Bench Supply recommendation ~$500 - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: positrontime
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 06:51:27 pm
content: Been looking at getting a bench supply (current stuff I worked on):I do random repairs on appliances and manufacturing equipment and so far max power I have needed was 24V@1amp. I am getting into more Arduino circuits too. Currently building a hall effect RPM gauge for my lathe and milling machines. Just got a copy of The Art of Electronics so am learning. So far I have only needed one channel but that might change as I do more and more workLooked a while on here before posting and seems a lot recommendRigol DP832Siglent 3303X-E (seems people have issues with the plugs)I am looking at BK 1561A on ebay.LINKThanks fore any pointers and tips of what to look at.

author: AZTLAN
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 07:18:26 pm
content: I have the Rigol DP832(now hacked to DP832A) and I have never had a problem with it.Aztlan

author: rdl
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 08:17:26 pm
content: If I was just getting started now, I'd buy a Korad KA3005. I'd also buy a version of the BK1651A because it's a great all around supply for beginner's experimentation. I think the one you linked is considerably over-priced however. The older analog models can be found for $100-150. The BK versions from back then are pretty ugly though, with their avocado green and mustard yellow color scheme. You can find a Tektronix version for about the same price. Here's one I bought for $125. It's my most used and most useful power supply.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 30, 2020, 08:57:27 pm
content: Quote from: positrontime on August 30, 2020, 06:51:27 pmI take"manufacturing equipment" to mean industrial electronics and as such I believe it is a good idea to make use of the supplies common to industry. That is fixed voltage current limited supplies for your 24 VDC, 12 VDC and 5VDC rails. This is what we did at work for prototype and test station work, just shove some off the shelf open frame supplies into a box and wire up some banana jacks. This can save your some grief if the wrong channel of a power supply gets turned up too high. More so the electronics you buy are often designed to run at these voltages. By the way I know this runs against the feelings on this forum that bench supplies need to be variable. However at work we have several variable voltage supplies and frankly if I need a 24 VDC supply to work on a fixed voltage industrial item I reach for the box with the fixed supplies.Now that will not solve all of your supply problems but it can give you a better handle on what you need in your variable supply. Since industrial systems can often make use of transducers / transmitters requiring +&- voltages, you need a supply that goes over 15 VDC for two of the supplies (hopefully supplies that rack each other). +&- 30VDC might be over kill but is a fairly common range. As such the Rigol seems like a good choice if a little beefy.QuoteYou can run Arduinos off very simple power supplies so I don't see them as a good justification for an expensive bench power supply. You can run a wall wart into the power input jack (on boards so equipped) for example. Or you can run a wall wart into a three terminal regulator for custom or boards without regulation.In other words Arduino doesn't require an expensive supply to get started.QuoteIf a supply doesn't have standard jack spacing's don't buy it. Seriously it doesn't say anything good about the manufacture in my mind.The Rigol is apparently a nice supply I'm just not convinced that you need it. The cost is a good down payment on a scope.QuoteThat B&K is an interesting fine and I'd do the research to make sure it isn't an E-Bay ripoff price wise. I'm not a big fan of analog meters in new power supplies so that is an issue. The problem with analog meters is parallax error especially when the power supply is pushed aside for more important instruments. I just expect digital on a "new supply" remember though that digital meters are cheap these days if you need accuracy.Additionally the B&K looks like it has a fixed 5 VDC supply to me this is a good thing! As it means hooking up your digital circuits without the risk of somebody adjusting the voltage when they shouldn't. These days it might be better if it was a fixed 3.3 VDC output but i'm not going to knock it. If it was a bit cheaper I might risk E-Bay for it.QuoteDon't jump until you are absolutely sure that this is the place you want to spend your instrumentation money. You didn't mention how well your lab is fitted out so it is hard to say if I would go this route. That is buy any of these. Frankly a shop needs a good bench multimeter (and a handheld or two) and a good scope first (my opinion). You can get buy for an incredibly long time with cobbled together power supplies, perhaps more importantly there is a lot too learn from a simple analog power supply build. I'm not trying to dismiss the value of a good bench power supply, just that such a supply would not be high on my list of needed equipment.

