What are the smallest and most functional for their size bench supplies?

[cdev]

Both new and used? Silent would also be good.

[Wirehead]

I've been looking at some Gophert CPS-3205 - switching supply. Seem good.

[mikeselectricstuff]

The Gophert units are very small and good value- minor annoyance is the terminals are on the back.
Not used them extensively but seem to work OK & build quality is OK.

[julian1]

Not particularly cheap, but the Keithley 2231A is three channel and very compact. This guy does a decent review,

[David Hess]

Considering how many can be installed into one mainframe, the old Tektronix PS501, PS503, and PS505 have a pretty high density.  Lambda has an old series of power supplies which were deep but had a small front area.

[mtdoc]

I've become very fond of the Tekpower TP3016M.  It's a small switcher - the size of a medium sized DMM.  Silent, no fan.  It has a bale like a DMM so takes up very little desk space. It puts out up to 30 V.  Max power of 50W - up to 3.75A at lower voltages, 1.6A at 30V.  For a switcher noise is not bad. Switchable output.  Easy mod to add a power switch.    I don't use it in my main lab were I have the room to own way too many PSUs .  It sits on my desk in the house where I use to charge batteries, USB devices and to power small breadboard projects.

[Co6aka]

Though not tiny, the R&S HMP4040 is small for a 4-output supply, feature rich, and they have smaller fewer-output supplies in the series. I have the HMP4040 on my bench and am quite pleased with it.

R&S Video Demo: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/us/products/test-measurement/power-supplies/hmp-videos/progammable-power-supplies-series-hmp_230818.html

[nazcalines]

Not particularly cheap, but the Keithley 2231A is three channel and very compact. This guy does a decent review,

This one looks almost perfect for me until I saw the bit about the IDs sanded off from certain chips   . Good grief, it's a bench powersupply not some DOD secret.

[james_s]

I absolutely *hate* the practice of sanding numbers off chips, it makes me all the more curious what they are.

The funniest example was some little power LED drivers I bought a few years ago, they had the number sanded off the buck converter IC but the product description said what IC it was based on 

[Aeternam]

The R&S 804x series might fit your bill: https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/product/hmc804x-productstartpage_63493-61542.html

[Wirehead]

The Gophert units are very small and good value- minor annoyance is the terminals are on the back.
Not used them extensively but seem to work OK & build quality is OK.

Build quality looks very good actually, factoring in what this unit actually sets you back. Agree on the terminals.
http://www.voltlog.com/voltlog-48-new-2016-gopher-cps-3205c-review-teardown/
I believe the person who did this review is actually a member here. Good teardown pics & video.

[EEVblog]

Small means it'll be a switcher type.
These small Manson ones don't have a fan by the sounds of it.

http://www.manson.com.hk/products/detail/31

[ruairi]

I picked up a used HP6263B on ebay a few months back for $45.  After a clean up and recalibration it's running beautifully, is fanless and all of the electrolytics are in excellent shape (checked everything with my Peak ESR meter). 

I also have some newer and bigger supplies but this one is excellent value and packs a punch for the size.

[Monkeh]

Small means it'll be a switcher type.
These small Manson ones don't have a fan by the sounds of it.

http://www.manson.com.hk/products/detail/31

Indeed they don't, and Farnell sell them under the Tenma brand. I seem to recall Mike has an earlier model, I have one of the newer ones with some slightly iffy calibration.

One day I must write some less shitty firmware for it.

[tautech]

Both new and used? Silent would also be good.

These have been good little SMPS, they do have a fan.......smart and for bench work it probably will rarely turn on.
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/cheap-variable-switching-power-supply/

You can find them on the bay or Aliexpress.

[capt bullshot]

For lighter loads, I've got these on my bench (at work):
Heinzinger TN 32-64, Oltronix B202
Both of them beeing linear and quiet (no fan) and of compact size. Wish I had the Oltronix at my home lab also, since it has a good tracking feature in case you need a +/- supply voltage. The Heinzinger is a well known brand for high voltage supplies of superior quality, but they do also low voltage ones.

