krby
Solar Enthusiast
If your hobbies include anything with, DC powered devices, batteries, inverters, electronics, etc. an adjustable bench top DC power supply comes in handy a lot. Off the top of my head from the last month or so:
- Configure Inverter/Charger that requires a DC source, but your battery hasn't arrived (or you don't want to move it?)
- Troubleshoot two household devices that had DC wall bricks (12V and 5V). In one case, I figured out the wall brick was the problem (easy to replace), in the other the device was.
- Small temporary power supply for an battery charger (charging LiPo batteries RC)
- As @FilterGuy pointed out, you can use the PSU itself as a CC/CV battery charger if you don't need to balance the cells!
- Testing R/C planes and equipment on the bench without needing a battery.
I chose a pretty cheap one. In this price range / power level, there are a bazillion identical looking products. Most will do constant voltage or constant current. Among folks that know better, there is a lot of debate about whether it's worth it to buy something this cheap or buy a more expensive bench top power supply. For my needs, this works perfect, I don't rely precise output, I don't run it close to the rated limits. If you have a need for a higher quality supply, you probably know what you're looking for better than I do. My point is not to get this exact one, but that this I believe an adjustable PSU is a great bench top tool and the "not dirt cheap, but still not several hundred dollars" level seems to be a good bang for the buck.
- Configure Inverter/Charger that requires a DC source, but your battery hasn't arrived (or you don't want to move it?)
- Troubleshoot two household devices that had DC wall bricks (12V and 5V). In one case, I figured out the wall brick was the problem (easy to replace), in the other the device was.
- Small temporary power supply for an battery charger (charging LiPo batteries RC)
- As @FilterGuy pointed out, you can use the PSU itself as a CC/CV battery charger if you don't need to balance the cells!
- Testing R/C planes and equipment on the bench without needing a battery.
I chose a pretty cheap one. In this price range / power level, there are a bazillion identical looking products. Most will do constant voltage or constant current. Among folks that know better, there is a lot of debate about whether it's worth it to buy something this cheap or buy a more expensive bench top power supply. For my needs, this works perfect, I don't rely precise output, I don't run it close to the rated limits. If you have a need for a higher quality supply, you probably know what you're looking for better than I do. My point is not to get this exact one, but that this I believe an adjustable PSU is a great bench top tool and the "not dirt cheap, but still not several hundred dollars" level seems to be a good bang for the buck.
DC Power Supply Adjustable (0-30 V 0-10 A), Eventek KPS3010D Variable Switching Regulated Digital Power Supply with Alligator Leads US Power Cord: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
DC Power Supply Adjustable (0-30 V 0-10 A), Eventek KPS3010D Variable Switching Regulated Digital Power Supply with Alligator Leads US Power Cord: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
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