Thanks for letting me know - I still love the power supply 6 months later! Yeah, I'm having trouble getting all the way through that 2-page manual LOL! Although I guess it's a good thing that a big fat manual isn't required...
It has a capacitor on the output - making the initial surge current capability quite high, regardless of the current setting; easy to see by setting the voltage to max and current to 1mA then shorting the leads... so don't rely on the current to never exceed the setting.
A review on amazon said that when you have the output off, then turn the power switch off, the voltage spikes by 5-8v, which could potentially fry some electronics. Could you test that?
My electronics hobby is on hold for a while so I won't be able to check mine right now. I've seen reviews on various power supplies showing issues like this. I'm actually leery of hitting the main power switch on any supply when you still have it connected to a circuit. I always disconnect the positive lead from the circuit before hitting the main power switch to hopefully avoid those kinds of spikes.
I made a simple parallel circuit via potentiometer with LED on each. Dialled the pot until there was not quite enough forward voltage for each LED and they are off. Toggled output so no current was going through the circuits. Powered off. Both LEDs flashed. Seems to corroborate the review. So: the advice to disconnect the positive lead should be taken as standard procedure or something's eventually going to fry.
Thanks for the info! Does it help, when you are done using the power supply, but not turned off yet, to disconnect the leads from the project, connect them to, say a small temp load, then turn it off? Would that allow the short spike to drain off, so to speak? Thanks
Thanks! 5 amp would be fine as a supply on your test bench for sensors and radios and some other light-duty parts. But lots of auto parts require much more than 5 amps. (especially things with motors like pumps, wiper motors, etc. -- A 60-watt halogen headlamp bulb draws 5 amps!) Google a phrase like "how much current does a [starter] [mas airflow sensor] [fuel pump] draw" etc to find out what things require. (I read 30 - 500 amps for a starter motor when in the car turning over an engine -- much less when on a test bench with no load). You are probably better off with a regular car battery for those bigger things like motors, pumps, etc. I'd also suggest asking around in some auto forums or with mechanics here on youtube and elsewhere to see what they're using for your particular needs.
Yes, using multimeter leads would work fine in a typical hobbyist circuit that doesn't draw a lot of current. But if you use power-hungry circuits that pull a lot of continuous current (3 to 5 amps), you should feel the leads periodically and make sure that they don't get hot, as they probably are not as heavy-duty as the leads that come with a 5 amp power supply. (Most recent power supplies like this one tell you how much current your circuit is drawing.)
Oh -- I wondered if that's what you meant -- but linear (transformer) supplies are so uncommon in 'my world' I wasn't sure. The Tacklife is a switching supply (PWM). I don't see the Tacklife brand on Amazon anymore, although I did just now see the MDC01 on Walmart's website. The links above were broken because the Tacklife seems to be gone, but I did put a general link above for 30V/5A supplies.
Unless you opened the case and modified something inside I don't see how this is possible. You could try to unplug it from the wall and then discharge it by shorting the leads with the power and output turned on. Then plug it back in and recheck. But I'd suspect something outside of the power supply. Perhaps this is a stupid question -- but are you sure you didn't accidentally swap your meter leads? Or maybe -- does your meter have a switch with the option to change polarity? Have you tried another meter? If you don't have another meter you could connect an led/resistor circuit to see if the led lights with the correct polarity.
Thanks. The video was helpful - and I bought one of these. Your explanation of the output button was much better than the "thick 2 page manual" :)
Thanks for letting me know - I still love the power supply 6 months later! Yeah, I'm having trouble getting all the way through that 2-page manual LOL! Although I guess it's a good thing that a big fat manual isn't required...
It has a capacitor on the output - making the initial surge current capability quite high, regardless of the current setting; easy to see by setting the voltage to max and current to 1mA then shorting the leads... so don't rely on the current to never exceed the setting.
Interesting -- that's something to watch out for!
