This Amiga Power Supply Will Work Anywhere

[@NoelsRetroLab]

I've gotten several very good suggestions on how to make this mod safer (I'm not an electrician, sorry!): 1) Use thicker cables for the AC connection and 2) Put some ind of heat shrink on that connection. That will protect things if the PSU ever comes loose. Thanks for the feedback!

[@r1z4rd]

Hello Noel ! About thicker AC cables, Live, Neutral and Earth, MUST have the SAME exact section(diameter/gauge). Avoid rigid wire.

[@richardkelsch3640]

Yes. the 20 gauge wire on the AC line input is a fire safety hazard. Because the USA uses lower voltage, it has higher amperage to compensate, and thus lower gauge wire. 18 gauge is the minimum.

[@jaycee1980]

The best thing to use for the AC wiring is... wire from an AC cord :) Get some 6A (0.75MM²) flex and strip it apart for the individual wires. I don't know about Spain, but here in the UK pretty much any DIY store will carry suitable mains flex.

[@KingMob4313]

Yeah, as soon as you are talking about mains power, the requirements for wire gauge is a real issue.

[@johnbos4637]

NOPE! None of the above is a valid concern. The AC side doesn't affect current. The DEVICE draws the current it needs when powered on. Since the device is the same A500 used with the original PSU, it will draw exactly the same current it took before the PSU swap, regardless of the input AC voltage. The wire gauge is the same as that used by the original PSU and the exact same cable is used on NTSC and PAL machines so it doesn't actually affect anything. If that wire gauge was good enough to pass stringent FCC safety testing by the manufacturers it's certainly good enough now.

[@Xoferif]

Unfun fact: When dropped on the floor, British mains plugs tend to lie on their backs with the prongs pointing upwards. Think treading on a Lego brick with your bare foot is painful? That's nothing in comparison!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yes, I've heard they have a reputation for doing that 🤣

[@stefanocrespi5424]

Ouch!

[@Adrian_Finn]

Yes, I've done this many times, man is it horrible!

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Think it never happens as the plugs shouldn’t be kept in the middle of the floor 😀

[@patrickelliott2169]

@@NoelsRetroLab But, at least they don't have the US reputation of the prongs bending by practically merely breathing on them. We have three electric carts at the store I work at. When they installed wall sockets they put in two sets of 4, for a total of 8, then somehow "miswired" one set, which failed, then they couldn't work out how the heck to fix it. The "working" one was 2 feet away from the farthest cart, so caused "one" charge plug to stretch too far. So.. when they did a minor remodel they tried to fix this - by removing the 2 foot away one entirely, rewiring the broken one so it works, and placing the charge plugs where #1 = too close to the ice machine, #2 is 2 feet away, and stretches the cords, and #3 is now like 4 feet away, and can only be "safely" reached by one plug, which is about a foot longer than the other two (and on an older model cart). Needless to say, all three plugs, and all three carts, are now bent all to heck, and if parked in the wrong places, at least one cart *will not stay plugged in, and charging*, since the cord literally pulls it sideways, and out of the wall socket. Sigh... I work for idiots.

[@jaycee1980]

There's also more than 2 types of Amiga brick PSU. There are at least 6 types that I have come across: 1) Big heavy brick with linear transformer made by Speedy-Tech (uses a 20-15-0-15-20 tapped transformer, has L294, L4960 and 7912 regulators) 2) Big heavy brick with linear transformer made by ISMET (uses SG3524 and 7812/7912 regulators. Frequently cracks joints near the transformer). This was derived from their design for the C128 I believe. 3) Slim brick with linear transformer, made by Speedy-Tech, potted in resin. Usually fails by voltages sagging under load. If you can get the potting out, these make great cases for RPT-60B's 4) Big lightweight brick made by ISMET. SMPS type using BU508 switching transistor. Crap quality capacitors, frequently burns out two resistors and puts unregulated voltage out when it fails. 5) Big lightweight brick made by Speedy-Tech. Not seen many of these go bad actually. 6) Slim lightweight brick made by DCD. This is frequently what came with the A600.. good quality, though only 22W. There's also one out there made by DVE but i've not seen it in the flesh.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Aha! That's some in-depth classification of PSUs right there. That's great. I'm saving that info for future reference. Thanks!

[@jaycee1980]

Actually i've never seen that Liton one that you show with the exploded capacitor either :) The key thing is, all of these power supplies were subcontracted regionally - none were designed by Commodore themselves other than the look of the casing. They simply specified that they wanted a supply capable of supplying +5, +12 and -12 with minimum current specs. How the subcontractors did it was up to them. Most of the supplies were cost optimised and were dreadful. Especially that ISMET switching one.

[@jaycee1980]

The fuse in the plug is because we have 32A "ring main" socket circuits. The fuse is there to protect the flex in the case of an overload, as the socket circuit is capable of supplying a large amount of current before the breaker will trip.

[@johnbos4637]

Does the UK actually have any appliances that draw 32A? Here in Australia the max amperage is 10A. There is a 15A plug for special uses but it's rarely used and the only difference is slightly thicker wire and a larger ground lug so it can't be plugged into a stock 10A socket. They are used for things like AC input to a caravan where one socket provides all power to everything that uses electricity inside the caravan.

