Products > Test Equipment
Power Supply: Build or Buy?
J-R:
New 40W Hakko soldering iron for $7.80: https://hakkousa.com/910-convertible-40w-soldering-iron.html (free shipping @ $25)
Cheapest adjustable power, recycle a laptop power brick (~20V/3-5A) and combine it with an LM2596S board: https://www.mtnelectronics.com/index.php&product_id=136
Also, tons of other LM2596S boards out there on ebay with different options, such as with a built-in LED display.
Add some capacitance on input/output to clean things up and replace the trimmer pots with real ones and you've got something basic for nearly no money.
Some other places to window shop:
https://www.jameco.com
https://www.tequipment.net
https://www.testequipmentdepot.com
https://www.arrow.com
For used (prices are cheaper direct compared to their ebay stores):
https://www.ntc-tech.com
https://equiptek.com/000.htm
https://www.sglabs.it/en/
Of course:
https://www.digikey.com
https://www.mouser.com
Ultimately, I think you're stuck and you'll just have to buy one of those cheap bench supplies on Amazon that may or may not burn your house down... They are typically in a metal box so the odds are low...
nctnico:
--- Quote from: br4n_d0n on May 08, 2023, 04:44:17 am ---As a newcomer and barely a hobbyist, this stuff is way overpriced for me. I may have to wait a long time or win some sort of contest to get something good.
--- End quote ---
What is your budget? The PSUs from Korad are a good start without breaking the bank.
tooki:
--- Quote from: Fungus on May 04, 2023, 10:53:01 am ---You really can't go wrong with something like this: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000419022828.html
Meanwell are a respected brand and they have full protection against overloads/overheating/etc.
--- End quote ---
Indeed, I’ve had great experiences with Mean Well, too.
But why suggest buying on aliexpress? Mean Well is sold by all the major distributors (ensuring it’s genuine) at lower prices.
tooki:
--- Quote from: nctnico on May 08, 2023, 07:46:12 am ---
--- Quote from: br4n_d0n on May 08, 2023, 04:44:17 am ---As a newcomer and barely a hobbyist, this stuff is way overpriced for me. I may have to wait a long time or win some sort of contest to get something good.
--- End quote ---
What is your budget? The PSUs from Korad are a good start without breaking the bank.
--- End quote ---
Yep. A Korad KA3005P is my “daily driver” bench supply at home, and it works well without taking up too much space. (For example, my Agilent U8001A sits unused on the shelf most of the time because it’s so deep; I can’t dedicate that much bench space to it.)
5U4GB:
--- Quote from: David Hess on May 04, 2023, 12:53:21 pm ---Unfortunately distinguishing the good produces from the bad is practically impossible, making them all bad. China has become the Nigerian Prince of counterfeit products, with companies like Ebay, Newegg (Chinese owned now), and Amazon helping.
--- End quote ---
For power supplies specifically it's actually not that hard, just look at the components and layout around the mains side of the circuit and you can get a fairly good idea as to whether it's properly designed and built or not.
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