I recently obtained a a car stereo from a scrapyard, and was checking it in the house using an old mains
to 12v dc adapter(can't remember off what) Although it powered it up, tuned in regular and dab stations
played cd's. I got the impression the adapter wasn't powerful enough to alow it to check it's full features!
I ended up outside with a strong bitterly cold wind connecting it up to a car battery (not taking car battery
into house for safety reasons) which ment yes I found the stereo is fully functional and needed the proper
voltage/amps for the stereo to play mp3's on the sd cards and USB memory sticks.
Which small compact light mains powered bench top testing units are people using/recommending so they
can work indoors (so you can have very good lighting, a warm and relaxing environment, and watch/listen
to the box at the same time!)
Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
I'm Diabetic,& disabled BUT!! NOT DEAD YET!!
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
Moved to "Technical Queries".
I'd just take a 12V battery indoors.
I'd just take a 12V battery indoors.
Some people are like Slinkies - they serve no useful purpose, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them downstairs.
-
tractorman
- Posts: 1399
- Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2011 11:22 am
- Location: Wigton, Cumbria
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
The problem may be the current required to run the thing - I tend to use proper power supplies that have variable voltage (or current) as I use them for the electronic stuff. The two newer ones were from Maplins (one is 2.5A and one is 2A) and, TBH, were expensive for that they are; but the best PSU I have is a very old Farnell 30v one that I got for nothing from my student placement, when they were having a clearout. The meter was missing, but I fudged that with a cheap one and it's worked well for 20 years!
I don't think I'd bother with a plug-in supply - they tend to be 1A or less and can get quite warm when working hard (and a 100W system will work it hard!).
The one I bought as a 2A supply is here:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/100w-slim-ben ... pply-n93cx
The bigger one:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/75w-dc-variab ... pply-gw02c
It was on offer when I bought it!
I don't think I'd bother with a plug-in supply - they tend to be 1A or less and can get quite warm when working hard (and a 100W system will work it hard!).
The one I bought as a 2A supply is here:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/100w-slim-ben ... pply-n93cx
The bigger one:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/75w-dc-variab ... pply-gw02c
It was on offer when I bought it!
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
I have batteries from various domestic radios that hold ten D cells so are perfect for trying out car stuff indoors. If you use single use Ds you can often get away with using eight of the things in a battery of the type that holds the cells in two rows of four and has a snap connector on the end.
Car radio sets aren't all that comfortable with the rough output from a typical modern SMPS so if you do use a mains supply, make it a properly regulated one based around either a transformer or a capacitive dropper, either of which will provide a smooth DC output, and avoid a whole world of annoying 50Hz hum.
Car radio sets aren't all that comfortable with the rough output from a typical modern SMPS so if you do use a mains supply, make it a properly regulated one based around either a transformer or a capacitive dropper, either of which will provide a smooth DC output, and avoid a whole world of annoying 50Hz hum.
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
I have a handy 10a 12v supply which is great for testing car stuff. No idea what brand it is but it was designed to power an access control system so it is a regulated supply and best of all it was free!
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
And that right there makes it the best way to do the job! Nothing is better than free stuff.TerryG wrote:....free!
J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
Exactly.
Getting hold of 12/24v power supplies is really easy. Alarms, access control and CCTV systems use them so whenever you see an office being refurbished look in the skips. As power supplies are cheap and nobody wants a 2nd hand one they always get binned. I have several of both outputs which have been damn handy testing things over the years and every one has been recovered from rubbish.
Getting hold of 12/24v power supplies is really easy. Alarms, access control and CCTV systems use them so whenever you see an office being refurbished look in the skips. As power supplies are cheap and nobody wants a 2nd hand one they always get binned. I have several of both outputs which have been damn handy testing things over the years and every one has been recovered from rubbish.
Understeer: when you hit the wall with the front of the car.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
Oversteer: when you hit the wall with the back of the car.
Horsepower: how fast you hit the wall.
Torque: how far you take the wall with you.
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
TerryG wrote:look in the skips
Now we're really cooking on gas!J
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
"Home is where you park it", so the saying goes. That may yet come true..
-
SirTainleyBarking
- Posts: 413
- Joined: Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:41 am
- Location: Solihull, where Landrovers come from
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
If you can get your mitts on a computer power supply out of a junked PC, it makes for a reasonable bench 12v supply.
I've done this with the resistor specified in the instructables link with a bunch of terminal blocks.
Works well, and can supply a goodly amount of surge current
http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert ... h-Top-Lab/
Other links are available, and the only tools you need are some wire cutters and a screwdriver
I've done this with the resistor specified in the instructables link with a bunch of terminal blocks.
Works well, and can supply a goodly amount of surge current
http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert ... h-Top-Lab/
Other links are available, and the only tools you need are some wire cutters and a screwdriver
Landrovers and Welding go together like Bread and Butter. And in the wet they are about as structurally sound
Biting. It's like kissing except there's a winner
Biting. It's like kissing except there's a winner
-
Classic Microcars
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 7:06 pm
Re: Bench testing car stereos etc, bench testing units
Another source of power is CB radio power supplies, or even (dirtier) a car battery charger, with some smoothing added.