[@juliannicholls]

@@johnbos4637 No appliances can draw more than 13A if they are plugged in to the wall, because that is the biggest plug fuse that can be bought. We have 3kW kettles that therefore draw about 12A at a nominal 240v.

[@johnbos4637]

@@juliannicholls Ah, I thought maybe something had changed. When I lived in the UK from 1968 - 1971 the fuse was 13A.

[@TrimeshSZ]

You just have to use 2 BS1363 plugs wired in parallel with special "brass slug" fuses if you want to run a welder from a dual-gang wall socket. Not that I would advocate or have ever done such a terrible thing, you understand...

[@jaycee1980]

@@TrimeshSZ I should hope not :)

[@mikelahey1220]

The fuse in the UK plug is to protect the appliance cable (or cord if you're in the US). This is because most domestic UK installation wall outlets are wired in a ring, using 2.5mm squared cable, with sockets daisy chained together, so there is continuity in both directions from any socket back to the distribution board. The ring main wiring inside the fabric of the building is usually protected by a 32 A circuit breaker. So if there is a fault on the appliance, the fault current could be less than 32A, but still exceed the rating of the appliance cable (which will be much less than 32A), causing the cable to overheat and catch fire without tripping the circuit breaker. In this case, a correctly sized fuse in the plug would blow and prevent the cable from catching fire.

[@jaycee1980]

Oh thank god, theres actually people that know this :)

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Right. Technology Connections had a great video about that (focusing on the US system): kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZDUXqukjreonbM

[@sysghost]

Another thing to watch out for when working with mains cables. Some plugs can be reversed in the outlet, switching the neutral and live around. (This is btw, fine for one phase equipment ) Don't assume neutral always are neutral and live always are live. It depends on how the socket/wall outlet is plugged. Common sense is to consider both neutral and live as if they both are live. And of course never ever work with the mains side with it plugged in, even if the wall outlet has a switch turned off.

[@nickolasgaspar9660]

I repaired my A500 during this summer and I decided to keep the original psu circuit(heavy type) but I changed the 5v and 16v regulators(their values were way off!), I added to them bigger aluminum plate coolers and change all the electrolytic capacitors. I only left one regulator(it looks like one) because I got bored to desolder it and check its values(it is in a really tight corner!) but now all the values are good. I hope that it will last for an other 30 years.

[@capybaratech377]

Great video. I am an electrician, and I can honestly say I wouldn't make a better job. My old MSX blew up a Germanium glass diode, very rare component, maybe I will make a video about it. Continue being the good honest person you are. God bless you

[@TheSimTetuChannel]

Dad 1: That old PSU can socket! Dad 2: IEC what you did there.

[@MoreFunMakingIt]

Good job Noel. I did a similar PSU mod recently with the 50b version of the meanwell unit. I needed to adjust the 5v load as my gotek was not working with it until I adjusted it under load.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yes, I was ready to adjust the voltage under load at the end when I realized this model didn't have an adjustment like the 50B. I wonder why. At least it worked fine without any tweaking, so that was great.

[@SeanBZA]

@@NoelsRetroLab Costs money and space to put the pot in, and makes it less reliable. You just have to use 1% resistors for the reference divider, and use the 1% TL431 IC, to get the overall accuracy of the 5V rail within 2% at worst case, which is from 4V9 to 5V1, and in most cases within 50mV of 5v. I just made a fixed resistor for a 12v battery charger, as the original uses a pot, which is a little touchy to adjust. Measured it, and looked for a parallel selection of resistors to make the same 350R resistance. a parallel combination of 2 820R resistors and a 2k5 resistor got me within 1R of the correct value, plenty close enough.

[@MoreFunMakingIt]

I think some of the Meanwell supplies regulate on the 12v rail rather than the 5. I know that's been a problem for some people as the 12v isn't getting a load sufficient to achieve the right level on the 5v. I misremembered my problem, it wasn't the Gotek I had problems with, it was a usb mouse plugged in with an adapter. Not a problem if you're using real mice.

[@mcg6762]

The blue wire in a mains cable may actually be the live wire since many European plugs are non-polarized, they can go in both ways when plugged into a wall socket.

[@Nibb31]

Not true for earthed plugs. Live should be on the right and neutral on the left. There are socket testers available that will tell you if your sockets are miswired.

[@mcg6762]

@@Nibb31 At least in Sweden earthed plugs can be plugged in both ways. Edit: Germany also has earthed non-polarized plugs along with a bunch of other European countries. In fact it's the most common plug in Europe called the CEE 7/4 plug. It's earthed and can be plugged in both ways.

[@MermaidSystem]

@@Nibb31 In Germany und many other European Countrys, the earthprongs a made to allow the plug to connect in both ways. So its Nonploarized even with earthconnection. there is not even a "best practice" for the side of the phase.

[@Hadrian2002]

@@MermaidSystem totally right. Actually this also means, that you need to use a two pole switch at the AC side (instead of the former 1 pole) two cut both wires. As I read from Wikipedia the usual plugs in Spain are not polarized, so you should consider this ;-) Otherwise you may have life on the power supply board, when expecting it to be all neutral.

