On Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:29:33 +0100, Graeme
wrote:

In message , T i m
writes

OOI, do we think that the models shown on the CSE site are in any way
different to those (exact looking) sold via the likes of eBay or
Amazon etc? Not that CSE's prices aren't competitive etc?

I think they are identical, although I don't have two units from
different sources side by side to compare. Speaking to friends, some
have purchased via Amazon or eBay and some (like me) direct from CSE,
and all seem the same.

Thanks.

After looking around and starting to get distracted by feature creep,
I think I'm now resigned to go for the same as you and yer MR friends
and go for the SM 30/5 jobby, partly because of the price (bang for
buck), partly because your usage would be similar to mine (running
things that aren't 'fussy' about voltage), ease of voltage adjustment
and the compact size and light weight.

The strange thing is that with a digital display you can be inclined
to try to set the voltage exactly, say 12.00V when in many cases it
wouldn't actually matter if it was 10 or 15 (as you are driving a
voltage regulator in the first place). When I had the analogue
displayed meter you just turned it to 'about' 12V and you were happy
to leave it at that (very fast).

I'm comparing that with the 4 digit analogue PSU with the encoder
style digit-by-digit adjustment and just wondering if that might
become a bit tiresome in use?

Like if you want to go from 12 to 5V (I believe you have to):

Press the voltage knob
Turn it to select the units field (2)
Press the knob again to select that field
Turn it up to 5, (you now have 15V)
Press the knob again to enter that value
Turn it to select the 10's field (1)
Press the knob again to select that field
Turn it from 1 to 0 (now saying 5V)
Not sure if you have to press it to select 0 or that it times out to
0?

It's similar to setting some clocks.

On the simpler linear adjustment versions and assuming the 'Fine'
control knob is set in the middle of it's range.

Turn the 'Coarse' voltage knob down from 12 to 5V, or as near as you
can get with that control. If required, turn the 'Fine' voltage
control to get a more accurate value.

Cheers, T i m