Cheap Bench Power Supply for beginner - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: kevin.widjaja21
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 10:17:03 am
content: So my university is holding a competition to make a product and I decided that I want to make a low cost bench power supply that is cheap and suitable for beginner electronics hobbyist. It would have similar specification with the uSupply that Dave designed but might not include battery.However when I tell the idea to some of my friends and teacher, they said that 5 V USB adapter or any fixed voltage is enough for beginner. Adjustable power supply are only for advance user who are really serious in electronics.I personally think that even beginner need to have a proper adjustable power supply because it helps with learning electronics. But I also have some doubt. So I have a question regarding this problem. Is there a place for a cheap adjustable bench power supply for beginner in the market? Considering there are many power project that use cheap adjustable voltage regulator module, there should be a demand for a cheap proper bench power supply. But i need some opinion for others.Sorry for my English. I am Indonesian.

author: michaeliv
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 10:57:24 am
content: It's not really clear what you are asking ("Is there a place for a cheap adjustable bench power supply for beginner in the market? "). Try rephrasing the question.There are 'cheap' bench power supplies :http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/380937855913

author: jeroen79
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 11:04:47 am
content: Define 'cheap' and 'proper'.There is plenty of cheap stuff to be found on ebay/aliexpress/etc.What do you want to do with electronics?An adjustable power supply (constant current and constant voltage) will give you more flexibility.But depending on what you want to do a (few) fixed supplies will do.

author: FlyingHacker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 05:35:58 pm
content: If the goal is to learn by building one, then by all means do so. If the goal is to have a decent bit of kit for experiments look on ebay and get an old Lambda supply. (Make sure it is a lab supply with current limiting.)Either way you definitely want current limiting for experimenting.

author: Audioguru
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 05:52:10 pm
content: Quote from: mess.command on February 24, 2016, 11:38:56 amBanggood in China has a cheap kit for a lab power supply. It is a copy of an old poorly designed one from Greece that has almost every part in it overloaded.https://www.eevblog.com/forum/Smileys/default/smiley_laughing.gifIt is not reliable and was a project on another forum so I fixed it.

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 07:35:19 pm
content: Manufacturers have beaten every cent out of cheap power supplies. Every week someone posts the same project here and they FAIL. Here is a project that could be useful. Take a solar panel, operate it at power point voltage, store the energy in a capacitor bank and PWM it into resistive element of a water heater. It is one of the very few ways to get 100% payoff with solar panels. Resistance is fixed and voltage is known, easy to calculate power point. Interesting options when you pair it up with grid power.

author: Shadetreeprops
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 10:27:05 pm
content: I know this has probally been answered, but there are several options for a cheap bench supply, depending on what you are looking for, but a 12v one can be fairly cheap.lowest being in the 40 dollar range. not including shipping costs. But the cost goes up with needs.or you could do like me and hack one together for next to nothing.I used,1. Xbox PSU2. 1Meg pot from atari paddle for variable voltage and another pot for variable resistor.3. a cheap Multimeter set to voltage4. some bananna clips wired inhow it works.PSU, split between Variable resistor, runs to multimeter to power it at correct voltage.The rest of the power is run to the variable voltage control, to the multimeter to read the voltage, wired to probes.. out from there to the bananna clips.and the on off comes built to the PSU, so just hack in a switch... or you can keep the atari paddle whole, rewire it a bit. and use the button on the side to make a fast disconnect should you see something burning on the breadboard...and have a full on switch for when its safe and your getting a nose full of buring electronics.but it works.HACKED UP THING i then for a joke shoved inside a 50oz Great Value coffee creamer container..im going to make another one..cause i ripped it apart to use the PSU for another project..

author: ade
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 10:53:42 pm
content: The OP is not looking to make a bench supply for himself.He's wondering if he designs and manufactures an inexpensive line of adjustable bench supplies aimed at hobbyists, would there be a big enough market demand from hobbyists who would like to buy his supply?But the question is impossible to answer. It depends the combination of price vs. features vs. quality vs. safety plus a lot of intangibles like trust, branding and marketing.

author: Seekonk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 11:11:14 pm
content: Refined a little more it is only a class project for something that could be sold with an eye to cost effectiveness. This student needs to look at the problems of the real world, they are everywhere.

author: Shadetreeprops
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: February 24, 2016, 11:20:12 pm
content: Quote from: ade on February 24, 2016, 10:53:42 pmYeah most deffenatly impossible to answer. Price for quality parts, vs the features you offer, and the safety to not electrofry yourself. The trust and branding, would have to come from possible self promotion, though blogs, youtube, and other factors, as well as compairing his product to others.i worked in sales. So i could dump Mio GPS and TOMTOMs like they were gold bricks for a fraction of the cost. But did i, nope ethics. So i alway sold the cutomer on the best market one with the best features and quality. GARMIN...i was hourly so selling the more expensive brands, did not net me any extra bonuses.but marking his own brand Bench PSU, thats a tuffy, and well impossible to factor, Plus, if you can make your own, you can buy the pre made boards, and other components, of high quality, and put it together yourself much cheaper, with all the features you want, for a fraction the cost of a top end pre made.