A review on amazon said that when you have the output off, then turn the power switch off, the voltage spikes by 5-8v, which could potentially fry some electronics. Could you test that?
My electronics hobby is on hold for a while so I won't be able to check mine right now. I've seen reviews on various power supplies showing issues like this. I'm actually leery of hitting the main power switch on any supply when you still have it connected to a circuit. I always disconnect the positive lead from the circuit before hitting the main power switch to hopefully avoid those kinds of spikes.
I made a simple parallel circuit via potentiometer with LED on each. Dialled the pot until there was not quite enough forward voltage for each LED and they are off. Toggled output so no current was going through the circuits. Powered off. Both LEDs flashed. Seems to corroborate the review. So: the advice to disconnect the positive lead should be taken as standard procedure or something's eventually going to fry.
@@gregferguson7737 Interesting. Thanks for the news!
Thanks for the info! Does it help, when you are done using the power supply, but not turned off yet, to disconnect the leads from the project, connect them to, say a small temp load, then turn it off? Would that allow the short spike to drain off, so to speak? Thanks
Great video! Loved the review. Do you think you could you use this to mimic a car battery and test out car motors and such?
Thanks! 5 amp would be fine as a supply on your test bench for sensors and radios and some other light-duty parts. But lots of auto parts require much more than 5 amps. (especially things with motors like pumps, wiper motors, etc. -- A 60-watt halogen headlamp bulb draws 5 amps!) Google a phrase like "how much current does a [starter] [mas airflow sensor] [fuel pump] draw" etc to find out what things require. (I read 30 - 500 amps for a starter motor when in the car turning over an engine -- much less when on a test bench with no load). You are probably better off with a regular car battery for those bigger things like motors, pumps, etc. I'd also suggest asking around in some auto forums or with mechanics here on youtube and elsewhere to see what they're using for your particular needs.
hey man im newer to these, but can i use leads from a say multimeter to be able to get to components
Yes, using multimeter leads would work fine in a typical hobbyist circuit that doesn't draw a lot of current. But if you use power-hungry circuits that pull a lot of continuous current (3 to 5 amps), you should feel the leads periodically and make sure that they don't get hot, as they probably are not as heavy-duty as the leads that come with a 5 amp power supply. (Most recent power supplies like this one tell you how much current your circuit is drawing.)
@@MakeBasicElectronics ty man
Am getting the same. What type of DC power supply is it? Thanks the output feature is a good choice
Sorry, I don't understand your question :(
@@MakeBasicElectronics there are two types of power supplies: may have them mixed - one is PWM & the other has a transformer.
Oh -- I wondered if that's what you meant -- but linear (transformer) supplies are so uncommon in 'my world' I wasn't sure. The Tacklife is a switching supply (PWM). I don't see the Tacklife brand on Amazon anymore, although I did just now see the MDC01 on Walmart's website. The links above were broken because the Tacklife seems to be gone, but I did put a general link above for 30V/5A supplies.
@@MakeBasicElectronics a seller on mercari has one, so I am purchasing that one. Thanks
@@j.lietka9406 I think you'll like it! I like mine a lot.
Hi, I have messed mine up, the negative and positive out puts are reversed when checking the voltage with a multimeter, anyone know how to repair it?
Unless you opened the case and modified something inside I don't see how this is possible. You could try to unplug it from the wall and then discharge it by shorting the leads with the power and output turned on. Then plug it back in and recheck. But I'd suspect something outside of the power supply. Perhaps this is a stupid question -- but are you sure you didn't accidentally swap your meter leads? Or maybe -- does your meter have a switch with the option to change polarity? Have you tried another meter? If you don't have another meter you could connect an led/resistor circuit to see if the led lights with the correct polarity.
you mean 5 amp 30 volt but you say 5 volt 30 amp ha ha ha
Ha! I've been waiting to see if anybody catches and mentions it. You're the winner! Good thing I put pictures of the specs up!