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Tester Power supply?

E

Enforce1

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 15, 2001
Messages
145
I know there is a guide somewhere around that tells you how to build a power supply so that you can test lights, fans, drives, etc., but now i can't find it. Any help?
 
Step 1) Go to a local computer store

Step 2) Ask the man behind the counter for an AT power supply

Step 3) Pay the man
 
OK, here are the *real* steps for an ATX PSU

1. Assemble your supplies:
A multimeter
Some spare wire, preferably copper solid core
A switch (optional)
A soldering iron
Solder
A couple of power resistors of some sort, >5-10w (I use ~80ws, but that's probably overkill) ohmage doesn't matter
Electrician's tape

2. Tape in a small piece of wire between the green wire and any black wire on your main ATX connector. Or, solder in a switch between them.

3. Find a molex you're not using, and chop the connector off. Between the red +5v line and one of the grounds, solder in one of the power resistors. Repeat for the Yellow +12v

4. Cover up your mess with electrician's tape

5. Plug in the supply, and hope for no sparks! :D

6. *IMPORTANT* Before you go pluging in any expensive equipment or anything to this supply, go around and check the main voltages, orange for +3.3v, red for +5v, and yellow for +12v.
If they're higher than or lower, you can optionally adjust that inside of your PSU with a couple of trimmers, however this must be done while running so YMMV don't touch anything!

7. Profit by not having to go and buy an AT PSU
 
Originally posted by Vertigo Acid
OK, here are the *real* steps for an ATX PSU

1. Assemble your supplies:
A multimeter
Some spare wire, preferably copper solid core
A switch (optional)
A soldering iron
Solder
A couple of power resistors of some sort, >5-10w (I use ~80ws, but that's probably overkill) ohmage doesn't matter
Electrician's tape

2. Tape in a small piece of wire between the green wire and any black wire on your main ATX connector. Or, solder in a switch between them.

3. Find a molex you're not using, and chop the connector off. Between the red +5v line and one of the grounds, solder in one of the power resistors. Repeat for the Yellow +12v

4. Cover up your mess with electrician's tape

5. Plug in the supply, and hope for no sparks! :D

6. *IMPORTANT* Before you go pluging in any expensive equipment or anything to this supply, go around and check the main voltages, orange for +3.3v, red for +5v, and yellow for +12v.
If they're higher than or lower, you can optionally adjust that inside of your PSU with a couple of trimmers, however this must be done while running so YMMV don't touch anything!

7. Profit by not having to go and buy an AT PSU
Click to expand...

You can buy a used AT power supply for probably $5-$10. Is it really worth all that trouble, and possibly destroying your "currently used" ATX powersupply?
 
destroying your "currently used" ATX powersupply?
Click to expand...

If your ATX powersupply was 'currently used', you wouldn't be using it for this.

Erik
 
I agree with the above, at psu's are the way to go for cheapness, and ease of use.
 
Originally posted by intercollector
You can buy a used AT power supply for probably $5-$10. Is it really worth all that trouble, and possibly destroying your "currently used" ATX powersupply?
Click to expand...

The sparks thing was a joke :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

If you can't pull off this simple and easy mod, then you're not qualified to operate an AT PSU... the whole live 120VAC through that switch would be a problem for someone with as low of calibre intelligence as would be required to mess up this mod.
 
I'm just glad I have a couple of old AT PSUs sitting around. I used to use one to run my drives and fans when all I had was a cheap 250 watt PSU to run my overclocked T-bird setup. Even with the extra power supply, the ATX PSU still died. Mind, I had 3 IDE hard drives, a burner, and 3 SCSI hard drives. There was no way I was going to be running everything off a cheap 250 watt ATX power supply.
 
here's an easy one I did with an old 145w atx psu I had lying around.

Went to radio shack and got a simple on/off toggle switch.
Open the psu.
cut a section of insulation off of a black wire and solder to one lead to the wire.
cut a section of insulation off of the green wire...solder to the other lead.
Since this psu had a 92mm fan, I replaced it with a 80mm attached with only one screw...does one really need another?? Use some super glue if you say yes.
Mount the switch in a hole available to your liking.
Close everything back up.

viola! all is good.

Note: There needs to be a load on the psu of some sort...the 80mm fan works just fine.
 
I'm using this to test lights, drives and fans without being connected to a motherboard. Are you all saying that an AT power supply doesn't require any mod to use like this? That would be hot. Don't call me a noob. When i got into computers, all they had was ATX....
 
yeah, an AT psu will just turn on when you hit the switch. An ATX psu requires you to short the green wire and a black wire to start it.
 
Just to echo, grab an AT PSU and do what you will. I use them for all kinds of projects, they are really handy, and not just for computer related uses.
 
To re-emphasize, just use an AT power supply. Thats what I use at home and at work to test stuff, they use a switch thats hardwired right to the power supply, a much more simple way to test.
 
Regardless of whether it is AT or ATX, you still are going to need more load on the PSU than a 12v fan. Without proper load, switched mode power supplies can not properly regulate voltages. Most specs call for ~4a draw on the 5v or there-abouts, when I get home from school I know i've got the docs lying around and i'll get some exact numbers, but that's in the right ballpark. Now, that being said, if you are just going to use this to test fans or anything that is electric vs. electronic, you'll be fine. 12v fans should be able to take upwards for 15v before crapping out. Sensetive electronics, however, won't. So if you're overvolting because theres not enough load on the supply, you'll fry some electronics.
 
didn't read so i don't know if it was posted, but take a regular atx psu, and put a paper clip in to connect the green and black wires...if you look at it with the clip up, its the third and fourth, counting over from the left on the top row
 
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