BTW.
I hate the wrong order of the binding posts on the Oltronix. Most negative potential _must_ be placed most left and most positive potential must be placed right (if the binding post are horizontally aligned). Anything else is a failure to comply with common sense and intuition.

[SingedFingers]

I picked up a used HP6263B on ebay a few months back for $45.  After a clean up and recalibration it's running beautifully, is fanless and all of the electrolytics are in excellent shape (checked everything with my Peak ESR meter). 

I also have some newer and bigger supplies but this one is excellent value and packs a punch for the size.

I had one of them for a few years. Lovely bit of kit. Runs cool and silent. Regret selling it. Still look for them on eBay in the UK but they are rare as anything over here.

[ruairi]

I picked up a used HP6263B on ebay a few months back for $45.  After a clean up and recalibration it's running beautifully, is fanless and all of the electrolytics are in excellent shape (checked everything with my Peak ESR meter). 

I also have some newer and bigger supplies but this one is excellent value and packs a punch for the size.

I had one of them for a few years. Lovely bit of kit. Runs cool and silent. Regret selling it. Still look for them on eBay in the UK but they are rare as anything over here.

They are very common here in the U.S. 

I'm happy to mail one on to you if you buy on Ebay here.  P.M. me if I can help.

 

[SingedFingers]

Thanks for the offer. I don't actually need one (see the Test Equipment Anonymous thread  ) so willing to wait until one turns up

[Cubdriver]

For relatively low power stuff, I like my HP 621xA supplies - 0 to 12, 25, 50 or 100V at 10W, constant voltage or constant current output, both settings with coarse and fine adjustments.  Stackable and convection cooled - no fan, so they're silent.  They turn up fairly regularly on the 'bay, and with patience can be purchased for not too much $$.



-Pat

[SingedFingers]

Never see them in the UK annoyingly. They're pretty nice supplies.

[magnehh]

What do you mean functional? Do you want programmability and digital setting/readout? If yes, then I'd say a psu like the Keithley one is the way to go.

[DimitriP]

Nothing else is "smallest and most funtional".  Zero ripple, ultra low noise, dead quiet.  Works best when purchased new.

The rest is a matter of preference and opinion, not actual size or funtionality.

[SingedFingers]

This thread actually got me thinking and I knocked up a DIY power supply that does everything you could possibly need for basic low voltage electronics work. This can do the following things:

 * Provide any DC voltage between about 0 and 20 volts.
 * Provide 6v AC @ ~1A or 12v AC at 500mA.
 * Provide dual or triple rail voltages for opamps, digital logic at 100mA or so each.
 * Fit in a 5x4x2" space
 * Weighs less than 500g.
 * Has an earth anchor.
 * Short circuit protection.
 * Cost less than £20.
 * Doesn't eat up batteries.

All you have to do is stick a 0-6, 0-6v 6VA transformer in a box and have a few parts lying around.

* DC voltages? whop a bridge, cap and an LM317 or 78xx on the target you are testing or your breadboard.
* 6v AC? Just plug it in (great for testing tube heaters!). 12V - stack the windings.
* Dual rail/triple rail? Use 12v AC with one end grounded and the other end off a single diode, then stick a smoothing cap and linear reg on the end. Do this as many times as you need. Good for 100mA a channel easily which is fine for most op amp and HC digital work.
* Short circuit protection? Fuse! Large box of spare parts.
* Earth anchor? Earth!

Here you go:





Disclaimer: I know this is cheating

Edit: please excuse the crappy heatshrinking job.

Edit 2: ... knocked up a dual rail +/- 15v discrete supply quick (as I didn't have any negative regulators handy):

[rastro]

The HP 6235A is first power supply I reach for.  They really came up with a winner on this instrument.

1. Three adjustable voltages: 6V, +18, -18.
2. Linear with no fan.
3. Easy to stash away until it's needed. (see picture next to coffee mug)

Granted it doesn't have current control or my much current capability for that mater, but for something quick and simple it meets quite a few needs.

-rastro