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Watts up? PRO ES Electricity Usage Monitor, USB Data | 
| Brand: Watts up?
List Price: $271.95
Buy New: $186.94
You Save: $85.01 (31%)
New (5) from $186.94
Rating:  1 reviews
Media: Tools & Hardware
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The PRO ES boasts four times the memory of the PRO, and can hold over 120,000 records in memory. This enables sophisticated data collection projects to be accomplished with ease, and a high level of resolution. In fact, over a weeks worth of data can be collected with a resolution between records of only one minute. The sample interval (time between records) is user selectable between one second and one day. Memory is non-volatile so no battery is required. The PRO ES version includes all the displays of the Watts up? PRO (described below), and it also comes with the same graphing software and USB interface to a PC. Payback Calculator As a data logger, the PRO ES records all the data into non-volatile (stored even if power is lost) memory. Over one thousand data points can be stored, starting with a sampling rate resolution of one second. The sample rate is user selectable or can be automatically set (resolution decreases over time) so years of usage can be accurately recorded. Use the spreadsheet calculator below to determine what the logging interval will be, based on how long you are logging. For instance, the calculator will tell you that the interval between data will be 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds if you have logged data for 6 weeks. Logging Interval Calculator The included cable (connects to the PC USB port) and software program allows the data to be quickly downloaded to a PC where the software creates a data table and easily manipulated graphs. The data and graphs can also be exported to popular spreadsheet and word processor programs for further analysis. Note how the graph below identifies the defrost cycle on a refrigerator. The PRO ES also records any power interruptions, which is extremely handy when performing an audit of several devices. In addition, the Pro is capable of real time logging. The ES communication protocol is fully documented in the help file, including a list of commands required for real-time logging (our software would not
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| Customer Reviews:
Excellent Household Power Analyzer February 8, 2009
C. Detter (Seattle, WA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
(4.5 stars) The PRO ES power analyzer met all the advertising claims and, using a laptop, provides an excellent window in to the power consumption characteristics of household appliances. It is a moderately priced power analyzer that displays the basic power characteristics of whatever you plug into it. I am using it with Windows Vista Home Premium on a Dell Inspiron 1501 laptop, so it should run even better on your Windows XP machine!
I haven't actually used the buttons on the front of the unit; the really cool stuff is found in the Watts UP USB and Watts Up Real Time software. Both applications sample power data at 1 second intervals for the appliance plugged into the PRO ES unit. Each sample is stored in a row of a spreadsheet within the Table tab of the application as it is received. The Graph tab provides a line graph of user-selected power measurements as described in Amazon's product description. Both allow access to the PRO ES's settings (sample rate, $/KWhr, etc.). Both applications stopped sampling after about 30 minutes, but I have not investigated the reason. Both provide good Help files which explain the unit's functions.
The Watts Up USB Data Logger application is available without charge from [....] . Due to Windows Vista Data Execution Prevention, I had to download it on a different computer an sneak it in the back door of my laptop (USB memory stick). What a country!
The optional $70 Watts Up Pro Datalogger application adds timers to the applications so you can take power measurements at a specified time or on a specified schedule. It also adds an alarm function, which can provide visible, audible, and email alert when any of the measured data (amps, volts, watts, etc.) rises above or dips below a specified threshold. There is no manual enclosed, but the Help is good as noted above.
The enclosed manual is brief (two 8.5"x11" pages). Accuracy is described as: "+/- 1.5% + 3 counts. Below 60 watts, amps and power factor accuracy degrades." The half-star deduction was for lack of technical documentation (circuit diagram, device fuse replacement, how calibration is maintained)
It does not measure harmonic distortion, so it will not help you diagnose power quality problems or impacts caused by harmonics introduced by the appliance being tested. It does claim to measure true RMS power without providing details. It also provides apparent power (VA) and power factor, so reactive power (VAR) can be calculated.
Here's some measurements:
"60W" Compact Fluorescent bulb: 12.5 Watts
"100W" Compact Fluorescent bulb: 22.4 Watts
Tivo: 10.5 watts in use, 5.5 watts standby
5-disc DVD carousel: 45 watts in use
32" JVC 1995 TV: 50 watts idle, 75 watts with blue screen, 75-105 watts in use. Power peaks during bright scenes, dips in dark scenes. Speaker volume doesn't make any measureable difference.
Clock radio: 5 watts idle, 7.5 watts listening to FM radio
1500W space heater: 21 watts fan only, 754 watts on Low, 1463 watts on Max.
The data can be stored to a tab-delimited .txt file and imported into Excel using the Text-to-Columns wizard. It can also be copied and pasted directly from either Watts Up application into Excel. The graph can be sent to a printer.
If you have some electrical training and you are curious about the actual power consumuption profile of devices up drawing up to 15A (1800W), this unit and your laptop will make a nice power analyzer. For me, it did everything I wanted with a simple data export function and good presentation.
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