53A pwr supply for cb or ham radio?

[BrettL]

Here are the specs....


Manufacturer: Cosel

Product Category: Switching Power Supplies
RoHS: RoHS Compliant Details
Product: Switching Supplies
Open Frame/Enclosed: Open Frame
Output Power Rating: 636 W
Input Voltage: 85 VAC to 264 VAC/120 VDC to 350 VDC
Number of Outputs: 1 Output
Output Voltage-Channel 1: 12 V
Output Current-Channel 1: 53 A
Commercial/Medical: Commercial
Mounting Style: Chassis
Length: 190 mm
Width: 120 mm
Height: 61 mm
Brand: Cosel
Dimensions: 190 mm L x 120 mm W
Input Frequency: 50 Hz/60 Hz
Isolation Voltage: 3 kV
Power - Convection: 600 W
Series: PBA
Type: VAC/DC Power Supplies


My brother brought me this . It's for industrial use. I think it came off a concrete pump/mixer. Very small compact power supply. Smallest I have seen. Should it work?

 

[toastycookies]

Should it work for what?

 

[mmckenna]

Should work just fine for CB or Ham radio (as the title suggests).

Just make sure the terminals are well protected.
There's an adjustment pot next to the LED. When you get it powered up, check the output with a multimeter and adjust it for around 13.8 volts. Make sure you use a fuse on the output. 53 amps is enough to throw some sparks if you short the output.

 

[prcguy]

Those types of power supplies generally make lots and lots of RF noise that can get into your receiver and it would be very difficult to tame if it does.

I would test it by powering your radio from another known good supply then sniff around the new power supply with a length of wire connected to your radio antenna connector. Turn the new power supply on and off a few times and see if you notice any change in the noise floor of your receiver. Its also good to put a load on the new power supply because the switching frequency will usually change with different loads and affect where the RF interference will show up.

You would not benefit running a CB from a power supply like that but it should power an amplifier up to about the 300w range.
prcguy

 

[BrettL]

Yeah it will put out 14v max if i turn the pot next to the led. My brother was running a Texas Star 500 with it. The small cooling fan in the back has a lot of noise as it turns a bunch of rpm's. A bit too noisy for me. I told him that it may be cheap like those home computer power supplies and may not last you a long time. I'm used to seeing the bigger bulkier type of power supplies that have a large transformer in it rated 50 amps.

I guess he will find out. He is going to get another just like it and put them in series. I was asking if these were ok to use because I may get him to get me one. Hey, it's free to me but I don't want to hurt a radio or amp over this. I'll try the rf sniffer tomorrow.

Toasty Cookies: for what? Was wondering would it be ok to power amature radios or linears within the power supplies AMP rating. I do not know if it's an acceptable power supply for this. This power supply that came off the machines ran continuous.

 

[toastycookies]

makes more sense now that you mentioned the texas star amp...

it is definitely OVERKILL for putting out a few watts on 11meters though...

why is he putting another one in series?

what is he powering that is 24vdc?

 

[Blackswan73]

Those types of power supplies generally make lots and lots of RF noise that can get into your receiver and it would be very difficult to tame if it does.

I would test it by powering your radio from another known good supply then sniff around the new power supply with a length of wire connected to your radio antenna connector. Turn the new power supply on and off a few times and see if you notice any change in the noise floor of your receiver. Its also good to put a load on the new power supply because the switching frequency will usually change with different loads and affect where the RF interference will show up.

You would not benefit running a CB from a power supply like that but it should power an amplifier up to about the 300w range.
prcguy

The newer switching supplies are very well filtered. Usually the most you need are a couple of .01 caps on the outputs. I am using a 30a on my 2m mobile with no hum or other hash.

 

[MONITORING247]

watch the draw of the Texas star you say this unit is 53amps some Texas stars draw more then that and remember fine strand wire 8 gauge or better at least with a 20amp fuse or better in line. for protection from the amp to the power supply

 

[BrettL]

Sorry toasty cookies I meant parallel. It's free and nothing like having the headroom. If it stays powering a 2a radio then there is more there if you need it. Just dont need the hash and trash from it if it has any at all. I will sniff it for RF tomorrow.

 

[toastycookies]

ya if they are free might as well grab one.

i am sure you can find something to use it for pretty quickly

 

[MONITORING247]

owwww! ok..

ow ok...lol been out of the game for a while when texas star was talked about i thought you meant the amplifier...lol not the radio ya you'll be fine even on usb as dundee would say no worries m8....lol

 

[MONITORING247]

never liked texas star radios they used to have a channel that had a career that locked up channel 5 i think it was do to a bad oscillator and gave a dead career with antenna on or off...lol they also were known as drifters cause they would drift off frequency thats how i remember them......lol

 

[toastycookies]

im pretty sure he did mean amp...
that's why his brother is wiring up two in parallel.

Brett: are the fans common size? (80mm , 120mm, etc)
I would swap one out with a nice computer case bearing fan if so.

 

[MONITORING247]

how many pills is he looking at? he may be better of with tube amp and use the power supply to drive the star.

 

[toastycookies]

i have no idea.
apparently he just has a free source for multiple power supplies

 

[MONITORING247]

if it was me i just get a tube amp like a dentron and call it a day a lot more safe running that way if one of those power supplies lets loose it will put the full load on the other and thats it bud.

 

[Blackswan73]

If you do get a little hash, just solder a .01 MFD. capacitor across each output lead to chassis ground. Note. These supplies use a floating ground, so make sure your 3 wire input ac power cord is well grounded, or you can end up with a ground loop

 

[dragonball]

it's for pc's not cb's

 

[Blackswan73]

They are used in industrial equipment, CNC, servers, 3d printers, etc. They are reviewed on eham.net, and Amazon. Most folks find they work quite well for radio. They are the same as the Megawatt, and Mean Well supplies, but half the price.

 

[toastycookies]

what type of PC will that PSU fit in lol