DIYbanter - View Single Post - Does a clock radio use more power in the aux mode than off mode?

rickman

wrote on 11/1/2017 3:32 PM:
On Wednesday, 1 November 2017 19:25:17 UTC, wrote:
On Wednesday, November 1, 2017 at 1:58:11 PM UTC-5, Seymore4Head wrote:
Does a clock radio use more power in the aux mode than off mode?

I listen to my phone over the stereo speakers from my clock. If I
just unplug the phone and leave the radio in aux mode will it use more
power?

Possibly, it depends on how power-conscious the designer was. The amplifier may power down with no input signal. One clue may be to put your ear to the speakers, with no input signal, and listen for amplifier white noise. Turn the volume way up.

It may not apply to your radio, but there are very strict efficiency requirements on most modern appliances. Even wall-warts (a major source of wasted energy) are now required to limit quiescent current (no load) to mere microamps.

Most?, Washing machines & dishwashers yes, what else?
Wallwarts & TVs have quiescent power limits, but I don't remember any efficiency requirement.

Wallwarts are pointless to regulate. I often see blurbs from power
companies and other sources talking about the wasted power in power
"vampires". If you can't feel them being hot, they aren't wasting enough
power to even think about. The extra heat your brain generates while
thinking about such things amounts to more power than the wall warts waste.

In comparison, a 7 watt night lite which before LEDs were often left on all
the time, would burn your fingers if you touched it. 7 watts left on 24/7
would cost $0.50 to $0.75 a month. So if your wall wart is barely warm to
the touch it likely is well under a dime a month.

--

Rick C

Viewed the eclipse at Wintercrest Farms,
on the centerline of totality since 1998