Show your favorite and most used benchtop PSU

[robrenz]

PD Beauty

[madshaman]

PD Beauty

Yeah, I love PD supplies too.  Sexy sexy sexy and a pleasure to use.

[madshaman]

Here's the PD supply that sits on top of the other.  Some day I'd like to touch up the paint.

[idpromnut]

It's probably not my *best* PSU, but it's my favourite and it gets used the most:

Sex on a stick!

[nanofrog]

It's probably not my *best* PSU, but it's my favourite and it gets used the most:

I have the B variant, and is my favorite as well.

[madshaman]

I have the B variant, and is my favorite as well.

Sweet!  I know why there's so much PD love on the forum, solid, so easy to use, no nonsense.

[nanofrog]

I have the B variant, and is my favorite as well.

Sweet!  I know why there's so much PD love on the forum, solid, so easy to use, no nonsense.

Paid just under $82 for it, including shipping. Triple output, fully functional, built like a tank, and even the cosmetics are great. 

[Rigby]

These are all amazing.  I'll update this post with pics of mine when I get a moment.

Here they are.

Power Designs 3650-S.  I couldn't find the schematic online, so I got the manual via eBay.  If anyone wants a copy, I'm glad to take a high-resolution photo and share it.


HP 6201B:


HP 6286A, my most-used supply, by far:


Rigol DP832:

[ajb]

Power Designs 3650-S.  I couldn't find the schematic online, so I got the manual via eBay.  If anyone wants a copy, I'm glad to take a high-resolution photo and share it.

I'd love to take you up on that if you don't mind!  Just sort-of-accidentally bought a 3650-S along with a TW5005 on eBay today and quickly found as you did that the 3650 manual's nowhere to be found on the net.



Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to my lurking until my new toys get here and I can properly contribute to the thread.

[Rigby]

I'd love to take you up on that if you don't mind!  Just sort-of-accidentally bought a 3650-S

"sort-of-accidentally" my butt.  I know how these things work   You're in good company, no need to hide. 

https://s3.amazonaws.com/RigbyElectronics/PowerDesigns3650S_Manual.pdf
https://s3.amazonaws.com/RigbyElectronics/PowerDesigns3650S_Schematic.pdf

(by the way, if anyone can read that schematic and tell me why the limit lamp is always on, i'd appreciate it.)

The circuit board pictured in the schematic doesn't match mine at all, so if anyone finds a different version of this, I'd greatly appreciate it if you shared it.

[linux-works]

all from ebay except the one with the price sticker on it, that was from a local store (Halted).

[Rigby]

I love the voltage dials on those Power Designs supplies.

[KarlosVandango]

Hello Fellas,

Hopefully you'll find this interesting... I constructed this a few years ago... (I think I was 13). After driving my parents to despair over battery usage, my Dad (who's friend was a blinding instrument guy (and they both worked at the local nuclear power station)) helped me design a twin PSU. I built the circuit, he went through with me how to start, research the components etc... (before .pdf datasheets and internet! Had to use RS components and Maplin catalog) and Dad did the drilling and "sourcing" of all the bits etc..

Max voltage output is 25V per channel, 2A per channel can be drawn (or if you bridge the outputs you can get a whopping 4A supply)

Biased on the LM723, this unit has also short-circuit protection, AND you can limit the current going out. Although the gauges are analogue, they still do the job, and I didn't want to mess up the calibration of the dials.

I'm 35 now, and the unit is still in use. Unfortunately, the PSU used to have a nasty habit of discharging max voltage through the output terminals when you turned the unit off (no bleed resistors on the caps!!). When I was an apprentice, I fitted bleed resistors AND relays to disconnect the output terminals (along with additional snubbers etc).

God only knows now where I put the schematic for it... But I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to reverse engineer... Hmmmm....

Regards,

Karl

[KarlosVandango]

Forgot this one....



You can see the other bits added over the years... Do I upgrade to digital displays...? I think I'd rather build another one, this unit works, although you do need a multi-meter to get really accurate settings. But the gauges are spot on, it's only when you require "point" of a volt...