[@jaycee1980]

@@Hadrian2002 you dont NEED to use a dual pole switch unless you require isolation. For a simple on/off switch it is enough to break one conductor.

[@kevinhowie2704]

Great video Noel, just one thing I noticed was that remember to make sure the supply wires to the PSU can carry the higher current when plugged into an American supply.

[@kevinhowie2704]

@Mr Guru yes the current draw to the Amiga will be the same on the DC load side but on the AC supply to the PSU if the voltage level changes from 220V down to 120V to keep the power the same the current will increase. For example 100W PSU will draw 0.45A at 220V but a 120v supply will draw 0.83A.

[@johnbos4637]

@@kevinhowie2704 Sure but like I said in another comment.... it doesn't matter. I own over 50 Amigas. The same AC cable is used on all models in all regions. The only difference is the plug shape and the input voltage on the PSU. You said yourself a 1mm wire can take 10A without issues and the cable used is at least that. The Amiga only takes 3A-4A so well within the limits. If it was good enough to pass FCC safety regulations in 1987 it's fine now.

[@kevinhowie2704]

@@johnbos4637 true I believe you that the dc circuit supplying the Amiga is 3 to 4 amp but we are discussing the AC supply which current will be alot lower.

[@macstar8317]

The UK plug is the safest in the world. You'll also notice that the earth pin is longer than the other 2 - this is a safety feature that stops you plugging it in if it's not present (there is a corresponding safety device built into all UK plug sockets).

[@horusfalcon]

I don't know if you've ever tried it, but Chip Quik low melt solder can also help when de-soldering. Those Meanwell units look like some very compact switching supplies. Adding the IEC plug is a nice touch - that style of plug, IEC-19, is widely available in cord sets of various lengths and gauges up to 14 AWG for decent prices. For higher power and heavier wire gauges, look at IEC-21(?). (I have an old Dell Precision 690 that has a 1000W PSU which uses this heavier style of cord.) (I'm questioning the IEC-21 designator because I've seen others, e.g., IEC-C21, IEC-320, and some others that all seem to be the same or very similar.) The pinned comment has stirred quite the back-and-forth about wire sizes for use with 110VAC. A good guide to what is up to Code (NFPA National Electric Code) that isn't too expensive is Ugly's Electrical References, a small "pocket-sized" book, usually bound to lay flat. Ah... I see it is now available as an app for Android or IOS. It's worth having if you are going to be doing electrical work (as opposed to electronics).

[@IvarDaigon]

i like the trick with the shrink tube... when soldering I usually blow gently on the solder joint to push the smoke away so I can see what I'm doing and also so that I don't inhale the lead vapors.

[@misterkite]

Amazon sells IEC320 sockets with integrated power switches. I use them all over the place. Plus they light up when switched on and have a fuse.

[@JamesMossR33]

This is a great idea and I see a Bulgin C14 that's perfect except its size makes 'snapping' it into the end of the case difficult it's not flat. Now I want to 3D print a case to suit, with screw bosses in the correct place for the Mean Well. See what you've done (but thanks for the tip!) :D

[@someguy2741]

A good tip is to make sure there is a fuse on the live wire. If the meanwell doesnt have one then you can use one of those barrel type fuse holders and drill a hole in the case. A fuse of some sort is required for CSA/CUL compliance. I would assume the meanwell supply has the mains fused in this case.

[@purrator]

Love the IEC socket, will reconsider my own brick mod...

[@JVHShack]

It's a nice touch using the Noel's Retro Lab original colors for the neutral and earth wires. Subtle signature from Noel there. I also built my own PSU for my A500, but I had to start from scratch. I used an enclosure from Hammond Engineering, a salvaged power cord from an old surge protector, some wiring for trailer lighting, a Mean Well PT-65B, a toggle switch, and a DIN connector from a seller on Ebay. It works perfectly, but the trailer wiring is a bit unsightly...

[@charlierobson]

Some great tips. 1> Using regular iron in tandem with desolder gun for stubborn joints. And B) isolating pins in a multi-pin plug with heatshrink to help prevent shorting when measuring. Gold!

[@ASBO_Rob]

Most people praise the UK plug. Maybe your unaware we have different rated fuses based on the device requirements. Eg: back in the 90s my C64 PSU had a transformer meltdown and the C64 survived (I'm betting it was because the 3A fuse in the plug blew before dangerous voltage got to the C64) But its also good for devices that don't have its own fuse EG: Table lamps.

[@SpeccyMan]

Maybe you're unaware of the contraction of "you are" and how it has an apostrophe and an e. 😉 Maybe you're also unaware that your final sentence should read: But it's (it is) also good for devices that don't have its (kudos here for the correct possessive pronoun) own fuse, e.g. (an abbreviation so punctuate it!) table lamps.

[@8bitsinthebasement]

Ireland has built in fuses in plugs too, we share the same electrical plugs and sockets. We had funny looking phone sockets and plugs as well up until the late 70s ;)

[@gertsy2000]

Good mod Noel. And great idea with the IEC socket. Yes when I saw the thickness of the blue (neutral) wire I was a tad concerned.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! I think the thickness is fine given that it's 220V AC, but it wouldn't hurt to have something thicker for sure.

