OK, I posted this in the off-topic forum and i'm posting it here

Jstas

hoping someone here might have suggestions too.



I'm looking for a new workbench power supply. I currently have a Pyramid power supply that is 13.8V but only 10 amps. It worked great for my RC Car battery charging needs but, it's broken. So I wanted to replace it with something closer to say 13-15 amps. Pretty much an AC power supply with 13V out at 15 amps.

I found this Pyramid one for an OK price:


Output: 13.8V DC
18 amp constant, 20 amp surge
Input: 115V AC, 60Hz, 450 watts
Electronic overload protection w/auto reset
Crowbar over-voltage protection
Short circuit & thermal protection
Fuse protected
LED condition indicators
Screw terminal connectors
Built-in cooling fan
Heavy duty cabinet & heatsink with anti-skid rubber feet
Dimensions: 11.81" L x 9.05" W x 4.92" H


For about 100 bucks. The reason I want something so powerful is for running automotive audio gear without having to install it into a vehicle or hooking it up to a car battery. Car batteries are unregulated and a very spikey power source. Hooking car stereo stuff up to one directly is just asking for problems. However, I do have a need to test and run car audio gear outside of a car and the only way I can think to do that is to run a unit like the one above. Unless I build my own but the transformer I would need would run me about 50 bucks plus all the other parts I would need would push me over the 100 dollar price for this unit.

Does anybody have any other suggestions or companies making these kinds of units?

PoweredByDodge

well you're right about the predicament u're in...

the biggest PS i ever saw was a 10 amp 13.8 volt source at radio shack.. was 99 bucks.

if u found a 15 - 18 amp 13.8 v source for 110 - go for it man.

far as RUNNING car audio gear in the house -- i'd be careful abou tthat... many amplifiers will draw a crap load of current... u cant sit there and run a sub amp for your home theatre system off one of these bench sources....

but if you're using it for just testing things as you say, then by all means 15 amps should be more htan enough... i've been working with semi-success off a 3 amp 12.5 v source... and that's worked for just about everything short of the class D amps...lol.

i think u'll do fine w/ the pyramid u suggested.

Jstas

No, I don't use it to test amps. I had a power supply that put out 15vDC at 45 amps but the damn thing broke. It was a bench power supply from a welding bench. It was 35 years old and impossible to find parts for it because it was a tube power supply. That thing ruled! I sold it for 100 bucks eventhough it was broken. The guy said he could use the parts. That would run damn near anything I threw on it.

All I use it for is to charge RC Car batteries and test out things like head units and CD changers. Maybe wire up a small stereo amp at the most to power speakers. Other than that, nothing real special.

If you did want to power a car stereo in that manner, all you would have to do is run the RCA pre-amp oututs to a home thearter amp. Just use the head unit and what ever other accessory you want to use as a signal source. Since a home amp uses AC power, you wouldn't be taxing the AC to DC power supply.

I imagine you could put together a snazzy little party box with an old head unit and some full range coaxials in one unit. All you would need is an AC to DC power supply or a deep cycle battery to hook the whole rig up to.