Looking to hear people's experience with the above Load Controller.
Really like the device having just installed it. Paired well and switching functions as expected.....
EXCEPT I'm not seeing the wattage I would have expected for the load I have on it using the default HE Driver.
Converting wattage/220v I get ~6 amps where a coupled amp meter is showing me ~8 amps.
Anyone else?
The Sinope is advertised as a load control, not a load measurement. They state no accuracy so I would trust a calibrated meter before the Sinope.
What kind of load is it?
Is your meter set to peak or RMS current?
Load is a motor, water well pump.
Meter is supposedly "True RMS"
Well, according to conversations with their support their numbers should fall within 5% of actual.
And the explanation for the difference is described within this graph. Whereby a true RMS meter takes the reading while the phase is in sync , and the subject Load Controller (and power meters in general) do not.
I understand the effect power factor (pf) has on the actual power (vs VA). However your stated issue was the current is different. I know RMS current and RMS scaled from average current will be different, however 2 amps out of 6 (or 8 if you like). Is a large difference and the crest factor (a partial measurement of waveform distortion) would have to be severe.
So there is no way for us to know what the difference is. I guess I would think differently if we knew the multimeter brand. Or maybe not.
You're right. It is a large difference. I've looked at enough stuff with this Fieldpiece clamp-on meter to think it's always been in the ballpark of expectations...but maybe it's off. I'll do some more checks but I see the reported wattage as a relative and still useful tool ...just not absolute translation of load.
We'll just let this thread stand as a place for other owners of the RM3250ZB to report their readings vs their load specs/expectations on into the future.
Thanks all for the dialogue.
Allow me to throw one more question on the pile.
This parameter setting:
Associated with this driver:
How do you interpret that setting as it relates to triggers?
"Only report power increments/decrements of 1000 or more step changes" ?
In other words a step from 0-1200 would be reported as 1200; and back down 1200-0 would report as 0w. But if you wanted to trigger on any number above 1200, but not all the way up to 2001, say 1500....that would not be reported unless this parameter was set to a finer increment like 100w ?
Does everybody see/understand this to be the case?
Initially I was trying to avoid introducing chatty reporting as I only cared about seeing that typical 1000w kick of a variable speed pump going on...but now I am looking to fine tune whereby I can be alerted if the pump is doing slightly more duty than the average/normal.
Thanks in advance.
Just adding another data point...
I am using the Sinope RM3250ZB to control my 100% resistive 240VAC/60Hz hot water heater load.
I am seeing about a ~10W difference between what my Sinope is reporting versus what my IoTaWatt home energy monitoring system is reporting. The Sinope is reporting the slightly lower wattage (5662W (IoTaWatt) vs 5652W (Sinope)).
10W is only about a 0.17% difference in reported power for a 240VAC resistive load, or about 0.04Amps difference.
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