[nctnico]

Overshoot at power down is a nasty habit of many self build and cheap power supplies. It can kill circuits if you are unlucky. I recall a case when an intern tested tens of boards with a cheap PSU. Ofcourse all the boards where OK and they got shipped to the customer. At the customer none worked. After some questioning it turned out he used the crappiest PSU in the 'lab' which had this overshoot problem which killed all the 4000 series logic. Some people objected when I dumped the PSU in the bin. Another lesson to be learned is that you should put regulators on a board to make sure the supply voltage is within range.

[warp_foo]

Forgot this one....



You can see the other bits added over the years... Do I upgrade to digital displays...? I think I'd rather build another one, this unit works, although you do need a multi-meter to get really accurate settings. But the gauges are spot on, it's only when you require "point" of a volt...

If you're putting it up for a vote: No! I love the analog gauges.

m

[KarlosVandango]

Thanks! I'll think I'll keep 'em

Totally agree about the over-shoot! I've killed many a circuit forgetting about disconnecting first!!... I lived with it for a few years, but when I hit my apprenticeship (after blowing up a great circuit which took ages to build for work) I was straight in there like a thing possessed... Relays, bleed resistors, snubbers etc. But really the design was flawed from the start, could do so much better now. But it's my favorite piece of equipment and most useful thing I've ever made

I hate to think how much it cost the CEGB... (the mighty Central Electricity Generation Board... back in the day of publicly owned power)

[ajb]

I'd love to take you up on that if you don't mind!  Just sort-of-accidentally bought a 3650-S

"sort-of-accidentally" my butt.  I know how these things work   You're in good company, no need to hide.

I'm just saying, that "Make an offer" thing is dangerous, especially if you forget about that offer you made on a 3650S when you see a nice TW5005 with a tempting "Buy it Now" price!

Thanks for sharing those PDFs.  If the CC and CV modes function properly even with the limit lamp always lit, I'd suggest starting at Q12.

[lapm]

You can see the other bits added over the years... Do I upgrade to digital displays...? I think I'd rather build another one, this unit works, although you do need a multi-meter to get really accurate settings. But the gauges are spot on, it's only when you require "point" of a volt...

If those analog gauges work keep them Not too many of those around anymore. Gives your PSU this "OLD" feel...

You don't always need super accurate readings after all..

Damn this thread, now i want to build myself second PSU...

[anachrocomputer]

My main bench power supply, the Farnell TOPS 4D:

[Rigby]

Here's the PD supply that sits on top of the other.  Some day I'd like to touch up the paint.

If anyone knows a good paint to use to touch these up, please let me know.  I'm gonna scratch out all the paint that is in these little channels now and repaint the entire thing, but I'm not sure what paint to use.  A little voice in my head is screaming "enamel paint" but I don't know if that's right or even what it is.  It's weird how the voices are...

[robrenz]

Make sure you have one that is etched and filled graphics first!  Some are just silk screened paint with no channels.

[Rigby]

Make sure you have one that is etched and filled graphics first!  Some are just silk screened paint with no channels.

Mine is definitely etched.  Handy little groove to lay down paint on.  I've had vinyl stencils cut with detail like this, so I could go that route if the stencils weren't available.  I've heard of using stencils as negatives, before, laying down a negative of the pattern you want, then airbrushing in the exposed areas and peeling off the vinyl.  I was going to try that if it wasn't grooved.

[electronics technician]

This is the best i can afford, i use the 9V battery when i need a stable supply.

thats a big breadboard how much did that cost
btw great psu

[MLXXXp]

I suppose I should get something better but I've gotten by so far with these.

Most used:
Elenco XP-655
0-30VDC 0.5A

For higher current or a 2nd supply:
Quick and dirty LM338K
1.3-30VDC 5A(maybe)

For higher voltages:
Heathkit IP-32
0-400VDC 100mA, 0-minus100VDC 1mA, 6.3VAC 4A

For AC:
General Radio Variac type W5
0-130VAC 5A unregulated