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Astronomers and observatory operators often find themselves in a situation where they can hardly differentiate the signal of interest from the noise. Furthermore, they might experience system and instrument failures - permanent or temporary- whose root-cause might not be 100% clear. This is where the electric power grid and the grounding of the instruments and the observatory itself step onto the scene. The structure of the electric power grid that supplies astronomical observatories differs from that of a standard power grid. Observatories are not integrated into widespread mesh-type power grid configurations, but rather located at the end of so-called stub power lines or cables. Therefore, disturbances in the observatory cannot be properly compensated for by the grid. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) may be able to mitigate power quality issues such as over- or undervoltage phenomena, but they only address the symptoms and not the root cause or improper engineering of the power grid and power supply of the observatory. Previous studies have measured Power Quality parameters on site, which has led to further research on Power Quality at astronomical observatories. This study will answer the research question of whether a new approach to Power Quality measurements can provide additional information, particularly for remote power grids. The method confidently measures numerous voltage and current signals using a high-speed measurement setup that is commonly used in high-power high-voltage measurements. This setup can accurately identify both the symptoms, such as deviations in voltage or current signals, and the underlying causes that occurred beforehand. The tests are conducted at the Renewable Power Systems Laboratory of Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences. The high-bandwidth current sensors adapted to the recorder make for a novel setup. The benchmark measurements, setup, and results have been previously presented at conferences. This contribution highlights the need for further research on power grid disturbances and their proper mitigation. To mitigate high-frequency interference signals that may originate from power electronics, appropriate grounding techniques should be implemented for observatories.
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