How will These Do for a TEC Power Supply?

[Kunaak]

This is the regular one everyones uses... (http://www.xtwerkz.com/dedicated_power.htm)

but I wanna check out ones alittle different, so I was looking around and found these.

Pyramid PSU's. (http://geek.dealtime.com/DealSearch/GDS.cmp?BEFID=1643&Sort=0&Cat=54&MnPrc=0&MxPrc=999999999&DMKW=&Mrw=0&MrId=9452&HsAtr=0&PgNum=1&gdsTop=1&ShipId=G&SRID=ddb9c557fd57e6a5a2ee7111&MnfID=29367)

now, there are a few here that are of interest to me, like this one.

Here. (http://www.etronics.com/product.asp?stk_code=pyrps36kx&SVBName=303)

it provides more power, and more amps, and a cleaner look, and being that I barely use cases, having space is not an issue.
so it "seems" better then the plain old meanwell, just I am no electrician so I need a second opinion here, as I am just going off the little I can say I know.

I have orderd things from Etronics, alot actually, cause it's sorta a online close out store, so you can find weird things, really cheap here. I have had some good luck finding rare hometheatre parts here (like the JVC HDTV Component video switch box)
so I know I can trust Etronics, just I wanna find something alittle different for my TEC's.
my TEC's have been sitting here for 4 months, basically cause my PSU is a cheap crappy one, that requires you solder the leads to the PSU itself... on top of that it gets hot as hell.

so, today, I decieded to look for something new.

something :cool:

[EQuito]

I don't know anything about T.E.C. PSU's but I thought this article might be of use to you:
So with the extremely detailed directions given to me by August, I was able to create my own 500 watt power supply using two used $5.00 AT power supplies I had picked up from a local shop. Now I know a lot of you overclocking nuts are planning on using multiple 150+ watt peltiers in your rigs, but don't have the power to do it. Well, here's your answer!http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/linking_multiple_psu_s_as_one_.php

[Jeff]

That will do a great job. I went the Radio Shack route for my power supply... 25A at 13.8v and it adjusts down to 12.5v. I think Sys uses/used a Pyramid and I never remember him complaining.

[]JR[]

The meanwell imo isnt worth it, its not enough volts to work as 220watt tec powersuppply.

That pyramid one looks good, 12-15v adjust @ 35amps although they wont be effective at powering 24v tecs. And they dont make one big enough to power dual 220w's.

A lot of UK tec users buy the lowe powersupply that comes in 0-15v variable @ 40amps, or 0-30v variable @ 20amps iirc, which is just the job although they come in @ £100 or there abouts...

]JR[

[Jeff]

0-30v with 20A being supplied at 30v would be perfect. You figure at 15v you'd be able to draw at least 30A so... perfect. ;)

[zippyc]

Inexpensive 25A power supplies?

Thread here...

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14485

Kind of like EQuito's point.

One of these seems to drive a 226W pelt just fine, but I have not run them continously yet, just tested the 226W pelt on them for 5 Min.

I will say when I benched them, these particular supplies did a better job than a 20A Pyramid Desktop regulated PS with meter (same pelt, same test setup, better temps.)

Food for thought.

[Tedinde]

I've got the pyramid 36amp 36kx, adjustable. Runs great, on one of my rigs, Dam thing must weigh in 40 pounds!!!

And those 25amp supplies in the post above. Run it for an hour and feel how hot it gets if it will make it that long!!!!

[zippyc]

Good point Tedinde,

They have medium-sized heat sinks that are not quite up to the task, and I was planning on putting four of the inexpensive supplies in a sealed case with additional fans for improved air-flow anyway for my 226Watters.

I actually think that addtional cooling for ANY "standard" computer PS is a great help when using them for driving pelts, as computer power supplies were not designed for constant high-amperage load in the first place. I use extra fans to cool them and to give me another form of visual reference that they are working.

I have two expensive Antecs on pelts (510 and 430) and have to give them additional cooling. And keeping them cooler allows for more efficiencies, thus better and more stable power feed.

Ther is no doubt that huge industrial supplies have the bigger transformers and better heat dissapation.

But, on the other hand, I'd prefer spending $12.00 on these practically disposable supplies than $149.00 on one big one. That's just me. (And we are really talkin' apples and oranges. You don't think that in his case he should use his Antec, do you?)

Do you have experience with this exact supply from Powmax? You must have gotten it pretty recently, as it is a newer model made available in March of this year with new features and different circuitry that the one it replaced...

[zippyc]

So Tedinde got me thinking, and I thought it was a good idea to take some temps.

I have been running el-cheapo constant for four hours now on a 226W pelt, and I am very satisfied with my temps.

There is a variance of 1 to 2 degrees in room temps, and they always affect the PS temps in direct correlation.

I measured temps under a 1 CM rubber mouse pad placed on top of the probe and sealed with tape so no air gets in between and placed Emmit on top as a weight to make sure the probe is making good contact with the PS chassis. The probe is located top-center, exterrior of chassis.

Without exception (and I've been checking often), the power supply does not exceed 91.8F in temp as it sits on top of a dresser in a bedroom. Room temperature ranged from 78F to 81F during this test. Temps were read on a Digidoc 5.

I will say the exhaust fan on this supply puts out a pretty good flow of warm air, so they may have a higher flow fan than some in order to get rid of the heat. It seems to do a good job.

Here is a pic. of my not-so scientific method.

I am pleased with the results!

:banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

[zippyc]

Again with the pic....

[zippyc]

I have attached a 72K image twice and it does not show on the post.

Is xtremesystems having probs. with pictures this AM?

Thanks!

[zippyc]

let's try again, because another pic posted just fine on another thread...

[zippyc]

man that thing was big...sorry!

[zippyc]

Dammit! I knew it was too good to be true.

The Power Supply was driving a 226W pelt. Made it through 12 hrs of continuous use (12-14A load) yesterday, but after being turned on for only an hour this AM, the predicted failure (predicted by Tedinde) occurred.

It was only $12.00, so I can’t really be upset about it. But I do want to make sure I did not mislead anyone on the quality of these supplies. I knew they were cheap to begin with, this just confirms my suspicions that the manufacturer specs were more than a little exaggerated.

I’ll take the remaining three supplies and hook ‘em up in parallel, and I have decided not to load them up with more than 280W of pelts.

I hope my little experiment will be helpful to the other forum members here!

Look for the brown spot next to the left heatsink on the circuit board next to the resistor. Looks like there was too much heat for the heat sink to dissapate safely.

[pulverizer]

Zippy, did you have a load on the 5V line when you were running that? The powersupply should have some rating for a minimum load on all the lines, you probably just overloaded it, but the 5V line could be a possibility i suppose...

[zippyc]

I did not load the 5v, unless the digidoc uses 5v (I know it uses 12V rail for sure, but dont believe it uses the 5.)

These things are so cheap that they came with no documentation in the box. And the website did not list any minimum load either.

http://www.powmax.com/POWERSUPPLY_GERNERAL-PAGE.htm

Is not loading the 5v a problem for most of these ATX supplies? Perhaps that is what did it. I knew it was a problem for some, was not sure about this one.

That and I knew I was adding a load that I knew to be too big anyway. I just wanted to see if it would fail at that load level, and it sure did.

I'm now thinking I'll use these for my 70W pelts, one per pelt. I have a friend running an 80 on his, and his has not failed yet (far as I know).

[pulverizer]

Yeah, I have my 80W running off an Enhance Micro ATX 200W, and I have a resistor on the 5V. It seems to be working well and has not burned yet....