[@sammy61187]

My two favourite thing a Noel video and an a Amiga 500 fantastic!!

[@SergiuszRoszczyk]

One thought about L and N lines. In FR socket you can't insert the other way around but in Italian or Schucko (Germany, Austria) you can actually insert it that L and N are swapped. I'd treat them both as live, and only Protective Earth as safe one (as it is connected to chassis anyway - for a reason). Only double insulated devices (box in a box logo on device) don't use PE wire as they have double insulation layers against catastrophic failure (ie. short live to chassis).

[@falksweden]

A tip. It's a good idea to properly insulate the screws for the IEC socket since those breaks the insulation of the case. They _could_ be a hazard if a cable breaks loose and makes the phase connected to the screw. Also heat shrink the soldered terminals on the IEC socket and the switch. Better safe than sorry :)

[@maltronik]

Just FYI Noel here in Malaysia we use the same plug as in UK.. nice mod and nice video..

[@75slaine]

I really should get around to doing this to my A500 PSU. Thanks for the straight forward video 👍

[@stuartkinnear2478]

I did a very similar mod to replace the PSU I use for my own Amigas. Meanwells are pretty good. I also replaced the internal PSU in my AppleIIGS with a Meanwell model - it helped to allow me to run it on 220v.

[@joseluisarenasperez3855]

What model of power supply you use for the IIgs ??

[@stuartkinnear2478]

@@joseluisarenasperez3855 Meanwell RPT-60B

[@gnramires]

Another recommendation is to avoid soldering mains voltage connections. (use crimped connections or screw terminals instead), because cold solders may cause arcs and fire hazards.

[@WacKEDmaN]

nice job Noel... just like a bought one! like has been mentioned.. you really need thicker wires on the input side, the ones you have might get warm/hot under load...which isnt a good thing for a PSU in a plastic case! :P

[@AmigaofRochester]

Hey Noel. Hope you're well. If you ever need any help fixing an Amiga, let me know. That PSU has so little in it, you could almost rebuild it with all new parts for cheap haha

[@VioletGiraffe]

What are the typical failure points? That electrolytic cap was obviously botched in Noel's unit, but I doubt that was the only thing wrong there.

[@AmigaofRochester]

@@VioletGiraffe The psu he swapped, didn't have a lot in it. the one with bad cap had a far more complicated design.

[@SeanBZA]

@@AmigaofRochester The old one is exactly the same, just runs at a lower frequency and with slightly worse efficiency, plus as it is self oscillating it will likely not start reliably on 115VAC supplies. New good quality 105C capacitors all round, a resolder of the transformer and power semiconductors, and it will work fine for another 2 decades no problem.

[@AmigaofRochester]

@@SeanBZA He showed two old psus, one more complex than the other. One with a blown cap, one without. The one without the blown cap yes, I'd just rebuild with new 105c caps. I'd do the samething with the blown cap one. Just like I do with apple psus.

[@10p6]

Nice. I have three comments though. 1. I would use heat-shrink on the plug and switch contacts. 2. I would glue the nuts on the socket, as if they come loose it wont be pretty. 3. Not all 3D printing filaments are created equal, so I would use a PLA+ or ABS filament.

[@johnbos4637]

The plastic is just a mount. It doesn't actually matter as there is no force on it. Regardless, he didn't actually say what it's made of so how do you know he didn't use PLA+ or ABS? ;-)

[@10p6]

@@johnbos4637 It does matter as the mount can melt or disform with minimal heat. I know because I am a smart ass who does a lot of 3D printing.

[@ximonx]

The heat shrink probe isolation trick is pretty smart 👍

[@thesillyhatday]

The Mean Well power supplies are a great choice for old computers. They aren't the best but they are reliable, safe and well made, especially for the price. I've seen one on some machinery that had a fault that caused the DC output to be shorted for days. That thing worked just fine afterwards, so they seem to have some decent output protection built in. It was jammed with oily dust too but it didn't bother it. The earlier Amiga supply that I have, I'm sure is a linear supply. Just a giant transformer and some filtering. I'll leave it alone for the time being.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Agreed. They're not bomb-proof, but for the money they're great and they will usually not destroy what you're powering with them 😃 And yes, I'm leaving the linear PSU alone. Those seem to be OK. It's the lightweight ones that tend to have issues.

[@SeanBZA]

@@NoelsRetroLab Yes but the lightweight ones are easy to repair, especially if you do it before it fails, simply by replacing all those old capacitors in them. The Meanwell power supply will still fail in the same way, just after a few years, but should still be available.

[@jaycee1980]

"arent the best" ? They're very good. Actually look at one - well made, good quality capacitors...

[@SeanBZA]

@@jaycee1980 Yes, but they are not using the top of the range capacitors, but lower cost versions, that have a shorter operational life. Cost cutting, and so long as you derate them appropriately, and run them at a lower temperature they do work well. Even the top tier equipment makers use them, though there they often also have special versions for their use case, with the top quality capacitors in them, as they are willing to pay for the longer life.

