On 1/22/2011 5:27 AM PeterD spake thus:

On Fri, 21 Jan 2011 18:09:26 -0800, David Nebenzahl
wrote:

The discussion started with a mention of 2-phase power. Turns out
that in the world of electrical power, this has a specific meaning.
It refers to a now-obsolete system of generating power in 2 phases
that were 90° apart, and was used at Niagara Falls:

http://www.3phasepower.org/2phasesystems.htm

And of course there's 3-phase power, widely used today.

The problem is this: several people, myself included, contend that
the two "legs" of power produced by a center-tapped transformer do,
in fact, constitute two separate phases of power, 180° apart. (This
is how household power is delivered in North America, with a
step-down xfmr at the power pole delivering 240 volts in the form
of 120-0-120.)

Well, if you want to be correct, the house power is split phase, and
not two phase. I suppose there is an arguement that it is two phase,
but say that to a power engineer and you'll get the old raised
eyebrows response!

Welllll ... that's pretty much what I wrote. So I take it you agree with
me that it is, in fact, 2-phase power, correct?


--
Comment on quaint Usenet customs, from Usenet:

To me, the *plonk...* reminds me of the old man at the public hearing
who stands to make his point, then removes his hearing aid as a sign
that he is not going to hear any rebuttals.