Budget-Friendly Electronic DC Load

[xKertx]

Hi,

I’m looking to buy my first DC electronic load for hobby use, and I’d like to hear your opinions on which model I should choose, or whether there’s another model I might not even be aware of.

Since I would only be using it occasionally, I’m not planning to invest a lot of money, and I’m mainly looking at devices in the sub-250€ price range.
I don’t have any specific application in mind that would define the exact requirements. The use would be quite varied — for example, testing smaller power supplies and batteries, or whatever else a hobbyist might come up with from time to time.
But I probably won’t need more than 200 W of power or voltages above 100 V.

At first, I was looking at the Korad KEL102 (150 W / 120 V / 30 A), which costs around €250. It has been on the market for years, so I would assume most of its bugs have already been fixed. The only thing that really bothers me about it is that adjusting the parameters of more complex programs using the numeric display could be rather cumbersome.

But then I noticed the Owon OEL1530T DC load, which offers 300 W / 150 V / 30 A, yet is much more compact and costs around €200. This makes me wonder if it’s too good to be true.
I can’t seem to find any YouTube videos or reviews of it.
Is its user interface as awkward to use as the one on the Korad?
Since it’s much smaller but more powerful, I assume it’s probably also considerably louder? On the other hand, since I would only be using it occasionally, the noise might not be much of an issue. And perhaps the fan could be replaced with a quieter one.
I’m also wondering about the small banana terminals on the front panel. Almost every other DC electronic load seems to have much larger and heavier-duty terminals.

How good is Owon as a brand in general, and can its specifications be trusted?
I know they are both budget brands, but Korad has been on the market for a longer time and I own a Korad power supply that I’m happy with. And Korad looks more like a robust tool.
Between these two, which one would be the more reliable tool if I don’t want to constantly question whether the readings on the display are actually accurate?
Are there any other brands or models I should consider in this price range?

Thanks!

[indeterminate]

I have a Korad and it works fine
you can always use one of its coms interfaces to drive it

https://github.com/radiohyperactivity/KEL100-Series-Load-Tool

[BennoG]

I started out with the below one.

DL24  https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/1005004567336099.html

Later upgraded to a ET5410 about 3 times the price of the DL24

Benno

[kite31]

I have not tried the Owon 1530. I have the Owon 8512 which is very quiet, straightforward to use and has been reliable in my non-intensive use. Having an electronic load has proven more useful than I feared it might.

[thephil]

I have an ET5410A+. Cheap but I am happy with it. Also nice to control remotely, if that is of interest.

[Kean]

I have a couple of the Owon OEL1515T.  I didn't go for the higher current or voltage models as I mostly deal with voltages under 60V and currents under 5A.  I also have some other DC loads (like IT8511+) which can handle 30A and 150W, and have the bigger binding posts and better cooling.

I haven't used them a lot, but I have done some simple PSU load test and battery discharge tests with them.  I am actually using one this weekend to test some 2S1P LiFePO4 18650 packs.  I posted some initial comments late last year in this thread: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/owon-electronic-loads-oel8511-200-500w-oel1515-150-300w/

If you need to do higher current or power (>10A or >100W), I feel that the Owon OEL85 series might be better with twin fans and bigger binding posts but I think they were about $100 more.  Another disadvantage is the sense terminals are on the back which makes cabling a bit messy.  I somewhat doubt the 300W rating on the OEL15/30/60 models, especially for long periods, but they are do have the easily accessible sense terminals, and are more compact on a busy bench.

PS. I see in that other thread there are now more people who have posted their thoughts and noise/temperature measurements.  Also there are some links to short videos.

[RogerG]

Hi,

I'm using the DL24MP, which is scalable as your demands grow. Actually I have 3 expanding 150W modules attached, so it can handle up to 600W. It comes without a case, but there are versions with case included, too. You need an external PSU, so it's a little bit bulky on the table, but it's cheap. 50€ for the base unit and 12€ for each expansion module as occasion.