author: positrontime
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 05:24:35 am
content: Quote from: wizard69 on August 30, 2020, 08:57:27 pmI was initially considering fixed supplies. Most of the circuits/equipment I work on are for controls for lathes, mills, and on occasion automotive diagnostics. I am starting to do more and more CNC diagnostics and controllers. Fixed voltages would work fine for this. I was mostly getting excited about brushing up my electronics knowledge with Horowitz and Hill and went down power supply rabbit hole for no reason I guess lol.For example I have an upcoming project where I am programing a TI LaunchPad that controls a servo, encoder, and display output. This setup will use 3.3V, 5V, 12V, and 48V. The 12V and 48V will be from open frame switch power supplies. 5V from a wall wart and 3.3V from a logic converter.Quote from: wizard69 on August 30, 2020, 08:57:27 pmI have a Ideal 61-361 that has been really good. The 2A max is frustrating at times.I also have a Weller WES51 soldering station.Stuff I would like to have:Power supplyClamp meter for higher current diagnostics (probably UT210E)Oscilloscope (I have more to look at before I know what to look for. For CNC/encoder issues I know that 20Mhz will do)

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 05:43:42 am
content: I use the Rigol DP832 a lot. Have one in my home lab, pushed for getting them at work tooThey are really nice supplies for electronics. If i want 5V on channel 1 all i do is press buttons "Ch1" "5" "V" and then want 50mA limit on that channel just continue pressing buttons "5" "0" "mA". But if you want a twiddly knob you can still just place a cursor anywhere on the voltage or current set point and have the knob change the digit, so you can for example do nice consistant 0.1V steps with each click of the knob. It also reads the current back with 1mA resolution so you can just use the supply to measure current consumption without a multimeter. For serious electronics work all of these features are tiny time savers that help you get the job done faster.Also the third 5V channel on the DP832 is far superior than the 5V output on most other supplies. Its a fully adjustable output from 0V to 5V from 0A to 3A with current consumption read back. This comes very useful since you can use that channel to generate any weird logic supply be it 5V 3.3V 2.5V 1.8V.. etc while also having full adjustable current limiting functionality.Sure i also keep old school analog twiddly knob PSUs around for when i just need a simple 12V supply to power up something like a fan. But for serious electronics work its really hard to go back to a analog PSU when you see how clumsy they are to use if you often need to change the settings.

author: tautech
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 05:50:16 am
content: Consider the additional flexibility of a modern multichannel PSU where you can series or parallel outputs for higher voltages or current and just with a press of a button.In finding the official answer to a question in another thread about placing PSU's in series while their outputs are in series the factory told me you can gang several units together for outputs to several hundred volts.They sent me this pic as proof:

author: kish
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 07:26:54 am
content: I can recommend Aim-TTi's PSU's they're great. For example, here's a 30V/3A general purpose unit, which I think will work well for you:TTi PL303. Although as a linear PSU, it might be overkill for hobbyist use.I personally have thePL155, which is it's cousin at 15V/5A. I thought I need the extra current from the PL155, but turns out having higher voltage is more useful. If I were to do it over, I'd get the 30V version as it's more versatile (24V is more common than you think. E.g. most laptops take 20V input).Check out the rest of their PL lineuphere. They have even higher voltage / current PSUs in their other lines.

author: Berni
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 07:55:33 am
content: Oh and in terms of inexpensive PSUs something like the Tenma 72-2690:https://uk.farnell.com/tenma/72-2690/bench-power-supply-1-ch-30v-5a/dp/2563982Tenma is Farnells own store brand, but this one is really good for the price. We have a few at work. They are digital supplies with encoders, so they are pretty easy and quick to set while maintaining the simple UI. You get 1mA current readback resolution. They are fully linear so they are pretty low noise and have a temperature controlled fan inside. Optionally these can be bought with USB or RS232 for remote control (Or even if you don't have the option i think you can hook directly into the RX and TX pins inside)Only issue with them is that the fan speed control makes annoying squealing noises when its right on the edge of starting the fan. Tho i haven't taken one apart to see how well built it is inside, but the outside looks pretty good quality with its metal case and is pretty heavy so that would point to a sufficiently chunky transformer inside.

author: wizard69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 01, 2020, 11:47:06 am
content: Quote from: positrontime on September 01, 2020, 05:24:35 amHonestly I'd be focused real hard on getting a scope first. You already have work arounds for DC power which will do until you get the rest of your shop fleshed out. I'd even place the clamp meter higher on the list than a power supply.

