View Single Post
  #1   Report Post  
Old October 1st 08, 05:55 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
terry terry is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Feb 2007
Posts: 45
Default Switching power supplies question.

Understand that inside a typical computer switching power supply there
is a higher multi kilohertz voltage (350v RMS????) produced by the
switching action of the rectified 115 or 230 volt AC input?

This high freq AC through various usually toroidal step down
transforner windings is then rectified to provided the plus and minus
5, 12 volt outputs etc. Correct?

We recently modified such a power supply to get a single 12 volt DC
output at about 20 amps for a particular, amateur radio application.
In order to do so we had to load one of the 5 volt ouputs with a
couple of amps in order to get the unit to work; but that's normal.

Question: Is it possible to get at that higher AC voltage inside and
directly rectify it as a B+ supply for tube equipment? While also
possibly tiddling one or more of the 5 volt DC outputs closer to 6.3
volts for tube heaters?

Rectified 10 or 20 kilohertz wouldn't need much filtering compared to
60 or 120 DC ripple of a conventiaonl power supply? Recall building a
number of conventional 50 and 60 hertz power supplies many years ago
with heavy chokes and large capacitors. But now have a number of
slightly older ex computer power supplies of various wattages around.

Or is the idea completly off base?