then it must have shown early symptoms but nope, it was stable then, until the nearby transformer was damaged by the heavy storm, and causing unstable power and constantly causing brownouts.

 

Exactly the point. Your second post is clearly discussed. An anomaly is identified. Then assumptions speculate that some other unrelated damage must be from that anomaly. Correlation only implies coincidence; never justifies a conclusion.

You asked about AVR and surge protector. But a surge was never defined. Nothing (please go back and read those numbers) says a surge existed. Numbers bluntly say a surge did not happen. Best AVR is already inside any power supply. Please go back and grasp all numbers in that post to learn that post completely addresses your second post.

Electronics have perfectly good voltage even when an incandescent bulb dims to 50% intensity. How often are you lights dimming more than 50%? How many other 'at greater risk appliances' have you replaced including furnace parts and refrigerator? Did you contact the PUC? More critical, did you inspect the appropriate earth ground? Another homeowner failed to do so. Fortunately no one was home when the house exploded.

Please read what is posted rather than fearing unfounded and baseless speculation in a second post.

Nothing says a surge exists. Brownouts never damage any properly designed electronics. An informed reply first says what motherboard part was damaged. Do you even know which part was damaged or just assume a motherboard failure because a computer did not work?

Numbers apply. Grasp them. Please go back and learn what is actually in that post. Discover why your second post makes no sense.

Nothing in those recommendations addresses surges. Something completely different (that should have been installed long ago for about $1 per protected appliance) does. You did not even ask about that blunt recommendation. Recommendations are ignored. That post even explains why your second post has uncorroborated conclusions.