[@thesillyhatday]

@@jaycee1980 Better ones would be, Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Schneider, etc. The extra cost versus Mean Well isn't always justified in a professional industrial environment, let alone for a fun hobby at home. I've seen more Mean Well failures than the other brands combined.

[@cjmillsnun]

I know this is an old video, but on the mains side, I would advise using thicker neutral and earth wires. Idealy the same gauge as the live wire. For 230V it's probably not a big deal, but going down to 120, it'll be double the current.

[@tonanornottonull7132]

Great video. The second he saw the Dremel work I bet Jan Beta was all eyes on this video lol

[@joelmarcott3282]

When I got my Amiga 1200, it came with a more modern potted resin PSU. I would like to see if I could remove the material and put a meanwell in.

[@v4lgrind]

In many European countries there is no dedicated "neutral" cable in appliances since the standard schuko plug is not directional. Regardless if you have spent time wiring up your walls in any particular direction (not required) you can change what is neutral at any time by rotating the plug 180°.

[@TheErador]

Surely schuko is directional? There's an earth pin hole, admittedly if it's a two pin outlet it's not directional.... Never mind i forgot that schuko uses the edge connectors not the pin and so you're quite right.

[@v4lgrind]

@@TheErador You are half right though. There are variants like the French Type E that has a earth prong in the socket instead of the normal side connectors. There are however only a handful of countries in Europe that do not use Type F.

[@TheErador]

@@v4lgrind Poland seems to use the type E, which is where I've been quite a bit with work, easy to forget that sockets are not entirely unified across Europe.

[@AFourEyedGeek]

Your content is always fantastic. Cheers Noel.

[@Waccoon]

I did a full recap of my A1200 power supply a couple years ago, and only then noticed that the cable with the square plug has a break somewhere and the Amiga will shut off if I flex the cable too much. It's probably time for me to build a whole new power supply with new cables. Any input on switching the stupid square plug on an Amiga with a more conventional round connector? Are there any other common plugs that suit the pin layout on the motherboard?

[@therealjammit]

That power supply was designed to be put inside a metal case. The ground is supposed to be connected to the metal case, and the power supply grounds through the holes you jumpered together. What you did is perfectly fine. A car headlamp will draw about 4 amps from 12 volts and around 2 amps on 5 volts. A car marker light (blinker) will normally draw around 600ma to 1 amps.

[@retrohaxblog]

Wow! Excellent idea! I have at least 10 PSUs that need fixing so I'll deffo copy your idea if you don't mind and obviously will cover it on y blog (with proper credits ;) Also, a small remark. For cutting ABS plastic, you will get way better results with a thin mini-saw blade for a Dremel. I've cut hundreds of those and it works the best for me.

[@stefanocrespi5424]

Hi Noel, I love your content and the way you explain. And your accent too. Are there any chance to see you put the hands into a 264 series machine?

[@tommyovesen]

Nice video. Some good tips there with the tube in the contact, and using both the solder iron and desolder iron together :)

[@nopochoclos]

Great!, when cut plastics, with the dremel use the correct disk, is like black fiberglass, that is for cutting plastics, those tiny Psu are like that ones on arcades, these new models has protections like over voltage ? I use tiny Atx.. great video.. great too take time to explain security !

[@herbmyers805]

Meanwell is a great low cost mod. I have it on my dual C128 and C64 supply. I also got 18 0 18 Transformer to supply 9 VAC when paralleled.

[@alexquant1335]

Looks like a good project to replace an Atari ST internal PSU Don't order the RPD-60B as shown - that's for 5v and 24v output. Order the RPD-60A for dual 5v and 12v

[@desiv1170]

Close, but the RDP-60A is also wrong. It doesn't have -12v. I believe he meant the RPT-60B, which has the +5v, +12v, AND -12V the Amiga needs.

[@spacedock873]

Great tip about using a soldering iron with the desoldering gun. The gun can definitely struggle with voltage/ground planes. 👍😊

[@michaelcarey]

What model MeanWell Power Supply did you use? I have checked out the RPD-60 series and can't find one that has +5V and both +12V and -12V outputs

[@joachimp1073]

The screen capture is wrong, the correct reference is: RPT-60B. This one (T instead or B) has the expected voltages.

[@xyzconceptsYT]

Nice mod, next time try to match the input wire gauge internally. Also, guard those high-side solder connections with good quality heat shrink. 😊😊

[@johnwilliamson467]

120 to 125 volts for USA rather than 110 tends to be the line voltage.. Thus the 90 to 130 range is what one looks at as expected range do to brown out ETC . Easy to meet in this case.

[@RetroTheory]

Perfect, very neat in the end.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! And as a bonus, they're easier to store since the power cord comes off.

[@RetroTheory]

@@NoelsRetroLab Very true, I always wished the two cables were on the same side, and the switch facing out. just for desk usage.

