12v chargers from mains power?

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    • October 21, 2004 at 4:26 am #10412
      Avatar photoKerosene
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      I’m sick of plugging my charger into a car battery. And since I’ve just moved to lipos I don’t want them anywhere near my car until I know what I’m doing.

      Anyone know anything about the Apex 12v Switching Power Supply?
      Review here: http://www.rcgroups.com/links/index.php?id=4572

      Dinball has it for only USD$24, which is lots cheaper than those ‘big boxes’ that sit between the wall and 12v chargers. I’m assuming it will work ok in Australia (it’s 220-240v according to Dinball).

      How else can I power my charger from the mains?

    • October 21, 2004 at 4:39 am #26097
      Avatar photoPandaBear
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      Wall warts aren’t usually the best for reliability, and that one is only rated at 7A. Doubt if it’ll have many big capacitors to cater for spikes & surges that your charger may suck.

      You can buy desktop PSUs from Dickos etc for about $100 upwards.

      Or, if you’re pretty good at electronics and know what you’re doing… old PC “AT” PSUs will pump out 12V & 5V pretty cleanly too.

      Newer “ATX” types are a bit more complicated.

    • October 21, 2004 at 11:15 am #26093
      Avatar photobetty.k
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      you must buy a regulated power supply. i got one from jaycar for $60 that puts out 4a. i think it’s meant to be used for laptops or something like that.:8ball:

    • October 21, 2004 at 2:23 pm #26076
      Avatar photoKerosene
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      Jaycar has a 5A for $110.. will this do?
      There’s a 10A for $170, but that’s getting a bit expensive.

      http://www1.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3072

    • October 21, 2004 at 5:15 pm #26064
      Avatar photoPandaBear
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      A bench PSU is real handy, lots of other reasons why you’d want 12V at your workbench.

      Getting something with more juice is good.. ie if your draw is 6A, a 5A PSU won’t cut it.

      nb: PSUs usually rated on some silly partial-cycle specification too. eg if it says 10A, its peak at 11A and really only meant to work at 10A for 50% of the time, 50% zero current.

      Could be due to PSUs being built for CB Radio use. Radios draw more amps when the transmit button is down, less when just receiving/standby.

    • October 22, 2004 at 2:51 am #26055
      Avatar photoPork_Hunt
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      A charger for a car battery maybe?

    • October 22, 2004 at 5:24 am #26054
      Avatar photoPandaBear
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      Car battery chargers have lousy voltage regulation, they’re not designed to feed out clean regulated buffered 12V.

      But if you hook it up to a decent car battery or gelcell, it works good too as a charging source.

    • October 22, 2004 at 11:32 am #26048
      Avatar photomerc-blue
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      if y get aq cheap car battery.. 35bux and put a trickle car battery charger on it when ur not charging then u will be set

    • October 23, 2004 at 11:22 pm #25979
      Avatar photoKerosene
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      Well.. after all that I ended up getting the Apex v12. It’s only 7A, but since I’ll only be charging 2A lipos it should be ok.

      I totalled my lipo pack today – so it won’t be getting any use at all until I dare to charge the damaged pack again.

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