Hantol PSU: Fake PFC Made of Cement

[kaktus1907]

We discovered that power supplies from Hantol have a fake PFC coil, where the coil is made out of cement (yes, cement), so the power supply feels heavy. See the pictures and help us expose this fraud.

This was done to deceive users in two ways. First, people may assume that this unit has a passive PFC circuit, which is not the case. Second, with a piece of cement inside the unit, it is heavier, and a lot of users when buying entry-level power supplies tend to assume that heavier models are better, as they have more components and bigger heatsinks. Well, you simply can’t trust this “technique” anymore!

[HardwareSecrets]

also check here for more psus equipped with fake components

[v0dka]

I can't say I understand what PFC really does, something to do with efficiency, but I doubt this particular model will work properly.

Seriously, for fraud like this prison time is a good idea. Especially if these units are dangerous.

[kaktus1907]

I can't say I understand what PFC really does, something to do with efficiency, but I doubt this particular model will work properly.

it's not important for residental users since you dont pay for reactive power(VAr), you pay for active power(W), it's more important for industrial users due to induction coil, transformer, synchronous elc engine and such will be billed extra by power company.. but still the more efficient, the greener..

[kromosto]

hey wait is the problem their PFC is really and totally passive

[Andrea deluxe]

[CrazyNutz]

Oh no they have copper thieves in china too.

[Particle]

I can't say I understand what PFC really does, something to do with efficiency, but I doubt this particular model will work properly.

If you're interested: Power factor is a measure of how out-of-phase the voltage and current are. It's an artifact you have to deal with in AC systems and is caused by inductive loads (among other things). Inductive loads are any devices with a significant amount of inductance (usually in the form of something with windings). Coils, chokes, transformers, and motors are some of the primary devices you'll encounter. In a simple load (say a motor with one speed), it's easy enough to correct its power factor by putting an appropriately sized capacitor in the circuit as well. Complex loads require more elaborate solutions.

[Luka_Aveiro]

This piece of cement is not used to deceive!

It's used as a fundamental element in balance, because PSUs tend to vibrate...




Really....?