[ARC5] Power Supplies for ARC-5

[Robert Eleazer]

My recomendation is to do what I did when I first started getting interested in this stuff, back in 1974.

1.  Buy a Variac.  They don't have to be expensive.  I bought one another one last year at a hamfest for $5.00.
2.  Put the Variac in a suitable box.
3.  Cobble up a coellection od switches and components so you can get a direct AC output, the output of the Variac run dirtectly into a full wave bridge and some big caps of a suitable rating, and the Variac output also run into the primary of some transformers that have output of 250V and up, as well as some with low voltages and the transformer outputs run into full wave bridges and suitable monster capacitor filtering.

The result is a power supply that can run just about anything, including Command Sets at full or reduced volatges or even dynamotors.

The ability to get dual DC outputs with one HV voltage at twice that of the other one (e.g., 45V and 90V or 67V and 130V) is useful for those surplus rigs that require that.

And of course with that AC socket output you can use it as a Variac too.

Just fuse both sides of the AC line though, since this universal power supply can lead to shorts when hooking up multple pieces of equipment with hot chassis. arrangements. 

For Command Sets make some sockets for the dynamotor pads using sheet plastic and brass tubing.  Don't use alligator clips for the power connections because then you WILL get the HV and filament power reversed at some point.   

Good luck!

Wayne
WB5WSV