author: positrontime
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: September 11, 2020, 12:41:26 am
content: Thanks for all the recommendations. I built a little enclosure at work that has 24v, 12v, 5v, and 3.3v fixed open frame supplies.I also got a Rigol DP832 and a Rigol DS1054Z for my garage.While organizing some stuff at work I came across there:

author: Lena
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 08:39:57 am
content: We used ITECH IT6720, 60V 5A, it has a similar performance to BK 9110. Stable

author: FERCSA
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 10:00:26 am
content: In this price range I would by the DP832 then hack it. Gw-Instek made some good ones like the GPP/GPE series(probably it's cheaper than rigol..) or may be just an used branded PSU second hand like HP/Agilent/Keysight, TTI(thurlby thandar) would be a good workhorse.I was in a similar situation lately with a bigger budget (just needed a new lab PSU) then I got over bored and xmas came.. and went with a KS one.

author: fcb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 10:52:19 am
content: +1 for Aim-TTiAdmittedly all my TTi PSU's are currently broken and I use ancient Topward and Power Designs units as well as Sorenson (available under a bunch of different labels).

author: SVFeingold
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 11:26:23 am
content: Another +1 for Aim TTi. They may not look super fancy. Just a bunch of knobs and an LED screen, same as the rest, right?Yeah that's what I thought until I ordered one for work (A 250V PLH model) a few years back. How wrong I was. Everything just feels so right when you use it. The buttons and knobs feel amazing and ooze quality. It's also dead-nuts accurate. Just a joy to use all around.I know that sounds weird but trust me you'll understand once you get hands on one.As far as other quality supplies go, there are a ton of Topward supplies on eBay you can get cheap (some of them may or may not be from that pallet of PSUs I ordered way back when...). Only problem with the Topwards is there is no output enable/disable button. Supplies without those are super annoying to me, but you may not mind.Rigol DP832 also can't do you wrong. If you need super clean power pick up an old HP/Keysight E3611A or similar, or if you need a little more power something like a 6632A.Really though it's on you to separate "need" and "want." Do you REALLY need <300uV RMS noise? Really?Really?The Rigol supplies are really nice to use and you can easily hack all the "upgrade" features like increased meter resolution and power monitoring.

author: CharlotteSwiss
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 12:56:07 pm
content: i have basic PS305D, very popular and sold under different brands; however, it only has one channel, but it works well, I would say quite stable too.Advantage: low price

author: HB9EVI
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 01:06:42 pm
content: I also have a DP832 hacked to DP832A; works ufb. Since I have it, I mostly use this

author: msat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 24, 2020, 10:10:43 pm
content: If you're willing to go used, then eBay is your friend! No shortage of bench PSUs, and even better if you're not in an immediate rush. There are many examples of Sorensen and Xantrex units for under $100, which were priced >$1,000 when new. I recently added a 2nd PSU to my bench: a 2.5 channel (the .5th channel is a fixed 5V) GW Instek +/-30V 3A (or 6A when paralleled) which has suspiciously similar specs to some Tektronix units, with some versions having an extremely similar look too - I suspect GW Instek may be the designer and OEM for those Tektronix units. I got that for $100 including shipping. Has some nice features such as a separate V and A digital meter on both channels, so no fussing with switches to select one or the other like on the Teks.I'm not suggesting any particular brand or model, but just pointing out that there are a lot of once expensive but now cheap units on eBay (at least for those of us in the US) which allows you to take that money saved and buy yourself some other equipment. For $500, you can now have a decently equipped starter lab with somewhat dated but still professional and good used equipment.edit: BTW, that large Ammeter is beautiful!

author: WattsThat
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 02:10:33 am
content: If you’re patient and don’t mind eBay, you can find the HP/Agilent E36xx series supplies at a decent price (Which IMO is $50-$75). Nothing fancy but they're bulletproof and convection cooled.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 02:20:13 am
content: Another vote for the Korad or Tenma supplies. They'd affordable and get the job done. You can chain the outputs if you have a dual channel model or multiple units. They're solid supplies for beginners and advanced users alike. Some models are programmable, if that takes your fancy. Dave even liked them enough to sell them in his webshop. You don't need to spend a lot to get a solid supply.

author: Trader
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 05:55:27 am
content: Why not 3 power supplies?!I do recommend the Linear Power Supply TekPower TP3005T (no voltage spikes when turning on/off).

author: Jan Audio
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 25, 2020, 02:39:09 pm
content: I recently got the 4 channel GW-Instek GPP-4323You need to add $100 more, dont hurry and save some more money, wait for a second badge, this thing is just out.By the way : this thing is limited on all chanels, your other brands Rigol and Siglent dont have that, i dont understand why.