On Fri, 14 May 2010 16:02:23 +0000 (UTC) Meat Plow
wrote in Message id: :

On Fri, 14 May 2010 05:11:56 -0400, JW wrote:

On Thu, 13 May 2010 13:42:04 +0000 (UTC) Meat Plow
wrote in Message id: :

On Thu, 13 May 2010 09:08:10 -0400, JW wrote:

On Thu, 13 May 2010 12:51:27 +0000 (UTC) Meat Plow
wrote in Message id: :

On Tue, 11 May 2010 12:05:53 -0700, David Brodbeck wrote:

On May 10, 7:33*pm, Meat Plow wrote:
If you have some way to limit current, use it. I have a supply that
I can dial in from 0 to 35 amps and it comes in real handy

Will do. I don't have a variable-limit supply, but I do have one
with a fixed 1.5A limit that I plan to use for initial low power
transmit testing.

That will help you not fry some of the bigger stuff but there is
nothing like a 0 to 15 volt, 0 to 35 amp supply with volt/ammeter.

Even better if it has OCP. If the current drain reaches a user
programmed setting (IE those BJTs are about to blow!), the power
supply will shutdown its output completely, instead of just dumping
continuous current to whatever the current is set to. I have an
Agilent 6643A which does this. While they cost $3K new you can pick
'em up for a 10% of that on Ebay. I paid just a bit over $300 for
mine.

http://www.home.agilent.com/agilent/product.jspx?
id=839301&pageMode=OV&pid=839301&lc=eng&ct=PROD UCT&cc=US&pselect=SR.PM-
Search%20Results.Overview

That's great if you know within a decent tolerance how much current what
you are working on draws at inrush or at an idle.

True. Start low and work your way up.

And put your nose close to it and inhale. I do a lot of troubleshoot with
my senses. After 30 some years I can distinguish just what's hot or
burning, smell ozone from HV, hear things snap crackle pop etc...

Also a good tip, but when doing so I wear safety glasses. I've had a few
things go critical mass just as I lowered my nose for a sniff! Gotta love
those - practically fell out of my seat.