Bench top power supply - what should I get?

[shadewind]

Before anyone suggests that, no, I do not want to build my own. It will either take too much time (already have too many other projects) or will be too simple.

Anyway... I want to get myself a bench top power supply to use in mostly digital electronics but also some analog audio et.c.

I have been looking around at Farnell on what could be appropriate and found two suggestions. The first is an Agilent U8001A:
AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES|U8001A|POWER SUPPLY, 30V/3A DC, 90W | Farnell Sverige

That's probably the maximum amount I'm willing to spend and it only has a single output. Of course, I could live with that if necessary. Agilent is a well known high quality brand so I don't doubt that it is a nice unit.

The other one I'm looking at is a Caltek PSM3/2A which I suppose is some kind of cheap Chinese brand:
**broken link removed**

It seems to do what I want and it's nice to have multiple outputs. I'm worried about the quality after seeing this thread though: Caltek PSM2/5A PSM3/2A Lab Bench Supplies Calibration - RC Groups

Any tips, hints or suggestions on what to get? I live in Sweden so finding used power supplies is not nearly as easy as it is in the US.

 

[Mosaic]

Do the 15 minute hack on a PC pwr supply. get's u variable from about 2V thru 16VDC safely and with HI currents to 20A+.

computerlabpsuhack - uzzors2k

 

[Dean Huster]

Build your own. Sorrry, just had to say it since it's such a simple solution. I think that the first thing you need to realize is that you don't need a 0 - 40 volt, 10 amp dual or triple supply. Few applications truly require a variable supply and few breadboarded circuits need more than 1 amp. A fixed 5v (or fixed 3.0 or 3.3 volt) supply for digital work and a ±12 or ±15 volt fixed supply for analog work will handle 98% of your requirements.

You can "roll your own" triple fixed voltage supply so easily and so inexpensively that I don't understand why you're not considering it unless you're filthy rich.

 

[Hippogriff]

I realise I don't know your location, but the price of the PSU you mention at Farnell is £216... and I was trying to figure out why it was so much better than the one I bought from Maplin (**broken link removed**) which has served me really well for a couple of years (I'm only into the most basic stuff) but then I noticed the price of this from Maplin was £85 and that really shocked me, 'cos I didn't pay £85 for it, I paid £29.99... so I must've have fell upon an amazing offer they were running at the time.

I'd still very much like to know what is so much better with the PSU you provide a link for, as opposed to the budget Maplin one. Just for my own curiosity and education, you understand? Is it build quality, is it features? I can see that it has lots of buttons, but I am - as yet - struggling to understand what they might all be for... (I Googled a picture of it and I can see them all now... some do look really superfluous)

Setting the voltage very specifically can be quite hard on my PSU - steady hand - but once it's set it's fine.

 

[shadewind]

I'm located in Sweden so Maplin is not a good idea for me because of the shipping charges and incompatible input voltage.

Secondly, I do need to be able to go up to +48V for testing phantom powered audio circuits. I'd also really like a variable current limit when doing certain things to keep chips from frying if I do something wrong.

 

[Diver300]

I'm located in Sweden so Maplin is not a good idea for me because of the shipping charges and incompatible input voltage.

Sweden and the UK both use 230 V, 50 Hz

 

[shadewind]

Oh... never mind... in the post, it looked like "120V" there at the start.

 

[mynameisdan]

Maplin's prices have gone from high to stupid, I try to avoid it if possible.

 

[3v0]

I'd still very much like to know what is so much better with the PSU you provide a link for, as opposed to the budget Maplin one.

In general Agilent, formerly HP, products are better designed and go through intense environmental (durability) testing. They have a much longer life expectancy then budget models.

For many people it may be overkill, but nice.

 

[Rbeckett]

I got an Elenco kit for about 50 bucks and had it built in less than 2 hours. It has 5VDC regulated. and 1-24 VDC+ or -, and two 6.3 VAC that can be stacked too. So I have 7 possible combinations and all of the possibilities fall with the range of being usefull/ The kit was an XP-720K. Great little project, and a great little bench top Power Supply. Worth a look since it includes the enclosure and all components.
Bob