Ooma from Europe

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nn5i
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by nn5i » Thu Sep 02, 2010 7:40 pm

eYeks wrote:
atici wrote: Does the ooma hub consume more than 20 watts?
I have a power meter attached to the Ooma hub - I did that when I noticed that the hub runs quite warm to the touch... I was surprised to see it only uses about 6 watts, however the power-factor is only 60% and so it ends up being 9VA. It has used 260Wh in 44 hours that I have had the meter on...

Hope this helps!
\eYeks
Hmmm -- if the PF is 60% and it uses 6 watts, then it uses 10 va -- still not much.

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lbmofo
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by lbmofo » Thu Sep 02, 2010 11:08 pm

southsound wrote:I'm known as being so tight that I squeak when I walk. After using the Net10 (Nokia 1600 handset) for a couple of months, ShopKo, a local retailer, had the phones on sale for $24. Since you can transfer your number and minutes/days to another phone just as easily as buying a time card, I just picked up a couple of them - cost was now $12 a month with 150 minutes each month.

Then as I was browsing Dealnews.com one day, I saw that Net10 corporate was selling refurbed Nokia 1600's for $22 and giving an extra 300 minute/60 day card with the purchase. I bought a bunch of them. So now I have phones that cost me $5.50 a month ($22/4) and I still get 150 minutes per month. In other words, they were giving me an $8 discount on a 300 minute card plus a free phone with 300 more minutes.

I can't tell the refurb phones from the new ones - and the Nokia 1600 has all the features I need. Since Net10 rolls over time and minutes, with my calling habits I have over 400 extra minutes from previous updates. And I have a stack of spare batteries, spare chargers, etc.

Of course, raccoons have minimal calling habits and an even more limited income. YMMV
A family plan with a few extra lines @ $10 each (got to add the kids older than 8; maybe a grandparent here and there) with a couple of unlimited data packages (both mom and dad has to have them smartphones) plus unlimited family text (teenagers got to do thousands of texts per month) seems to be the norm now a days and that easily tops the cable/satellite bill by a mile.

Cable/Satellite with a couple or more HD receivers/DVRs would run over $100 easy but that cell plan would top $200 per month without a problem.

This $200+/mo is new found money the cell phone companies methodically engineered over the years (ARPU Strategy) and families are gladly paying it month in & month out.

Just like cable/satellite, this family plan is really tough to get rid of once you've had it. Hence, people keep on paying while the price keeps going up (again ARPU Strategy; the latest is "data package required" for even the phones that your kids want).

At least with AT&T, light data users can reduce data package price from $30 to $15 (300 MB) and heavy users from $30 to $25 (2 GB). Verizon would like to follow but ain't ready yet because their IT systems can't handle it as of now. Sprint is a lot cheaper but only if you can deal with horrific service in many spots. Tmobile is a cheaper alternative as well but not really keeping up with the big boys as far as network improvements relative to grwoth and demand (german parent is trying to get rid of them hence in sustainment mode).

I'd like to do what SouthSound is doing but unless something dramatic happens like job loss, ain't happening anytime soon.

murphy
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by murphy » Fri Sep 03, 2010 1:10 am

nn5i wrote:
eYeks wrote:
atici wrote: Does the ooma hub consume more than 20 watts?
I have a power meter attached to the Ooma hub - I did that when I noticed that the hub runs quite warm to the touch... I was surprised to see it only uses about 6 watts, however the power-factor is only 60% and so it ends up being 9VA. It has used 260Wh in 44 hours that I have had the meter on...

Hope this helps!
\eYeks
Hmmm -- if the PF is 60% and it uses 6 watts, then it uses 10 va -- still not much.
You are billed for watts, not VA.
Power Factor is not important in a residential setting.
If it was you can be sure the power company would do something about it.
Only commercial operations that draw 1000s of amps are required to do power factor correction.
Customer since January 2009
Telo with 2 Handsets, a Linx, and a Safety Phone
Telo2 with 2 Handsets and a Linx

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nn5i
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by nn5i » Fri Sep 03, 2010 4:46 am

murphy wrote:You are billed for watts, not VA.
Power Factor is not important in a residential setting.
If it was you can be sure the power company would do something about it.
Only commercial operations that draw 1000s of amps are required to do power factor correction.
True, but irrelevant. The discussion is not about the periodic cost of powering the Ooma, but about how large a stepdown transformer is required. Transformers are rated in va, not watts, so a stepdown transformer is required that can supply 10 va continuously, without overheating.

If, for example, the load were purely inductive or purely capacitive, it would dissipate zero watts, but the transformer would still have to be big enough, and its required size would be dictated by the number of va required. And that's why the power company acts the way you describe: if you have a large load (a factory, maybe) that is mostly inductive, they too must install a bigger transformer, and maybe a bigger substation, than if you had a purely resistive load that drew the same number of watts.

gurdas
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by gurdas » Wed Nov 10, 2010 6:49 am

I was shopping for a 220V, 50Hz to 12VDC, 1.2A adapter and some have fixed while others have multiple tip configurations. Most common tip sizes I am seeing are 5.5x2.1 and 5.5x2.5 (mm).

Examples of adapters, these take 220V, but have different max output current:
http://www.amamax.com/ltspullirepo.html
http://www.amamax.com/ltspullidc12.html
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Line-0900-7 ... B000QFLWAG (not sure if this takes 220V)


Q1. Can someone please confirm the power adapter tip size for Ooma Hub?

Q2. Of the three links above, will the first link suffice Hub's power needs? The adapter that accompanied Hub is rated for 12VDC, 1000mA output.

Q3. The second link adapter is rated for 2000mA (and 12VDC). Does that mean it could damage the Hub? Or is the extra current capacity harmless and will go unused?

chuckd83
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by chuckd83 » Thu Jan 06, 2011 4:55 pm

I have a transformer to step down to 110V, but what about the "60 Hz?" Can the adapter work on 110V, 50Hz?

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lbmofo
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by lbmofo » Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:13 pm

chuckd83 wrote:I have a transformer to step down to 110V, but what about the "60 Hz?" Can the adapter work on 110V, 50Hz?
Good question. I just now realized the 50/60Hz difference... http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap11/electric.htm
Anyone know?

thunderbird
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Re: Ooma from Europe

Post by thunderbird » Thu Jan 06, 2011 5:59 pm

My Ooma Telo data tag calls for 2A (amperes) 5 VDC (volts direct current). So for an Ooma Telo, if you have a good power converter that produces a minimum output of 2A, and 5 VDC; 50 or 60 Hz input makes no difference. Same thing goes for various input voltages. (There can’t be less than output 2A available, but more than output 2A available amperes is okay. The Ooma device will take only the amps it needs as long as DCV stays near 5 VDC).

Warning: The most important thing is that the output voltage is a “Clean” 5 VDC. Meaning that the 5 VDC output doesn’t also carry an AC (alternating current) signal. Some devices don’t care weather there is also an AC output, but we don’t know that about an Ooma device. A good power converter adapter will regulate and filter out any output AC signal, leaving only a nearly “pure” 5 VDC.

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