Electricians: need advice

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awptickes

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So, I now have a 220V device that I need a to run a circuit for, but my breaker panel is full.

I have three breakers currently that are 220 that I "Could" use: electric heat in the addition, AC Compressor, Pool pump. The pool pump doesn't run in the winter, but the heat in the addition does. The AC compressor doesn't run in the winter either.

Any advice?
 
hmm.... lets weigh this out.
several hundred dollars, or a good chance of burning your shit down.

plus, then you wont have to go down there and start changing shit again in the spring when the pool pump needs to run and you dont think youll need the heat in the addition anymore. i'd just pay to have it added. and trust me, i understand the lack of want to pay somebody to come out and do that, im about to have to buy a whole new box for my place.
 
hmm.... lets weigh this out.
several hundred dollars, or a good chance of burning your shit down.

plus, then you wont have to go down there and start changing shit again in the spring when the pool pump needs to run and you dont think youll need the heat in the addition anymore. i'd just pay to have it added. and trust me, i understand the lack of want to pay somebody to come out and do that, im about to have to buy a whole new box for my place.
Yeah, I think I'll just see if I can run this thing at 110V.
 
you probably can, but most of the time it wont be as efficient nor as strong/reliable. not sure what it is that you are running, but if performance is a key then it may be worth doing the 220 line.
 
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It puts out somewhere around 1.4kW of RF.
 
for something of that caliber, you'll want to invest in the 220 line. i'd say running it on 120 will def make it less powerful, but also run the risk of burning it out quicker.
or, you'll have to spend some money on different parts to swap out to make 120 useable, but it still wont be as efficient.
 
Nah, I just rewired it for 117V, there's actually a provision in the power supply to run it at 117. I just had to move some of the jumpers.

And yeah, I did get it running, but I realized that I have no idea how to tune up a tube amp. lol.
 
You're not going to attach that thing to your balls are you?

You're a man of many hobbies and talents.
 
Nah, I've got it hooked up to a 135ft off center fed dipole outside, about 30 ft off the ground in an inverted-V configuration.

Hopefully I won't smoke the RG8x before I can get some more stout coax.
 
I took a quick look this morning before I left for work... It looks like there's a single breaker that ONLY powers my doorbell and the post lamp in my front yard. So that's one. Just one more to go, then I can put a 220V breaker in.
 
i'd recommend a sub panel, but i'm not an electrician
those exterior things might be on their own breaker for a reason.
i see your tiny carpet has made an appearance again, i love that thing.
 
So, what I'm actually going to do is:
1. Figure out which breakers can be put on tandem breakers.
2. Call up my licensed handyman buddy.
3. Tell him what I need done, explaining the tandem breakers.
4. Have him do it.
5. Profit. (for him at least)

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so of all the crazy shit you do, you draw the line at moving some breakers around?
is it the electricity? or the license/insurance?
i know some guys don't like to mess with juice.
 
Its the laws here in Maryland. I can't legally do it myself, even though I could do it in an evening.

I'm going to cut the hole in the wall, run the pull string, identify the breakers to move, and everything I can legally do. (This is a public forum.)

ETA
Maryland disallows homeowners from changing anything more than 20a 120v circuits. Although, there is an exemption for FCC licensees... Gonna check that out.
 
As long as you get your S stamped by an electrician here in washington, home owners can do it. I know many people that have learned and wired their own houses when they built them.
 
Well, my electrician friend showed up tonight, and four hours later I have a nice 20A 240V outlet.

All I had to do was buy him the stuff, make him dinner, and hold the flashlight in my teeth while he did the work.
 
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Good, that breaker you had pictured was a 2 pole 110V breaker - not what you wanted. That transmitter is a baddass looking MOFO.

I haven't played with anything like that since the mid 70's. Do you know what the plate voltage is? I would guess 500 to 600V. (voltage measured from the chassis to the top caps of the output tubes)

Be careful with that thing - it can bite real hard. :)

I had a slightly modified Heathkit linear amp running on CB channels that cranked out ~500W on a single element quad beam.
 
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