Re: Who makes a high quality power supply?

""Blattus Slafaly ? (3) ¼ :)"" <boobooililililil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
message news:481c590e$0$30484$4c368faf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
CharlesBlackstone wrote:
I am looking for manufacturer of good power supplies, preferrably a US-
based company.

I bought a Chinese Mastech 30v 10a CVCC power supply. It was cheap,
and upon arrival I see why. I'm new to this stuff and the manual is
pretty useless.

I would like to find a similar HP, Tektronix, or other high quality
comparable type power supply, so I can try to find/buy/download a
manual for one. I bet an HP manual would clear up how to use these
things.

Thanks a lot.


A power supply is a power supply. The cheapest one will do. I have good luck
with $18.00 power supplies. They either work or they don't. People who pay
$150 or $200 for a power supply are crazy. I've bought the cheapest for
decades. It don't have to last 200 years, I won't live that long and it will
be obsolete in a couple years anyway.



--
Blattus Slafaly ? 3 :) 7/8

I think you're taking a fatalist attitude. I have to disagree with you on a few
points. Experimenters need a PS with constant current or current limiting
capabilities (in case the breadboarded circuit is miswired or designed
improperly). Metering is another necessity for experimenters. Yes, the user
can always use bench meters for that, but it's sure handy to have those meters
built into the PS. Keeps everything neat and easy to monitor, and frees your
bench meters for probing the circuit..
Also, as a general rule, I like linear supplies for analog experimenting.
Switchers can cause tremors in analog circuits that will drive you crazy unless
you are aware of the source. Dual tracking supplies are great for analog
circuits as well, since many designs need positive and negative sources. Again,
keeps everything neat and easy to monitor.
People aren't "crazy" for paying reasonable prices for good equipment. The
extra cost of a well featured power supply can easily pay for itself by avoiding
destruction of expensive components because the power supply couldn't limit or
control the output current. Good power supplies don't become obsolete in a
couple of years, as computers do. With proper use and a little care, they can
last for decades.

Back to the OP's post...
Constant Voltage (CV) operation is the basic mode of a power supply. It means
that the output voltage is constant, regardless of current being drawn from the
supply (within limits, of course). The output voltage of an unregulated supply
will vary, depending on the current being drawn.
Constant Current (CC) operation means that the power supply output is a constant
current, regardless of the load resistance (again, within limits). The power
supply will vary the output voltage on order to maintain the current at a
constant level.
If the unit has current limiting capabilities, that means that if you are
operating in CV mode, and the current demanded by the load exceeds the supply's
current setting, then it will switch into CC mode at the current limit setting,
or it will shut down, causing the voltage to go to zero volts (or to a very low
value).
You set the current limit by setting the supply's mode to CC, then setting the
output voltage to the maximum voltage that you want your circuit to feel. Short
(yes, SHORT) the output terminals together, and set the current control to the
amount of current you want to supply to the circuit, or for the limiting to
occur.

If your supply has dual tracking outputs, that means the when you set the output
voltage of the master output, the other output will follow that voltage setting.
You control both output voltages with one control setting. That mode is usually
controlled by a Tracking Mode (or similar label) switch.

That's pretty much the basics of PS operation.

--
Dave M
MasonDG44 at comcast dot net (Just substitute the appropriate characters in the
address)

Some people are like Slinkies. Not really good for anything, but they bring a
smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.


.

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