[ARC5] Power Supplies for ARC-5

[Robert Nickels]

On 1/29/2011 12:08 PM, Robert Eleazer wrote:
> Does anyone know if you can cut down the DC input voltage on such a vibrator power supply and get a corresponding reduction in output voltage without burning something up?
I suspect that reducing the input voltage too much will make the 
mechanical vibrator unreliable or possibly cause the contacts to stick.

Another suggestion that I've found effective is to use one of the 120VAC 
car inverters that can be found inexpensively nowadays in discount 
stores, etc (I bought 2 more last week for $8 each).  A bridge rectifier 
and filter on the output will give just about the right amount of 
voltage and is clean.   Of course you will need to supply it with 12 
volts DC but that's easy to come by nowadays.  (BTW I've found it 
impossible to directly operate portable radios such as the Zenith T-O 
from one of these inverters due to EMI)..

73, Bob W9RAN