[@jensschroder8214]

At that time I had a PC power supply unit on the Amiga 1200. That came from a remaining stock. It had a real power switch, but no standardized PC dimensions. I do not know which PC power supply units had no standby and were not switched via a soft switch, but directly switched on 220 volts. Anyway, it brought ample power to 5 volts and +/- 12 volts. In addition, Molex plugs, with which I connected the hard drive and CD Rom. I think it even had a 3.3 volt line that I didn't need. It brought a total of about 120 watts. Too little for a PC but not enough for an Amiga. At that time, I simply cut the cables off and soldered them together to match. Unfortunately, all Amiga parts ended up in the trash sometime in the 2000s. The reason was, I think, that no floppy disk want to start anymore.

[@stevendegreef93]

You should have insulated the screws on the inside, now they can become live when something breaks on the inside (a live wire or something). PS: I recently used the same psu for a usb docking station that had issues with interference :-)

[@xilex909]

Other option would be to connect the ground to those two new screws. Leaving them like they are now would make the psu technically unsafe. The original screws are considered safe because their metal parts are not exposed inside the case when it is closed.

[@HLGDarksol]

Didn't know you live in Spain :o As a native spanish speaker, It would be nice hearing you speak spanish! Love from Mexico bro.

[@ctrlaltrees]

6:31 - I thought I was watching The 8-Bit Guy for a moment there... 😉

[@ElectronGordo]

Noel, a pleasure to learn from you. Please, you could be so kind of tell the links to buy those power supply replacement? Thanks :)

[@ElectronGordo]

By the way, it see it also could works for Spectrum +2AB/+3

[@MeinElektronikHobby]

... Danke tolles Video mit tollen Ideen - great video with great ideas

[@arongooch]

Ive heard good things about the Meanwell PSU's but I do wonder looking at them with the electrolytic capacitors jammed in so close to heatsinks and heat sources and under cages if they will be in a worse position in 15, 20 or more years than the original PSU? I know they would have better protection for over voltage etc but not really sold on the "jammed pack" layout they have.

[@santiagog.6160]

Hi. Any direct sales link for the rpd-60B? Looking at Aliexpress, it appears that they only have two voltage outputs, +12 and +5. I don't see -12v

[@santiagog.6160]

Going through the Meanwell catalog, I think I have found an error. In his video he refers to the model rpd-60 (3:33) when in reality the reference of the triple voltage source must be RPT-60 + 12v + 5-12v. Maybe a catalog change? In any case. Very good video. I was unaware of this small model of power supply

[@TrimeshSZ]

@@santiagog.6160 I think it's just an error on the video - the last letter in Meanwel PSU part numbers is the output configuration; "S" = Single, "D" = Dual, "T" = Triple. So if you have a "RPD" model with 3 outputs it's presumably a fake one (yes, there are fake Meanwell PSUs).

[@absalomdraconis]

I live in the US, and have several (dead) fans with fuses in their plugs. Unfortunately, local sources don't seem to have the right type of fuse (they're really tiny cylindrical ones, much smaller than normal... smaller, in fact, than the unusually small ones that _are_ locally available).

[@YogSothoth1969]

Well done Noel, looks pretty cool!!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! 👍

[@robwebster7406]

Thanks for the vid 👍 also in the uk L can be Line, L1 L2 and L3 for the 3 phases 😏

[@campallu]

Hi Noel, just a quick question, if that psu is leadfree soldered i am surprised about how easy it was to unsolder those components, which unsoldering tool are you using? (and soldering iron) looking to upgrade my gear.

[@NoelsRetroLab]

That's why I had to use the soldering iron along with the desoldering gun probably, but yes, they came out really nicely. You can see the specific tools I'm using here: noelsretrolab.com/tools.html

[@technerd9655]

Great video! One small, almost inconsequential suggestion, flat head screws are the worst! Not that you'll be opening the PSU a lot, but I would try to avoid those types of screws. I've always liked Robertson (square) type, they work very well, tend not to get stripped too easily, but it aren't very common outside of Canada (where I am from), not such of fan of Philips because they get stripped a lot in my experience, but better than flat head. Torx or hex are also good

[@AristarcoPalacios]

Does anyone know the make and model of his desoldering gun? I've seen other brands (different colors) and are ultra noisy. This one sounds fine. Anyone?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

It's a ZD915, but it's pretty loud. I turn the volume down during those sequences 😃 The gun itself is great though. Highly recommended.

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

In my experience, the combination of temperature controlled iron+cheap desoldering pump does a better job at removing solder and preserving traces.

[@rinner2801]

This is good, I have many useless Amiga PS from the UK I can't use here in the US, so I use old PC power supplies instead. This is a much better idea.

[@Charleshawn66]

GREAT VIDEO!!! I bought a new PSU when I got my A1200 around 3 years ago. It will take both inputs voltages and looks like a laptops PSU and it adds an ON/OFF switch right at the back of the A1200 where it plugs in. I have also upgraded my C64 from Xmas 1983 and my C64G both to nu-brick 64 a few years ago. I bought a C128D about a month ago and wonder what is known about its larger internal PSU that powers the computer and it's 1571 drive? If it is a "Brick of Death" can you do a PSU upgrade to a C128D sometime? It would be great to see it done for a tutorial and what Mean Well unit to choose? Thank you in advance for any info or help in this matter.

[@Captain_Char]

Christmas lights are the only Canadian plugs with fuses in the plug

[@psteier]

Nice job. But why not painting the case, to get rid off the yellow and the burned marks?

