Is there any reason, except for the obvious, why I shouldn’t power it through a power bar and switch it off when I don’t need it (the “obvious” being when I am watching something, recording some, post-processing something, etc.)?
https://support.tablotv.com/hc/en-us/articles/205846436-How-much-power-does-Tablo-consume- says it only takes about 10W in standby, which doesn’t seem to apply to the Dual LITE I have, since it’s so warm. I’d guess it takes the better part of 100W.
The Tablo is designed to be an “always on” (the network) appliance. As it receives updates and guide data.
That is usually done overnight say 2-3 AM.
Besides the fact that most electronics are designed for a limited number of full power up cycles - there is no reason you can’t use a smart plug.
It’s your device. You can always buy a replacement.
I won’t be renewing the guide.
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We do need to update that article, but the DUAL LITE, DUAL 128, QUAD, and QUAD 1TB all have very similar power requirements (~ 9 - 15 W). Certainly nowhere near 100W.
Even without a guide data subscription, your Tablo does run overnight maintenance so turning it off overnight is not recommended.
Then could there be something wrong w/my setup? I really don’t see 15W making it that warm. I realize that rating doesn’t include the USB devices, but since my USB device is several inches away, the Tablo shouldn’t absorb any of that heat.
What if I left it on overnight once in a while? Thing is, we are on time of use, so if I could leave it off during the day (when I don’t need it) that wouldn’t be so bad.
Well, warmth is not a great indicator. I mean, an RPi gets very warm (if not downright hot).
Maybe if the Tablo was actively cooled, it might not be so warm. It’s more of a “cooling solution” thing more so than a watts consumed thing.
No. Tablo is designed for passive cooling which means it’ll run warmer than other electronics.
And it would be OK to leave it off during the daytime, but you’d miss any daytime recordings of course.
Still, while I understand that Time-of-Use pricing for power is a huge bummer and you need to keep an eye on sources of phantom power, there are MANY other things that use a lot more power to focus on.
I agree with this. Around here time of use rates are at worst $0.217 per kilowatthour. That means every 1000 watts = $0.217 per hour, and peak hours run 6 hours a day. Mid tier rates are about $0.15 per hour and run 6 hours a day.
If I were to shut off my tablo for peak and mid-tier, running it only 7 pm to 7 am, then, at 15 watts of comsumption, I will save myself:
6 hours @ 15w @ $0.000217 + 6 hours @ 15w @ 0.00015 = 6 hours @ $0.003255 + 6 hours @ $0.00225 = $0.01953 + $0.0135 = $0.03303
So, rounded to the nearest cent, 3 cents per day. Less than a dollar per month. And that’s assuming a full 15 w usage. Idling at say, 9w, it’s less than 2 cents per day savings.
The kids leaving the bathroom lights on (at 6 60w incandessent bulbs because they don’t make an LED bulb in the style I need for that fixture) costs me $0.79 per day. There’s bigger fish to fry than the power comsumption of the Tablo.
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Yeah, but the kids are too small, so you gotta keep throwing 'em back in.
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Does your bill come w/a “delivery” charge, too, some of which (they won’t tell you how much) is based on usage and some is fixed cost? That 0.217$ doesn’t include taxes either.
While I realize that the above charges, even at their most pessimistic, amount to a pittance of an increase at 15W, I can’t get away from the idea that my box is pulling more than that.
Yes, it does have a delivery charge, but ours is a fixed rate and doesn’t change by usage. You are correct that I didn’t add in the tax. At 13% HST, that $0.03303 becomes $0.0373239 per day. Over a 30 day billing period, still just $1.12 for the month, or $13.62 for the year. Yes, everything adds up, and killing the Tablo will reduce your overall usage, just don’t expect it to provide large results.
If you have access to a KillAWatt meter (http://www.p3international.com/products/p4400.html) then you can validate for yourself what your specific unit is pulling. The Killawatt is going to be it’s own phantom draw, so don’t use it all the time, but if you leave it for a day or so, you can know what the devices you plugged into it are drawing.
How do you know the delivery is fixed? You’re in Ontario, aren’t you? My bills (from Hydro One) explicitly promise that the fixed-usage ratio is a complete mystery.
70CAD on Amazon… the engineer in my is very curious as to what a meter might tell me, but the skinflint in me tells me it would have to last for the rest of my life (and maybe those of my kids) until it started paying for itself. Maybe the more affordable https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DPJ3RGB/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_O89ZFbTPVBZFZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 would be a better buy.
Just buy a smart plug that also measures power usage. It solves turning the tablo on/off and measures power usage.
That way the cost of the smart plug can be amortized by the 50 cents per year you might save.
Return on investment is a high priority for myself, as well.
However, I see return on investment in not only money value, but also knowledge, and stress reduction value.
Saving money, and, especially, not wasting money, is great.
Reducing stress by solving mysteries that induce stress is also great.
Life’s short.
Can’t take my money with me.
Stress reduces my lifespan.
Spending a bit of money to reduce stress works for me.
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I don’t have it in writing, no. What I have is a consistent value for the delivery charge on my bills. I suppose I could be wrong on that.
That kuman probably works just as good. Or, if you’re an engineer, you might even have access to an osciliscope, which will also provide you a means to determine the power draw. Just remember to be careful.
A lot of my “green friends” have batteries, solar and DC panels. Perhaps some people are greener than others.
Is it weird I immediately thought of the kermit I used to download files from a BBS?
Somewhere (lost in BBS land) is my modified OZWYLBUR for which I used a patched ZCPR with an integrated dialer for the Osborne I modem. So I could do my work on my computer and quickly upload (300 baud) to the mainframe.