To set up a Fluke VR101 event recorder, just enter the event capture limit parameters on your PC and load them into the recorder. EventView software and the optical interface cable make it easy. Then plug the recorder into the outlet you need to test, and leave it ¾ there's no need to leave a computer hooked up. The compact recorder stores any voltage event that goes outside your limits. The VR101 recorder can store up to as many as 4000 events and a flashing LED tells you when events have been captured.

To get data out of the recorder, hook it back up to your computer. EventView software can download a complete history of the events that occurred while the recorder was plugged into the receptacle. The software lets you build a detailed report of sags, swells, transients, outages and frequency variations with time-stamps and durations.

Your PC communicates to the VR101 through an optical interface cable. This means the PC and VR101 are insulated from each other for safety. The event recorder is self-powered by a 7-year lithium battery, so it is not affected by power outages. Each VR101 Recorder has its own real-time clock for time-stamping voltage events and is identified by a unique factory-assigned code. With their clocks and ID codes, multiple recorders can be placed throughout a facility to give a complete picture of power quality.