New use for a skaggy old server PSU

The place to talk about specific radios, equipment and accessories. Do you prefer the latest generation of rigs and antennas or do you like the classics? Discuss it here!
Post Reply
Chanty Wrassler
Regular
Regular
Posts: 24
Joined: 23 Jul 2016, 23:03
Call Sign: 29E41
Location: Ireland

New use for a skaggy old server PSU

Post by Chanty Wrassler »

A DPS 800GB, to be precise.
Yeah, I know the RC mob have been using them for years, but I only found out about it recently.
I thought about bumping up the output voltage to 13.8, but there's no point, as every bit of car-biased kit is designed to run quite happily on a nominal 12V, and this is giving 12.4 and 82Amperes of goodness if needed at that voltage. Tickling the volts up towards 13 and over reduces the current available, as the protection circuits kick in anyway.
So, this is how it looks.
DSC_0007.jpg
I actually spent some money on the case - a Gewiss wiring enclosure, but it was cheap enough (12 quid). The end of the PSU was attached to a break-out panel from China, aimed at the BitCoin miners to allow them to run rooms full of graphics cards. Handy, because all they get is multiple 12V pos and neg feeds, which I just agglomerated onto their respective end tails. The pos leads are taken to a hefty soldered joint onto a piece of 10mm cable, and the negs all meet up at a stud in the side of the casing. State of health is monitored by a cheap'ncheerful Chinesium voltmeter.
A 63A DC breaker completes the supply side (couldn't find an 80A one) and that rooked me for another <gasp> 8 spons or so. 63A is adequate, as it probably won't thermally trip until say, 75 amps flows.
The RigRunner power panel on the side was a gift, otherwise it wouldn't be there, as I had no plans to include one.
All that voltage and powery goodness exits the box via a 50A Anderson connector, which will happily conduct much more than that before it explodes into a ball of fiery smoke, accompanied by yells of outrage at the stupidity.
DSC_0003.jpg
Results are good, so far. I've had 2 X 100W rigs keyed simultaneously, and the voltage dipped by 0.1V for a nominal 40A draw. Given that I'm never likely to actually be running two rigs at full chat simultaneously anway, that's good enough for me.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
dcwuk
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 1529
Joined: 22 May 2009, 23:02
Location: Suffolk

Re: New use for a skaggy old server PSU

Post by dcwuk »

Nice project looks the business :thumbup:
"Don't worry about old age--it doesn't last that long."
I'm commenting on an internet forum, why should your facts sway my opinion?
Post Reply