WTB - Sorensen DCS or similar Power Supplies - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: methods
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 03:56:03 pm
content: First post.This is methods from Endless-Sphere and other forums. I am trying to put my lab back together and need a few ~1KW Power Supplies. I have owned 20 or so Sorensen DCS supplies and they are (IMHO) an incredible value. Run them series, parallel, under remote control... They work great.At one point, I rambled on about them. Not a great thread, but some information to get you started if you are troubleshooting one.https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=95184Buying them used is a bit of a gamble. Most important, you dont want to get burned by the model with the 5A current limit (unless you know how to undo it). Other than that, I have found that the most common failures are:Symptom: Overheat- Bad Fan (dont get caught up buying *just* the right fan, any $20 fan that fits mechanically will do the job fine)Symptom: Low or no output, power not developing rail to rail, excessive ripple- Dry Caps (Just grab some Electrolitics that meet or exceed what was in there. I have cobbled many fixes that worked)These are the sorts of issues you will find if you buy blind on Ebay 3 at a time. Whenever I start up a new lab or convert a garage for a startup I grab a few of these supplies off Ebay. I have had them as cheap as $200, and paid as much as $400 (none with GPIB)... a few months ago prices were super low and at this exact moment of posting prices are a bit high (Covid)....Anyhow,I really need a few Power Supplies that can run off 120 Single, put out on the order of a KW, and my personal preference is a range up to 60VDC... as I charge a lot of batteries. I would not mind getting to know a new brand of supply, and I prefer (not require) the ability to program (even if analog - anything but preferred).NOTE:WARNING, if you charge batteries (like... ebike) with a DCS you need to either *always* remove the battery before shutting off the supply or run a Diode or Ideal Diode inline with the output. Failure to do so will result in the sugar-load smoking in the back of the supply. (bleeder resistor)Good day to you-methods

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 05:38:38 pm
content: why dont you use server psu's ?? serial / parallel etc ...

author: methods
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 23, 2020, 06:03:56 pm
content: From phoneMy experience is that they don't support CC mode. If you sag the voltage too far they trip protect.I did go so far as buying two and confirming that you can cut the ground to get Isolated output (for stacking) but the units I evaluated were 50V and could not support Constant Current at voltages far outside of the setpointButThat was a decade ago. . . And what I seek are variable Lab supplies for charging 4 , 5 , 8 different batteries, as well as a lot of test situations (like corner testing, Brown out, over voltage...)Thanks for the tip though-methods

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2020, 02:09:40 pm
content: OkSome Kikusui psu's are using the same AC main rectification scheme, scr / phase controlled .... like the PAD series (i have one)You have some Kepco psu tooYou have some hp rackmount psu too ?Any good linear psu will do fine, sure they will weight as ton and may dissipate lots of heat. My Kepco ATE 75-8 weight 52 pounds loll and can / could dissipate tons of heat ...My Kikusui is half of that weight fo almost the same power output ??Personally would not use any "cheap brand" smps based psuSome of theses Sorensen psu's are Xantrex branded tooFor schematics you have to find older models 2u or 3 / 4u rackmount thick, some of them have schematics floating on the web.For the Kikusui PAD models I have the schematics, but for the PAN or the PAK haven't seen nothing leaked, unless you sign an Kikusui NDA like i did for My PAD model

author: danielbriggs
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 03:05:03 pm
content: I have some high currentl, lower voltage DCS ones available here:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/buysellwanted/fs-(ukeu)-psus-and-small-clear-out/Do let me know if you're interested.All the best,Dan

author: precaud
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 10:07:33 pm
content: I have one ea. DCS33-33E and DCS300-3.5 available.

author: Jay_Diddy_B
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 26, 2020, 10:49:52 pm
content: Quote from: methods on October 23, 2020, 03:56:03 pmHi methods,That is a really useful link. I have one of these supplies. At the moment it is working well but you never when I will need the information.You may want to look at this message, I share the design of the line input cover and the bus bar cover:Link:https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/replacement-knobs-feet-and-fittings-for-test-equipment/msg3286144/#msg3286144Regards,Jay_Diddy_B