[@DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

Does Boston not have those 13A Mains sockets.

[@cocusar]

The chiptunes at 11.30 sounds awfully similar to "modern love" from a flock of seagulls. Besides that, pretty cool video. Are those imperfections on the plastic caused by something hot melting it? ot was it in tight contact with some cables for years?

[@GabrielWeed]

"Avoid any POTENTIAL PROBLEMS in the future" good one

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Dang! I wish I could take credit for that one. I need to start thinking about puns more often 😃

[@RudysRetroIntel]

Excellent work as always!!

[@wolvenar]

If you could post links to your recommendations for the PSU replacement, that would be great. Better yet if you can do something with an Amazon affiliate link. You might as well get a bit of a tip for your time. Thanks for the video.

[@echosmith6092]

what is the code of the PSU you used

[@ooltimu]

You should be using a cutting disc for plastic and way lower rpm on your dremel

[@norbert.kiszka]

In Japan, there is 100V. Will it work?

[@stefanocrespi5424]

I hoped to see the weight comparison at the end!

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Oh, it's pretty light! Probably similar in weight to the light PSU I pulled out. Maybe a tad bit lighter.

[@richards7909]

Fuses in a three pin plug are not only a safety feature which are cheap but practical too. If my fridge gets a power surge, the fuse blows and it’s quick and easy to replace. I’m guessing in Europe if you get a power surge, there’s going to be damage which I guess most people are going to need at least an engineer out which will be expensive?

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

Countries in Europe generally don't use ring topologies like in the UK, so a surge would only affect the "spoke" of wires from the appliance to the distribution box.

[@richards7909]

@@bufordmaddogtannen I won't claim to understand that fully, but that doesn't mean a power surge wouldn't happen?

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

@@richards7909 my understanding is that to be able to have sockets (and lights) arranged in a circle you need to be able to push 30Amps/7000+ KW worth of power through the wires. With a star arrangement the requirements are lower, therefore the damage should be contained. Besides most households in Europe are capped at around 4KW total as heating and cooking is done with gas. In the case of an electrical heater malfunctioning, this can affect other appliances on the same ring.

[@Gizmo1969]

some heat shrink on the AC input soldering would be a good move, but regardless ace videos

[@demofilm]

I think nice clean power is very important for retro computers

[@Revoku]

I love your videos, and I hate you because flathead screws lol!

[@bsvenss2]

5:50 WHAT?!? On my old Amiga power supply, I also had two burn marks from a soldering iron in the exact same place! *LOL* But I never had a UK plug, only the common EU plug.

[@ifrit05]

Came for PSU modding ideas, stayed for Hybrid Song.

[@CheshireNoir]

That two soldering iron trick was worth the price of entry. *Snarfs it up for later*

[@johnbos4637]

It's a common thing and well documented. I've been doing exactly that for 20+ years.

[@CheshireNoir]

@@johnbos4637 Well good for you :-) Me? I haven't been doing that for twenty years, so... SNARF!

[@johnbos4637]

@@CheshireNoir I had to look that up..... it has different definitions depending on use. "SNARF: To expel fluid or food through the nostrils accidentally, usually while attempting to stifle laughter with one's mouth full.". Obviously this isn't the one you meant LOL ;-)

[@robbyxp1]

British plugs are by far the most reliable I've ever used and provide up to 3kw of power, and allow for thin cables by being fused. 2 prong USA plugs fall out if you breath on them, not fused, and are low wattage in comparison. European plugs are non standard (try it in Italy for instance) and non fused, so you have to have a thicker cable.

[@danielmantione]

Non-standard is an argument against UK plugs and not in favour of them: I can visit Italy and plug in my laptop without an adapter. I can't visit the UK without using an adapter. Agreed, it is only partial compatibility, but partial compatibility is a lot better than no compatibility.

[@robbyxp1]

You can keep your plugs, and we can keep ours. And euro plugs are not the same across the continent, as I found out to my cost in italy a few years ago when a northern European plug got stuck.

[@danielmantione]

@@robbyxp1 Impressed how how you make this a "you" and "us" thing. There exists no European socket. There exists an European plug, the CEE 7/16, and it fits in German, French, Swiss and Italian sockets. The only socket where it doesn't fit is the UK socket. The "north European" plug that you mention is likely Schuko plug. Schuko is not an European plug, it is a German plug (used in many more countries). And a German plug does not fit in an Italian socket. Many Schuko plugs are actually hybrid German and French plugs and fit both German and French sockets. They still don't fit in Italian sockets Is it perfect? Nope. But fact remains that the UK and Ireland are the only European countries where you need to take adapters with you. Everywhere else the CEE 7/16 plugs are accepted. Since devices that you carry with you during travel (shavers, USB chargers, laptops, ...) have or can have CEE 7/16 plugs there isn't actually a lot of plugs plain in practise.

[@robbyxp1]

An hair dryer bought in Netherlands did not not fit the Italian socket. It stuck. They hotel supplied an adaptor. Hence they are non standard. And they are not fused, which is the major problem with European plugs. That means you have to have a thick lead even if your not drawing the full amperage.

