Oltronix Power Supply B703 Teardown + Repair
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 12 дек 2024
- This lab bench power supply is not reliable but has an unmatched price-performance ratio if you are willing to spend some time tinkering with it.
Manual with Schematics: drive.google.c...
Trimpot overview: drive.google.c...
the production quality is never low in your videos, great content as usual ...
You've more patience than me with units that don't disassemble easily.
The bright primary colours on the front panel are interesting, you don't usually see that sort of design in professional equipment... Your older one has a really good design too.
I'm intrigued by what looks like a ZX81 in a Speak And Spell machine at 7:01
You are doing it all wrong!
These 1970s/80s units are absolutely AWESOME to work on.
The trick is to remove only the two screws from the bottom that are holding the U-bent aluminium cover in place. Remove the screws and slide of the cover. Everything else is accessible from there - no need to tear the whole frame apart!
On the B60-1T, the main PCB with all the trim pots and pleated resistances for calibration swings out like a hinged door. Power transistors and fuses are accessible from the outside and can be switched out without opening the unit at all. Just remove the top covers by sliding them out to the back.
Congrats on this nice lab PSU, I own a B60-1T - in case you want the service manual, drop me a PN :)
Looking forward to getting a B703DT myself!
rofl
As a owner of two of those monsters, i can assure you that they are a absolute pain in the a** to repair: Yes, you could in theory just remove the sidepanels but then it becomes unstable as all hell with the big transformers starting to twist and bend the PCBs... And if a component dies, you are just f*ed: There is no way you could repair it as you would have to dismantle the entire unit. And trust me, you can't do that. Even trying to reach the poti of the second display will be a rage fueled adventure for hours as you are struggling to keep the damn thing from a) killing itself (by twisting of the pcbs) and b) killing you (with sharp aluminum corners).
There is a reason you get these monsters for 15 bucks shipped... And it has usually nothing to do with the person begging for someone to take their PSUs. This person just had the sudden realisation that his own sanity is more important than saving a few bucks.
May be I am blind, but I am not able to send a PN. How can I get the service Manual? I have the B703DT with the analogue Meters...
Great - I have been thinking of buying one of these to tinker with and this has been a great help in understanding it better.
Beautiful patience, masterful work -- very impressive.
I see what looks like one of my favorite HP/Harrison rackmount power supplies. I love my pair of 6438B 0-60V 5A supplies with their rowdy transformer due to the SCR pre-regulator and the circuit destroying massive outpuit capacitor.
In a lab at KTH, the RoyalmInstitute of Technology, in Stockholm we used to have dual-output Oltronics power supplies which always started up with a voltage spike. You had to disconnect them from your circuit, switch them on and then connect your circuit in order not to kill anything in the circuit.
The B703 is of a much better design and quality...
Noting the use of bare feet to earth the electrostatics!
Remind me not to buy one of those power supplies. I don't mind mending things as long as the manufacturer has designed them with repair in mind. The whole design concept of this oltronix reminds me of looking under the bonnet of a peugeot - loads of stuff, but can't get to any of it
Had the same experience with mostly any French car I dealt with.
Oz Media pronounces it pway-git
I've just bought an old B403 on a bit of a whim as I remembered this video and liked your PSU. It looks way older than yours, though, and has a total of six edge-viewed analogue meters on it! It looks a bit contrived to use, I'll probably regret buying it but it does look really good! If I've made a mistake it's entirely your fault for showing us PSU porn. ;-)
good thing i do when taking unlabeled connectors off, proof mark them, use a sharpie and just draw a line across the connector, its highly unlikely when you miss plug connector that the proof line will line up perfectly.
Watching an old video like this, the desk seems to bare.
Thank you for making this video, quite useful
Good stuff. A scope probe of the outputs would have been extremely valuable.
Forgot to record the video, play the video backwards, 💯 Genius 😂 👌
What are those gorgeous mechanical digit input controls and where can I buy some?
Hi! Are you still have it? Can you please measure secondaries voltages on main transformer? I got one myself with fried transformer and want to try to rewind it :D There is no information in SM :( Thanks in advance!
