EEVblog Electronics Community Forum
General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: SgtRock on February 19, 2012, 09:33:02 pm
-
Greetings EEVBees:
--As a relative beginner there is a lot I do not know. Lately I have been repairing SMPSs, and trying to test them with dummy loads at their "rated" (please do not laugh) specs, while watching the temperature. I have been soldering together 10 Watt wire wounds to get the correct loads. But today I was ordering some replacement capacitors and resistors on Digi-Key (the "find chips" Tool Bar is a God send), when I noticed these; 50 Watt, 50 Ohm Vishay/Huntington adjustable power resistors (see picture).
(https://www.eevblog.com/forum/general-chat/variable-power-resistors/?action=dlattach;attach=21294;image)
--Just what the Doctor ordered. Digi-Key has a bunch of different values of these. I added several to my order. I realize you "old hands" probably know about these, but to beginners like me they are a real "find".
--Could someone tell me please if Dave Jones gets a commission on click throughs from the "find chips" toolbar? If so, I will make sure to only order that way.
"I sell here, Sir, what all the world desires to have—POWER."
James Watt 1736 1819
Best Regards
Clear Ether
-
These are basically small radiant electric heaters. Make sure you have plenty of space around them to let the heat escape. As you may have noticed from the data sheet these are not so much variable as adjustable. The adjustment terminal is clamped in place at a predefined setting of your choosing.
-
--Could someone tell me please if Dave Jones gets a commission on click throughs from the "find chips" toolbar? If so, I will make sure to only order that way.
I'd like to know too. Dropped ~$350 in components and such in the past week and used the findchips search on the forum front page just so I won't have another bookmark taking up space.
-
I think Dave said it's just a fixed amount per month, although he would of course be the best person to answer this.
-
Dear IanB:
--Good advice about the heat. I have been using a Pyrex plate for my testing up until now, but I think I will get a very large rectangular Pyrex casserole dish as well, I could cook in it as well I suppose. When doing dummy load tests, the power resistors do often get hotter than hell's door hinges. Even though I have everything on a fire proof plate, I keep the setup under observation when testing, and check the temperature of everything frequently. And I have a Halon, and a conventional fire extinguisher to hand in case of emergencies.
"Frustra fit per plura quod potest fieri per pauciora."
"It is futile to do with more things that which can be done with fewer."
William of Occam 1285 - 1349
Best Regards
Clear Ether
-
--Could someone tell me please if Dave Jones gets a commission on click throughs from the "find chips" toolbar? If so, I will make sure to only order that way.
I don't actually get a commission per click. As I've said before, it's a fixed price deal, they are paying to sponsor the forum and for everyone's eyeballs about their Findchips service. Although they can ultimately somehow track if people buy parts from the suppliers through the link.
So they do certainly track how many people are both seeing it and using it, and ultimately buying, so please do use it and support them for supporting the forum. Because if no one uses it, they might not stick around.
Yes, it's a damn handy service, I use it myself because I always have the forum open so the search bar is just conveniently there - type in your part number and find out who has what and how much.
Dave.