I’d give a “thumbs up” for the Acopian supplies, too. I have several and they get used regularly. I haven’t had one die on me yet (knocks on head)
Steve WB0DBS > On May 1, 2020, at 6:23 PM, jimlux <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 5/1/20 12:07 PM, Tim Shoppa wrote: >> Jim, when it comes to "bench supplies" - knobs for voltage and meters - >> most of the commonly available Chinese bench supplies in the under 3A-range >> are linear with series regulator. >> This unit (HY1803D) is typical and has a transformer (relay-selected >> winding depending on the voltage setting) and a 2N3055 heat sink on the >> back. >> http://www.mastechpowersupplies.com/variable-regulated-power-supply-hy1803d.html >> After you get to the 5A range they start becoming switchers. There are only >> a couple of common designs with different trim and brand names on the front. >> Of course old-school (50's-80's era) regulated HP bench supplies are >> commonly available on the surplus market and they are built like tanks and >> pretty much infinitely repairable as long as the meters haven't been >> smashed in. > > > > True, but these days, I'd rather fool with oscillators and mixers than power > supply repair. I've kind of gotten out of the "buy old surplus gear and make > do" phase. Although if you go somewhere like the San Bernardino Microwave > Society meetings, there's people there with literal truck loads of old test > gear, for which I would have sold my future children into bondage for, when > it was only 20 years old - of course, now it's 50 years old. > > I'm past the thrill of running a 1980s sweeper or the venerable 8640 signal > generator. > > Hence the question about "off the shelf bench power supplies" > > > > > >> I would be reluctant to use a bench supply for long-term use because you >> bump that knob and what was supposed to be 3.3V becomes 18V. > > > Uh, no, I'd never do that, no, uh-uh. At JPL we have bunches of overvoltage > protector widgets from some company I can't remember, banana plugs or wires, > external to the bench supply. If you go over 5.25V, it crowbars. > > >> Few to no current production wall warts are linear. Power-conserving >> regulations around the world now pretty much require wall warts to be >> switchers. Linear (including regulated) wall warts are still available from >> the surplus outlets but they are less common than before. > > yeah, i've got a box of those older linear warts - a transformer, a diode, > maybe a bridge, and maybe a capacitor. Good for stuff like running LEDs or > small motors. > > >> Few to no current production modular fixed-voltage supplies are linear. >> With a handful of exceptions (I think a couple of the Lambda linear modules >> are still available) they are almost all switchers. > > Acopian is your friend for linear "bricks". > > https://www.acopian.com/linear-regulated-power-supply-models.html > > That familiar gold box is a common sight. > > > > _______________________________________________ > time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] > To unsubscribe, go to > http://lists.febo.com/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts_lists.febo.com > and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to http://lists.febo.com/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts_lists.febo.com and follow the instructions there.
