Cheap simple Voltage Controller.

[MacStill]

Don't tempt me

Bet you cant do it :teasing-tease:

:D

[Panda]

Give me a grand and I'll make you one

[MacStill]

Give me a grand and I'll do a review on it :laughing-rolling:

[R-sole]

Cut it out, you can pick these up working at garage sales for $2

boombox1.jpg

I double dare ya!

[kiwikeg]

I did like the red box arrangement :D

Hopefully the runs will go faster :handgestures-thumbupleft:

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Hi Brigand, Any comments on how your build worked out? looking at buying this and copying yours
http://www.ebay.com/itm/3800W-SCR-Elect ... 6rk%3D3%26

PM sent

Thanks K.K

[ticknaylor]

My old boy's a retired sparky so he's gunna wire this up for me just wondering how long uxcell take to ship the parts? Kinda keen to get it made was thinking of going to jaycar and trying to get the stuff there? When I told the old boy I needed a relay (this is before i showed him the plans) he tried to give me a three phase one for electric motors he had in his shed. :)) Anyway at that point I decided I'd source the parts.

[Goldie]

Uxcell were quick to post the parts, trying to remember exactly but it was around 4 days and that is to Perth.

[Brigand]

Mine is working fine, though I haven't used it on an actual run as yet

The replacement Voltmeter arrived pretty quickly from Uxcell - maybe a touch over a week - can't remember now

Will report back when I have used it on a full run

Cheers

[ticknaylor]

Cheers fellas ordered the parts today yeah im from perth aswell so thats good to know normally takes a couple of extra days to get to the wild west :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[caveman]

this is my voltage controller based on pandas design with parts from xcells the 12v fan was out of a old projector and a mobile phone charger to run it

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[haze]

Nice caveman. Is that a fuse holder there? u just put in a 10 or 15a fuse?

Im waiting for stuff to arrive from uxcell. Pretty much the same just got digital voltmeter so i will run that and a fan off a 12v transformer.

what elements do you run? and is that a 25amp ssr? Let me know how its working for ya :)

[ticknaylor]

Got my parts today two weeks exactly to perth from uxcell for anyone who's interested. Just a heads up the thermal compound came in two syringes which were tiny might have to get some more tomorrow dont think it will stick. Pity I'm already building a gas burner for my new boiler the urn just doesnt have enough size :angry-banghead: .

[MR-E]

Got my parts today two weeks exactly to perth from uxcell for anyone who's interested. Just a heads up the thermal compound came in two syringes which were tiny might have to get some more tomorrow dont think it will stick. Pity I'm already building a gas burner for my new boiler the urn just doesnt have enough size :angry-banghead: .

Must be a bastard, having to decide which one to use :think:

[Goldie]

[quote="Panda"]

Purchase some thermal compound (heat sink goo) from ebay to smear between the the heat sink and relay. I got 3 syringes for $1 and only needed half a syringe.

[quote]

You only need a small amount of heat sink, just needs a light cover.

[ticknaylor]

yeah went to get some more today and realise it doesn't stick the relay down Im an idiot, just helps the thermal conductivity :angry-banghead: My heat sinks out of a computer so I'm gunna have to sort a better way of holding it im place coz of the design i cant use screws :violin: hahaha

[haze]

you can buy adhesive thermal compound
i have this
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/fujik-sili ... 79?item=24

Works well. I use it a lot especially for sticking high power leds to heatsinks but for this 240v project id still screw it to a heatsink with this glue as well or thermal paste.

Im building one of these and it aint working. Getting 240 volts with only minor fluctuations turning the pot. maybe 1 or 2 volts. Its wired correctly.

I bought this pot
http://www.uxcell.com/replacement-6mm-s ... 78828.html

and this ssr
http://www.uxcell.com/ssr-aluminum-heat ... 90780.html

If parts above are ok im confused.

The pot reading on my multimeter is showing a max resistance of 190kohm. I dont trust my multimeter though, its a cheapie. Would this be the likely cause ?

[MR-E]

you can buy adhesive thermal compound
i have this
http://www.dealextreme.com/p/fujik-sili ... 79?item=24

Works well. I use it a lot especially for sticking high power leds to heatsinks but for this 240v project id still screw it to a heatsink with this glue as well or thermal paste.

Im building one of these and it aint working. Getting 240 volts with only minor fluctuations turning the pot. maybe 1 or 2 volts. Its wired correctly.

I bought this pot
http://www.uxcell.com/replacement-6mm-s ... 78828.html

and this ssr
http://www.uxcell.com/ssr-aluminum-heat ... 90780.html

If parts above are ok im confused.

The pot reading on my multimeter is showing a max resistance of 190kohm. I dont trust my multimeter though, its a cheapie. Would this be the likely cause ?

Tried the link on the pot, I get a forbidden message.

[haze]

yeh uxcell website is dodge

if that happens again you can search for these and its the only match.

Replacement 6mm Shaft Dia 470K Ohm 2W Pots Potentiometer w Knob

SSR Aluminum Heatsink Adjustable Solid State Relay 25A AC 24-380V Output

[MR-E]

yeh uxcell website is dodge

if that happens again you can search for these and its the only match.

Replacement 6mm Shaft Dia 470K Ohm 2W Pots Potentiometer w Knob

SSR Aluminum Heatsink Adjustable Solid State Relay 25A AC 24-380V Output

I remember reading somewhere about the same prob your having, wrong type of pot.
I think the pot you need is linear type, not sure what you have.

[JagCrusher]

Im building one of these and it aint working. Getting 240 volts with only minor fluctuations turning the pot. maybe 1 or 2 volts. Its wired correctly.

The pot reading on my multimeter is showing a max resistance of 190kohm. I dont trust my multimeter though, its a cheapie. Would this be the likely cause ?

Are you measuring the resistance of the pot whilst it's still connected to the circuit? :naughty: Disconnect it and try measuring it again. One meter probe to centre tag, the other to either end tag and check full CW & CCW sweep.
It shouldn't matter whether it's a linear or logarithmic pot... that would only affect the actual physical, rotational control.
Do you have a fixed resistor - 47k-470k - lying around? You could try that across pins 3 & 4 of the SSR and see what happens to the AC output ( at your own risk, blah, blah, blah... I accept no liability, yada, yada, yada... this is mains supply we're messing with! :o )

BTW, have you referenced (connected) the SSR to ground as per Pandas original drawing? Check that the actual SSR body is grounded and not just the h/sink.

HTH.