[Boatanchors] [BoatAnchors] 125 VAC Line? Make Your BA's Happy, Cheap.

[Ronnie Hull]

I'll be using mine to power a DX100 soon, very soon!

Ronnie w5sum

Sent from Ronnie's IPhone

> On Jan 14, 2016, at 11:00, David Stinson via BoatAnchors <boatanchors at theporch.com> wrote:
> 
> Got 125 VAC + on you shack's AC power buss?
> Ronnie, W5SUM and I worked this problem.
> 
> There must be a zillion old, broken Uninterruptable
> Power Supply (UPS) units laying around.  These typically
> have an AC cord going in and AC sockets going out plus circuit breaker, etc.   In 99% of the cases, the
> transformers in these units are still good and are perfect
> for building a "line bucker."
> 
> We found a couple of dead 12 Amp APC units.
> The transformers had a 120 V primary,
> a lo-current 15 V and a Hi-current 15 V windings.
> The lo-current winding is not used, unless you want
> to light a pilot light or something.
> 
> Pulled the "hot" leads from the dead circuit board
> and directly powered the transformer through
> the circuit breaker.  Wired the Hi-current 15 V
> winding in the "bucking" configuration with one side to the junction of the incoming "hot" and the other side going to the "outgoing Hot" sockets on
> the back.  Left all neutrals connected together
> as normal.
> If the voltage is boosted instead of bucked,
> swap the 15V secondary wires.
> Mine drops my line voltage from 125 V to 110 V
> and my boatanchors are happy.
> 12 A service will run a lot of stuff and broken UPSs are cheap, so you can add more.
> 
> Important Tip:  A transformer "line bucker" acts as
> an "autotransformer."  To measure the output voltage
> accurately, you must connect a load- even a small one.
> The load current sets-up the magnetic field the autotransformer needs to work.
> 
> 73 Dave AB5S
> 
> 
> 
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