Is there a use for High Precision Voltage Supplies for a normal Hobby User - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: reklm
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: June 06, 2024, 06:50:04 pm
content: Is there a use for High Precision Voltage Supplies for a normal Hobby User

author: The Doktor
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2024, 09:56:47 pm
content: What exactly do you mean by "precision"?

author: Sal Ammoniac
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 06, 2024, 10:02:30 pm
content: Do you mean something that you can use to calibrate a DMM or something to power a project?

author: m98
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2024, 12:05:38 am
content: Please define “High Precision” and “Hobby user”. If you mean a good, linear lab power supply with like 100 mV/10 mA accuracy and < 10 mV noise, probably any hobbyist who does anything related to analog electronics.

author: Messtechniker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2024, 05:59:18 am
content: I'm in the market for a dual, variable, current limited power supply (0 to say +/-120 V +/- 100 mA)which will not cost an arm and a leg. Want to test high voltage opampswhich are becoming more popular. Will probably have to build such a PSU myself.Google didn't turn up with anything in the low cost range. However, there are some possibly useful circuit schematics floating around.

author: Stray Electron
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 07, 2024, 11:25:50 pm
content: Quote from: reklm on June 06, 2024, 06:50:04 pmAlmost certainly. I started with very cheap unregulated Radio Shack PSs and then went to regulated supplies by HP, Lamda and similar companies and finally to the Precision PSs made by HP and others. As your knowledge and skills increase so will your need for moreprecisevoltages. Particularly when you want to use a supply not as a "power supply" as a substitute for a voltage inside of circuits for troubleshooting purposes.The better power supplies also usually feature current limiting which is also very handy when troubleshooting problems in a device. Judicious use of current limiting can prevent burning up equipment that has shorted capacitors or other shorted components or if you accidentally short out something while probing a circuit. I keep notes on everything that I work on and also include a note about how much current the device draws under normal conditions. Then the next time that I work on something similar I set the current limit of the power supply just slightly above that.I don't use my Precision power supplies for general use but I do keep them on hand for the times that I need more precision than what an ordinary supply will give me.Check out the HP 6104A, 6105A, 6114A 6115A and related Precision Power Supplies. They're old but still in very high demand. The manuals for those are very detailed and you can learn a lot by reading them.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 08, 2024, 12:16:27 am
content: Quote from: Stray Electron on June 07, 2024, 11:25:50 pmI rather like my Precision Designs 2020. 0-20V, 2ALM399 based, 1mV steps, trimpot can give 10µV resolution in 10V - albeit with a little drift, so 50µV short term is a more realistic spec.