Voltage Controller

[MacStill]

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGH!!!! :evil: :evil: :evil:

Fucken electrics does my head in :lol:

Will update when things are going better :oops:

[8-ball]

i would like to know more on this controller? what method are you trying to build?
on a side note
i have a work-in-g progress idea but i don't have the spare funds at the moment I'm trying to get the components on the work account and make a prototype if it works ill test and tag them and sell them on here for a fair price

[MacStill]

i would like to know more on this controller? what method are you trying to build?
on a side note
i have a work-in-g progress idea but i don't have the spare funds at the moment I'm trying to get the components on the work account and make a prototype if it works ill test and tag them and sell them on here for a fair price

I'm going down the PSR-25 road and have it almost sorted, well everything but the wiring of it...... sparky mate was rolling around on the ground screaming "dont plug that in anywhere" :lol:

I bet if you came up with a good controller you'd sell quite a few, not many people want to fuck with electrickery ;)

[8-ball]

well yea considering its my daily job i thinks i can handle it :lol: i want to be able to make one that i can sell for around $75-$100 so the psr-25 doesn't really meet that price range

[MacStill]

How about this one?

I wondered if it would do the job, but went the PSR

http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=3305370

[MacStill]

here's my PSR-25 controller, I was inspired by a post from Panda over on HD so copied his design ;)







The fans and heat sink I salvaged from an old PC, and the ammo box was given to me by my neighbor, and the 12v transformer to run the fans is an old motorola mobile charger.

Total cost all up was well under $100 :mrgreen:

[MacStill]

All done now, will fit an amp meter later when I find one cheap enough.

A bit rough looking but should do the job just nicely :D



If you never hear from me again do not attempt to copy it, and get one of the lads to delete this post :lol:

Wish me luck :?

[maheel]

looks good :)

the wires you used to the POT are large gauge (mine are not)

did you get any advise around what gauge they should be to the pot ? as mine are very thin.. :|

could there be any issues if you use two elements of that double point of diff wattage ?

[MacStill]

The wires I used are for commercial and industrial use, they're rated to 700 volts and were given to me by the sparky next door.

I did get some advise, but he was a bit funny about it and I didnt really get what he was saying :?

I'm going to run two elements off it, he said it "should" be ok, if not I'll add another PSR and pot to it so I can control both elements individually.

Used it with a lamp today and could dim the light, so it works, and I'm still alive :lol:

[8-ball]

for the pot you really only need small gauge cable like whats in your normal extension lead its 0.75mm flex cable without seeing it in person he has used what looks to be 2.5mm flex cable which is what i would use as its what i got

looks like a good bit of kit you got there McStill

[maheel]

i think my pot wire is about a fly's dick thick...

i might have used the wire from a PC fan as the plug fit on the pot.....
might change that :oops:

[8-ball]

it should be fine, as far as im aware there shouldn't be to much load on the pot but its better to be safe than sorry

[MacStill]

it should be fine, as far as im aware there shouldn't be to much load on the pot but its better to be safe than sorry

I asked my sparky neighbor and he said the same thing, no real load to the pot so lighter gauge wires will do fine ;)

[maheel]

it should be fine, as far as im aware there shouldn't be to much load on the pot but its better to be safe than sorry

I asked my sparky neighbor and he said the same thing, no real load to the pot so lighter gauge wires will do fine ;)

yeah that's what i thought (no load)

but the whole thing is getting bigger wiring so the pot can have a bit bigger as well

i will plug it ii later next to the radio :) see if it does anything

[maheel]

here's mine

this build was really only to "test" it but then i have not finished it....

notice the high tec "setting" sticker.... :lol:

works fine
needs some better wiring (heavier gauge) as the wire gets warm..
amp meter would be good
and a "on" indicator led light or something

[MacStill]

you've got the PSR earthed and I cant see how you got the POT wired, I think the only drama with mine is the POT wiring and it's the 500k not 250k linear one.

Mines working but the POT is only working in half it;s range which makes the adjustments very touchy, I think I got the the problem solved, just gotta get to town to get the new POT.

I've put some 12v lights in mine to see where I'm at, electric blue lights on my flux capacitor :lol:

[maheel]

hey mcstill do you mean which of the three legs on the pot ?

i am going to the shed to get it, just not sure what you mean by how it's wired.

i got the pot from RS with the PSR, i did have to call them as the web said "out of stock" but they had some in MLB (i think it was)

[MacStill]

Yep! on the POT it has 3 little lugs, I was told to bridge between two of those but it didnt change anything :?

[maheel]

here you go

my black wire runs to neutral (left), yellow to load (right) side of the PSR

i am pretty sure if i swap the wires it just reverses the way you need to turn the pot
put the yellow on the lug that is "vacant" on the pot that is

[MacStill]

ok well that's how I had mine wired at first, so that's not the problem.

on the PSR it says "4 control pot 250k" and I ended up with a 500k for some reason, so I'll change that and see how it goes, my controller works good it's just a bit too fiddly to get the right heat.

I've put another transformer and a 12v light in mine set through the pot and PSR, so it dims and gives me rough idea of where it's at.