Hallo schöne Arbeit die Reperatur, habe eine Oltronix Power Supply EPR602. Hast du ev. Manuals und einige Tipps zum reparieren. Es hat 10turn Potentiometers welche einemal Spannung und Strom regulieren beide reagieren nicht und es gibts keine Spannung ab. Danke und grüsse Chris
Looks a lot like the date thing in the Delorean time machine
90 euros? I bought one of these at the annual electronics auction at my university for like 50 euro. It is fully functional, just had to lube the indicator for the red channel to prevent it from being a bit sticky. I guess it was quite a deal then.
It looks like that would have also been a nightmare to manufacture.
Yes ! It sure was!: a complete disaster. I was in charge of manufacturing/assembling at the Production-site Leek-the Netherlands, for some years. Unit-assembling was extremely costly.
Why is the quality not so good? I now have a Philips PE1542 which I bought yesterday, but it is generating smoke on the 0-7v line at 3A (shorted, the way to set the ammeter according to the manual). I am thinking about returning it and trading it in for this one (revised, for 100 euro's). Thanks :)
I am still using this psu, and overall I like it. But I dread the day that I have to open it again. Crowded construction, some wires are directly soldered to PCBs, some have spade connectors, which aren't great either. It is difficult to take it apart and dangerous to power it up while disassembled (for troubleshooting, because of a heavy mains transformer leaning on other components).
Thank you, so all and all it's not a bad PSU, just the dissasembling, but this COULD be fixed by adding some connectors the first time it has to be opened.
The PE 1542 isn't easy either, so I guess more setups are like this. Live troubleshooting isn't for me yet (absolute beginner) and I just want a powersupply that works and I can use for several years. The 1542 has to be rebuild so it will take me at least 40 euro's to overhaul. That sets me 10 euro's apart from buying the B703 and saves me a whole lot of time and trouble.
What would your advice be? :)
Oltronix (revised, for 100 euro's) sounds good, check it thoroughly, maybe you can find a minor problem and get a couple of bucks back. I have encountered so far: Broken internal wires, CV CC LEDs not working, stuck potentiometers, current limit not working (destroying output transistors)
I think warrenty won't be a problem. I'll ask about what they have done and will let you know how it ended. Many thanks for the quick response!
I only know the PE1542 by reputation ("if it works, works very well, if you have to repair it, have fun"), but not every lab power supply is like this. I have some small cute Philips supplies which are constructed very nicely and fold open just like a book. Easy access to everything from all sides. The small HP (half-rack-width) bench supplies from the 70s are also easy to service. I'm not sure if they still make them, but not long ago Agisight still produced those basic E36xxA supplies that are very similar to those older units internally (circuitry & ease of access).
(However, looking at some of my other Philips gear, in almost every unit they did use very few connectors and instead soldered all boards together. Whether that's annoying for servicing mostly depends on the rest of the construction).
Hi, what's the name of that instrument do you use for bending the pins ?
I don't know, but "ic pin bending tool" yields some results
Hi Marco,
Dou you still have the schematic to this thing? Because the google drive link is dead :(
Whoops, link is fixed now!
Wow, Talk about fast :)
Thanks man!
Your fly is open :D
You mean at 6:23? I have to disagree.
mhh then either one of your buttons is a bit lose or the design of the fly on those trousers is a bit disadvantageous
Listen to young Mr Reps and look at his sparse lab. Contrast with his now booming baritone and kitted out bench.
Not really engineered properly, is it.
They must use interns to save money.
It is, you can easily dismantle it completely in five minutes. The socket of every connector has a number printed onto the pcb, as long as you write that number on the connector with a sharpie you are good to go.
What a nightmare.
Great video and commentary, but the head mounted cam is making me a bit sea-sick ;-) I think a tripod, though somewhat limiting, would be much better.
+Fracture Hm Maybe there will be a head-mounted gimbal some day ... would look hilarious :)
Speak up Marco. I'm on full volume and I can hardly hear you. If your children are sleeping in the next room then I apologise.