12 Volt Supply

Chaz

I need a 12Volt supply to charge my batteries from.

Previoulsy I would use PSU from PC or similar. Currently none work and would be too light anyways.

I require around 15Amps. Thoughts / options?

vectra

Here you go..
Pro Peak 20Amp Power Supply
Bought one of these myself and have been using it twice to three times weekly and never had a problem

Why do you require a 15 Amp one?

Just being curious :rolleyes:

The Doktor

I got this one...
http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=18457&catCode=439&tamiya=258
A little more expensive than the one the one Vectra posted.. but it has an led display, and 2 outputs.
As ye know the led display is really important..:D

I was gonna make one meself, but its really not worth the grief.

You could also see if ya can get your hands on a variable bench power supply from Radionics, Farnell or maplin.

vectra

The Doktor wrote:

I got this one...
http://www.modelsinmotion.co.uk/product.asp?productid=18457&catCode=439&tamiya=258
A little more expensive than the one the one Vectra posted.. but it has an led display, and 2 outputs.
As ye know the led display is really important..:D

I was gonna make one meself, but its really not worth the grief.

You could also see if ya can get your hands on a variable bench power supply from Radionics, Farnell or maplin.

No need to spend the extra as I last season ran two Novak Millennium Pro. chargers at once each pumping out 6 amps = 12 amps... While also running 2 fans and a Novak Smartray dor equalising my cells..

Not bad for a cheap Power supply..

The Doktor

vectra wrote:

No need to spend the extra as I last season ran two Novak Millennium Pro. chargers at once each pumping out 6 amps = 12 amps... While also running 2 fans and a Novak Smartray dor equalising my cells..

Not bad for a cheap Power supply..

Sorry, didnt make meself clear..
totally agree... just when i got mine the didnt have ur one in stock...i was jokin bout the LEDs...
20A is plenty... and the two outputs is not needed... ye can just connect 2 chargers to one output...

Chaz

vectra wrote:

Here you go..
Pro Peak 20Amp Power Supply
Bought one of these myself and have been using it twice to three times weekly and never had a problem

Why do you require a 15 Amp one?

Just being curious :rolleyes:

Thanks.

I need to charge 5000MAH Li Po batteries at 5Amps. They are 22.2 Volts (6 Cell) threfore require around 12-15 Amps at 12Volts.

SLIM19198

you can still use a pc power supply but you need to build a small circuit to ACTIVATE the power supply, just google for it!

Chaz

PC Power Supply normally just needs the thin green and think grey from the ATX connector bridged. Problem is, some supplies dont work unless there are loads on the other voltages too.

Added to that - I still need a fairly high rating, I would need to spend over €100 on a PSU for that. Might as well then get purpose built one for less than that.

RC car fanatic

id say psu

Chaz

Ordered a 'proper' 20Amp unit last night. A bit overdue ....

vectra

Chaz wrote:

Ordered a 'proper' 20Amp unit last night. A bit overdue ....

Define "Proper"

T-Maxx

As a matter of interest, what are you charging and why do you need 15A?

trudnai

Chaz wrote:

PC Power Supply normally just needs the thin green and think grey from the ATX connector bridged. Problem is, some supplies dont work unless there are loads on the other voltages too.

Added to that - I still need a fairly high rating, I would need to spend over €100 on a PSU for that. Might as well then get purpose built one for less than that.

The load could be done by a small resistor to the +5 and the 0, however, many modern PC PSU has two separated +12V rails, so that instead of having one huge, let's say 25A of supply you have two 12A ones. I've been lucky with my PSU that I disassembled from an unwanted PC (aka costs me zero). It had 13A of +12V and it's pretty accurate, even in 10A load it was still at 11.2V which for me was ok.

Anyway, I've got a 10A Graupner PSU for LiPo charging as well, however, never measured the voltage droppings at high load. It has a 13.8V output and I suppose it drops to somewhere 12-ish - I can make this measurements if someone interested.

Regards,
Tamas

Chaz

vectra wrote:

Define "Proper"

Proper = built for purpose and not hacking a PC PSU into delivering 12 Volts. Not saying it cannot do it, just dont feel like trying to load 5 Volt rails to ensure 12 Volts work. Plus, this 20A unit was cheaper than an equivalent PSU supply for the same current.

Chaz

T-Maxx wrote:

As a matter of interest, what are you charging and why do you need 15A?

This was actually answered earlier in the thread.

I need to charge 5000MAH 6 Cell (22.2Volt) LiPo batteries for my TREX 600 heli. These charge at 1C = 5 Amps. To get 5 Amps at 20-25 Volts, around 12-16 Amps at 12Volts is required, hence the requirement for a 20A supply.

syl77

What type/make did you order.

Chaz

The Pro Peak one earlier shown (not from the same crowd) but from another online UK retailer.

vectra

Chaz wrote:

The Pro Peak one earlier shown (not from the same crowd) but from another online UK retailer.

AH,
The one I originally suggested.?

Chaz

vectra wrote:

AH,
The one I originally suggested.?

Yes, thanks.

Your prize is that you can watch me fly the heli (and hopefully not crash) next time youre in Dundalk ....

syl77

Hoping to pick up one of these if i can get one cheap
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330122018483&ssPageName=MERC_VI_RSCC_Pr8_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT&refitem=330114538665&itemcount=8&refwidgetloc=active_view_item&usedrule1=StoreCatToStoreCat&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget

Hey Chaz, bring the heli along to the next round of the heli challenge in Shankill on the 23rd....

Chaz

Thats v nice. A pilot I know has one.

Im still learning to fly - hardly anything worth seeing - lol.

syl77

Im still learning to fly - hardly anything worth seeing - lol.

We are all on a learning curve There will be flying of the peg after competition, if you can hover then your good to take a peg...

Chaz

Even with my training wheels on?

coolwings

Since we seem to be showing off our power supply units in this thread!

Here is mine

Coolwings' 12V Power supply out of Green Hobby - feeding chargers trouble free almost 2 years now.


@ Syl:
When and where is that heli fly in? Do you need insurance to attend as a watcher (as well as a flier). Cos I have a few pals ....

Chaz

coolwings wrote:

Since we seem to be showing off our power supply units in this thread!

Here is mine

Coolwings' 12V Power supply out of Green Hobby - feeding chargers trouble free almost 2 years now.


@ Syl:
When and where is that heli fly in? Do you need insurance to attend as a watcher (as well as a flier). Cos I have a few pals ....

Curious - what does Green Hobby sell that unit for?

coolwings

Not sure ... 90% of what sells is the 10 amp switched power supply units, and they are the neat compact ones.

But I needed a monster that can stay at full output for as long as necessary.
A 16 cell+ pack of 3300s was causing brownout on the 10 amp unit I had up to that point. And my new packs were 24 cell / 5 and 8S lipoly, so it was likely I would destroy the little one if I stuck using it.
So Patrick got this one for me special request.
It makes a satisfying "resonant hummmmm" when you switch it on! I suspect the lights in the city dim a teeny bit at the same moment :-)
Brownout .... can't remember when I saw it last!

I will see if I can find the record of what it set me back.