Variac Power Conditioners Questions to RKI,....Please

[DRBILL]

I have an idea that you are right about them no longer being made. They were for the TV service trade back in the tube days. When the picture no longer filled out the screen due to low voltage or when the picture rolled due to line interference, the isotap was the solution.

Keep your eye peeled on e-bay. I have gotten four that way.

DRBILL

[artto]

No, you dont need to worry about the line voltage running at 122+ volts. Its not excessive. All consumer (and even pro audio) gear can tolerate a fairly wide line voltage range, certainly more than +- a few percent.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

A variac is not going to solve any line voltage regulation problems. It simply adjusts line voltage as a basis of percentage. It does not guarantee or supply a regulated line voltage, for that you need a regulated power supply which is an entirely different animal than a variac, or a typical power conditioner. While a regulated power supply can act as a power conditioner, a power conditioner is not a regulated power supply.

Also of note is that most regulated power supplies, including those made by Monster Cable, are simply a combination of multiple tap transformer that switches the power from tap to tap when the voltage becomes out of tolerance. The best kind of regulated power supplies those such as made by Topaz which do not use switching to regulate power supply. Iso-tap or isolation transformers as mentioned are also an option but again, be careful as to what they are rated for (variac the same thing) as any particular individual unit may not supply enough power for your needs.