Author Topic: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W  (Read 25467 times)

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #45 on: January 21, 2014, 09:47:26 AM »
Yes the 200W should be enough for regular cabs.

An average cab cosumes somewhere around 100-130W when it is running. Vector games, esp. color one's will need a bit more.

Now, the one's Pieter bought are 150 W _MAX._

MAX. in this context usually means that it is a PEAK value that it can handle, so a very short moment it can deliver a little bit more than when it's running constantly.

When you turn on a cab, there is a big peak in the power needed because you are starting the electronics up. It's like accelerating a car to 100km/h. This takes a lot of power (fuel) but when you're constantly at 100km/h you need a lot less power/fuel.

200 W should be enough to manage the peak AND the constant wattage of about 100-130VAC.

I am guessing the one's Pieter bought are 100W during normal use (already a high number for such a small unit IMHO) but even so you are running it at the very edge....


anunaki

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #46 on: January 21, 2014, 10:17:45 AM »
I have the bigger 300W version, can I put 2 cabs on it (Donkey Kong and a New Astro City) or will that be a no go?

The fuse will blow if it won't hold up, so nothing will be broken I guess

Etienne MacGyver

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #47 on: January 21, 2014, 10:32:38 AM »
i have hacked a extention cord so i can measure what a device draws in amps, i feel the urge to measure my cabinet now  ;D

gyruss

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #48 on: January 22, 2014, 11:37:48 AM »
The ones i got delivered are a little bit different from those on Andre's picture, i tried one with my EgretII (140W) for about 15 minutes and it worked without any problems.
I'm planning to use these with Nintendo cabs (105W) and pac-man (102W), do you guys still think that 150W isn't enough for these cabs and that the power spike could blow them up?

Also, is there a chance that these will damage my cabs or will it just be the converter that is going to be damaged (i don't know if they have fuses).

« Last Edit: January 22, 2014, 11:40:12 AM by gyruss »

Etienne MacGyver

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #49 on: January 22, 2014, 12:42:27 PM »
the real question is, is it 150 watts @ 230 Volts or 150 watts @ 110 Volt..

i assume its the second though

and is it +- 100 Watts as specification of the cabinet, or the real measured wattage ?

questions questions questions ..   ;D

i really want to hook up my cabinet and measure the current drawn, i just curious

i think i will do it soon
« Last Edit: January 22, 2014, 12:44:51 PM by Etienne MacGyver »

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #50 on: January 22, 2014, 01:43:51 PM »
Eeeuh, don't know! I used this table from klov that Erik posted:

http://forums.arcade-museum.com/showthread.php?t=149845

Etienne MacGyver

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #51 on: January 22, 2014, 02:30:48 PM »
if it works, it works, just check the temperature of the unit and dont leave it running unattended.

i dont think it will damage your cabinet if it blows.

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #52 on: January 22, 2014, 02:35:48 PM »
Wattage indications should always be of the secondary side of the transformer.

However, the wattage always stays the same Etienne, wether you run a cab that is 100W at 110VAC or 230VAC, it _still_ consumers that wattage. The only thing that will change is the amount of current.

In a cab that is connected to 220VAC (let's use that number for easy calculation) that is 100W you will have a current of

P=UxI or Wattage=Voltage x Current

so the current will be

I=P/U, in this case: I=100W/110V= 0,91A

The same cab running at 220V will have a current of:
I=P/U, I=100/220 = 0,55A

So the current will be half of that what it will be at 110VAC.

This is also the advantage of using high(er) voltages, there will be less current, so the wires need to be less thick.
That is why the huge transportlines for mains run at 100.000V or higher....

That is ALSO why when you change f.i. an Atari cab from 110VAC to 220VAC  (or 240) setting you should replace the fuse with one that is rated at about half of the original one !!!! This is often forgotten because the machine will work fine. When something goes seriously wrong in the cab the mains fuse will either not burn trough or much later, both can damage the electronics of course.


Bottomline: the amount of energy consumed by the cab stays the same.



Now....back to that transformer:

Yes that already looks a lot bigger than the one pictured on the site. This should be OK.
The Wattage ratings of cabs is usually also somewhat exaggerated (max. value) to be on the safe side.).

Most important: check how warm it gets after about an hour or so. IMHO if it stays acceptable (you can leave your hand on it for "forever") than it should be fine.

One note:
These cheap kind of transformers are all "autotransformers".  I have already explained the disadvantage of those before here (https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=1481.msg15436#msg15436)

 There is a _very small_ risk that IF the isolation  of the transformer will burn through for whatever reason, you will put 230VAC into the machine that expects 110VAC and you can figure out the damage that will happen.

However, true isolated transformers are way more expensive and are not found in this set-up (They are loose transformers).

gyruss

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #53 on: January 22, 2014, 02:57:57 PM »
Cool, thanks for the info (although some of it is abracadabra for me ;))
« Last Edit: January 22, 2014, 02:59:56 PM by gyruss »

gyruss

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #54 on: January 27, 2014, 10:38:23 AM »
Okay, had it running for 1.5 hours on my egret (140W) and the brick was warm but save to hold in your hands..

ckong

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #55 on: January 27, 2014, 05:12:24 PM »
Okay, had it running for 1.5 hours on my egret (140W) and the brick was warm but save to hold in your hands..

Better safe then sorry, send back the Egret to the previous owner!  ;D ;)

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #56 on: January 27, 2014, 05:30:36 PM »
Are you telling me those modern plastic things are not switchable to 230 VAC ??

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #57 on: January 27, 2014, 05:36:42 PM »
O well, doesn't matter anyway, I found the PERFECT solution for all 230V to 110V worries:

https://www.dragonslairfans.com/smfor/index.php?topic=5148.msg75525#msg75525

Superully

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #58 on: January 27, 2014, 05:56:06 PM »
for me, a GOOD stepdown transformer is still the easiest solution for our US110-EU230-problem. find a nice cosy place inside the cab, connect it, play! simple as that!!!
all i need is ... PONG - and a select few others: TOUCH ME, DRAGON'S LAIR, JOUST, ROBOTRON, MR DO, SAN FRANCISCO RUSH THE ROCK!!!

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Re: WTB - stepdown converters, 300W or 350W
« Reply #59 on: January 27, 2014, 06:13:30 PM »
Yeah, you never move them anyway.