[@danielmantione]

@@robbyxp1 Yes, a hairdryer needs to more than 2.5A, which is the maximum the CEE 7/16 plug can carry. A hairdryer sold in NL commonly has a CEE 7/17 plug, which is indeed not compatible with an Italian socket. According to Italian electrical regulations, devices using less than 10A use a plug with pins spaced 19mm apart, while devices using more than 10A need to use plugs with pins 26mm apart. To avoid safety issues, Italian sockets are designed to reject high powered 19mm plugs such as the CEE 7/17. So it is exactly as I said: There is limited compatibility, but still a lot better than no compatibility. The argument about the cable thickness is mostly a theoretical one: Cables in the UK can indeed theoretically be thinner, but in practise they are not.

[@TRONMAGNUM2099]

Looks great. Yes It does look like it came from the factory that way. I will have to give Rainbow Islands a try. Looks like it could be a lot of fun.

[@gregclare]

You really should have used appropriate mains rated (and color coded) wire, and preferably insulated crimp connectors for the IEC socket wiring. Just an observation. It’s always wise to take a little extra care around mains, and earth, wiring. :)

[@DavidBrant]

Good video, love those little PSUs……except i winced when i saw you hadn’t isolated the high voltage AC input wires with shrink tubing. Better safe than 💥 🔥

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Yes, you're right. My non-electrician background showing up 😃 I added a comment about it pinned to the top. Thanks!

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

Hi Noel. Aren't both meanwell PSUs underspecced as they output less Amps than the original PSU on the +5V rail?

[@jaycee1980]

No

[@jaycee1980]

Original Amiga PSU is 20-25W. RPT-60B is 50W.

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

@@jaycee1980 no? They output 4A, commodore PSUs output 4.3-4.5A depending on the revision. With a RAM expansion, or an action replay and an external drive one could go past the 4A the meanwell psu provides.

[@bufordmaddogtannen]

@@jaycee1980 With 4.5A on the +5V and 1A on the +12V rails the amiga power supply outputs about 35W combined. The meanwell outputs 20W on the +5V rail and 24W 24 on the +12V rail.

[@jaycee1980]

@@bufordmaddogtannen They weren't "Commodore" PSU's at all. Also the RPT-60B doesn't output 4A and then shut off at 4.1A - it can handle peaks. The RT-50B is capable of supplying 5A on the +5V line for short durations. Put it this way I know people who are running TF1260 cards from an RPT-60B with absolutely no problem.

[@SimonEllwood]

I would have used heat shrink on the mains connections!

[@cnfuzz]

Still the original powersupply from 1987 , never had problems with it , the Amiga 600 ones are a different story qualitywise

[@richardsavage6981]

That's great Noel. If you haven't done it already, can you be pursuaded to build a replacement C64 supply?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

Thanks! Yes, that's in my list of videos to make. That's going to require some research because there are a LOT of C64 PSU replacements out there, but a lot of them a really expensive. And most of the time it's impossible to reuse the C64 PSU case, which makes it even more difficult. But I'll get to that for sure 👍

[@EngineeringVignettes]

@@NoelsRetroLab - I built my C64 brick replacement using a cheap 5VDC switching-type "wall wart" and a simple power transformer with a 9VAC secondary. Very low cost and it is possible to get into the old brick with lots of hot glue (I used a different case). I added status LEDs for the 5V and 9V outputs as well. A cheap IEC adapter with built-in switch and fuse completes the list. I removed the guts of of the cheap 5VDC wall wart and put it in the new case along with the 9VAC transformer. Lots of custom AC wiring.. so be careful! One issue to be aware of though is that the cheap 5VDC switching wall warts may have a delayed startup on their regulated output so the way the C64 is started is a bit more important. Eg. make sure C64 power switch is OFF before plugging in (and optionally switching on) the new power brick. That way both AC and DC voltages are present when the C64 is eventually turned on. (My power status LEDs help in this too). Is it really that important? Not sure but I do it anyway. Cheers,

[@RixtronixLAB]

Nice video, thanks :)

[@Sanabalis]

The new power supply gives 4A on +5V, while the old one did 4.5A. Is that going to be an issue in the future?

[@NoelsRetroLab]

You're right! I honestly don't think that's a big deal. I suspect the Amiga won't get near that and the new one apparently handles overloading pretty well (it will actually start shutting down instead of burning), so if you ever hit that amount repeatedly and the PSU can't handle it, it'll just shut down and you know that it's time to swap it for a more powerful one. But hopefully it'll never get to that point.

[@EudesRJ]

9:50 Wow as a Brazilian I got surprised by brazil having a color code for this, usually what I seen is anyone uses anything, thats why I carry a multimeter to test before touch 😱

[@pkf4124]

Commodore should have tooled these with an IEC connection to start with. It would have saved then money producing one PSU capable of working in all intended markets, and just packing the lead for its intended market.

[@disposablebasterd]

How about an episode explaining why old computers had all these multiple voltages in them?

[@jaycee1980]

+5V to run the main logic. +12V for a) the floppy drive motor, b) the serial port, c) the audio opamp. -12V for a) the serial port, b) the audio opamp