I measured the voltage from each of the 3 supplies and they look good. The two variable supplies are supposed to be able to switch between Constant Current and Constant Voltage via a CC/CV button and corresponding LED indicator. The button appears to be working(the LED toggles) however the LCD never switches from CV to CC on either of the adjustable outputs. Along side of the CC/CV button are two more buttons for current up and down which do not appear to do anything. Their website only has a shitty 4 page manual which just gives the specs and one line description of the buttons and nothing else.
I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with these and if they could tell me how to switch between constant current and constant voltage I would really appreciate it.
Wow, world's worst manual. You're right: no info there whatsoever.
Usually power supplies go into constant current mode by themselves when you hit the set current limit. I'm wondering if you should try to overcurrent it (just short the output leads together), press the CV/CC button for CC mode, then start pressing the Down button to limit the current to what you want.
I'm actually in the process of sending an email to Circuit Specialists to request some more detailed information on it's operation. I tried calling them yesterday asking if there was a better user's manual but the guy on the phone was a real d!(k. He basically said "come on it's a power supply, how much documentation do you really need?"
On a side note, I've been doing some research and it looks like the CS power supply is the same as the Protek 3030T http://www.protektest.com/ProdInfo.asp?prodId=3030T and there user's manual, while not the greatest, was a little a better. They at least showed the proper connections for using the parallel and serial settings. They also mention shorting the + and - terminals which takes you into the setup for setting the current limit for each of the variable supplies. It also mentions that the set point is stored in an EEPROM so it retains the set point after a power cycle.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to wait to hear from the manufacturer. It's a small price to pay for the discount I got I guess!!
Circuit Specialist has obviously OEMed the supply. Their only contribution has been silk screening a name on it.
I would just go directly to Protek for information, acting as if you bought it from them. (This of course doesn't mean Protek didn't OEM it from someone else.)
I tried calling them yesterday asking if there was a better user's manual but the guy on the phone was a real d!(k. He basically said "come on it's a power supply, how much documentation do you really need?"
Well, that stinks.
I bought a couple of really "well used" supplies from a local surplus dealer (Apache Reclamation and Electronics here in Phoenix); these things were really beat up, missing panel parts (switches, etc) - got each one for $25.00. The smoke test at ARE passed, so I figured I could fix them up.
They're an electronics/industrial education outfit who makes equipment for teaching - my power supplies are small trainer supplies, good enough for Arduino and other small development, though. The supplies I bought are very obviously well obsolete.
I ended up calling ECI and asking about manuals. After telling them what I wanted, and telling them that I got them used, and that I knew they were likely "unsupported", the guy on the phone basically said "no problem".
He ended up sending me out both the user manual -and- the service manual for the supplies! And not just photocopies - actual manuals! That company went waaaay above and beyond anything I expected; I didn't even have to pay postage!