Talking about and (sort of) reviewing the Korad KA3005P power supply

[@bigclivedotcom]

I just had my slim power supply crash today, so I pulled the load and shot a quick video of the state. No LEDs on and the voltage way up high. A later check revealed that the voltage being output was the one set in the highest 36V range, so a minimum safety precaution might be to set that range to 5V when not using it.

[@roseelectronics4582]

What you doin here, Big Clive?

[@janpiet9716]

My Korad had famous crash issue even with the updated boards. I'm done with this Chinese junk. From now on, on keep on saving money to buy Rohde & Schwartz or similar high end equipment. Granted you can buy a complete lab with Owon or Siglent stuff for the price of just a Rohde & Schwartz power supply, but at least you don't have to worry about the equipment failing or, even worse, destroying anything hooked up to it. Chinese just can't designing anything decent.

[@ShopElectroalchemy]

Thank you so much for posting this video! I haven't found many online that really explain everything in so much detail. I ordered this power supply to use for electroforming and was having trouble figuring out the OVP/OCP/CC/CV/mystery beep and their behaviors, so seeing and hearing you work through all of this was actually really helpful to someone who is just starting to work with these. The instruction manual really is terrible, haha. Thanks again!

[@RFC3514]

Overcurrent /overvoltage protection in this unit basically seems to mean "if these values actually reach the output values I set, turn yourself off" (as opposed to just regulating the output to continue supplying those values). The wording in the manual suggests it will also catch a malfunction of the PSU itself (i.e., if the PSU for some reason outputs more than what you set, OCP / OVP will still kick in), but it's hard to know if that's actually true or not (half the ICs in it are scrubbed, so good luck figuring out what they do).

[@LordCrc]

If you don't enable OCP or OVP, it will regulate within the voltage and current limits set. So for a LED COB you might set 12V / 500mA, and it'll go into constant current (CC) mode at 500mA with a voltage of around 9V or whatever the forward voltage of the LED is. If you put a 1k resistor instead it'll stay in constant voltage (CV) mode 12V drawing 12mA.

[@w8lvradio]

That's what I did... But what I don't get is the constant voltage settling... I get constant current... it's a godsend to set constant current for safety, or if you want to light up ass loads of LEDs... But what would you use constant voltage for (I can even set BOTH Constant Voltage and Constant Current on my set)... must be there for some DUT reason...

[@LordCrc]

A late reply, so for future viewers. Constant voltage is what most power supplies provide, like wall-warts or laptop power bricks. Just yesterday I needed to power a circuit with 30V DC to run some tests and I hadn't built the power supply for the circuit yet. So I used the Korad to supply the 30V.

[@camelCased]

Everyone who works in Korad customer support is named Adam :) Maybe that's their codename for customer support. Wondering, if UNI-T power supplies are any better than these Korads and their clones from RND, Velleman etc.? Also, curious if these Korads have shirt-circuit protection (on 5.1 Amps, I guess) even when OCP is off? It would be bad to accidentally burn it because of a short circuit.

[@hanshugen3363]

Adrian, the mains voltage in Australia is 230V 50Hz, not 250V ;-) Most European countries use 230V or 220V, therefore their equipment works fine in Australia too. Only the shape of the mains plugs and sockets differ.

[@SchwachsinnProduzent]

As far as I understood it, Australia has some kinds of trouble keeping the whole country consistent on 230V and the power spikes up to 250V sometimes somewhere and this can kill PSUs, that aren't designed to withstand this. Correct me, if I am wrong.

[@RFC3514]

Voltage in Europe varies between 220 and 250V (which is why the legal standard is "230 -6% / +10%"). Most of Australia seems to be in the high 230s / low 240s, but some areas probably get close to 250 at least occasionally,

[@w8lvradio]

Thanks for the reply! I bought two of these babies from microcenter for the basement lab...No shipping, and an actual, physical location where I can drive to if they poop out. Have you had any problem with the power switch? I am in hopes that I got the newer version, with the better power transistors. I hope you might show the USB hooked up all and fancy, but I don't see a reason to hook mine up to the PC.

[@GarthBeagle]

29:35 This is why I bought this power supply, that OCP/BEEP button that always beeps 🤟 (I really did buy it a couple days ago, joking to someone who was asking what it was, and I said "it beeps" but now realize there actually is a button that simply beeps on it all the time)

[@lukahierl9857]

I love my korad. I have taken his extec clone apart after it blew a few hundert bucks worth of electronics

[@GroupDenmark]

Thanks for the video, also took the plunge on a couple of Korads, as an private hobbyist that was comming short when checking many things and not least loads and driver settings due to high power laser diodes, and purchased a couple of these power supplys from Korad.(doubtfull if the other will arrive) was looking at that KA3005P but seems to cost around 117US delivered + tax wich is a strong price (at least before tax) and then saw the KA3003P (max3A) for 63US delivered, so purchased that, but doubtfull that it will get shipped hence the pricce of only 63US seems to low with shipping, since its an box of 5kg, but time will tell if the seller will ship it, Im guessing he has forgot to put shipping on that sale. (also been inactivatedthat offer to that price, but havent heard back yet) while waiting for it to get shipped or if the order gets cancelled I' also purchased the KD3005P from Reichhelt (Germany) to around 77EU+5.60euro in shipping-fee and it got delivered today, 25hours delivery time from Germany to Denmark, impressiv, and two of these wont be bad, in having two channels, if the other also gets processed The KD model is a little heavyer then the KA model, but only slightly Here a days-time into use of it, I really cherise that its the P-version with computer-interface and are able to handle the values with the mouse and keyboard and getting graphical graphviews, makes the adjustment easy, even thow the two clickknobs on the KD model is easy to manage with very precise knob click-adjustment.. the KD3005P overall feels styrdy with the relative low price in mind.. I notice there is some difference, amongst the models from Korad that are present here in nortern EU 3q2016 hence,the plugsockets aint pretruding & sticking out anymore, and its on both the KA and the KD mode. (D & P versions) and the other bigger versions & multichannelse from Korad perhaps newer batches.. www.reichelt.de/Laboratory-Power-Supplies/korad/2/index.html?ACTION=2&LA=103&MANUFACTURER=korad&GROUPID=5940 This is my first labby power-supply and was wondering how ii is whe comming to thirdparty software and will these Korad USB or RS232sockets take other programs, then Korads own basic one. I know on some of my cheap datalogging multimeters and also bluetooth, they will communicate with some of the other brands software.. anybody got any other labby-software to communicate with theres Korad power-supply-model (P-versions)..?? The Korad software is okay, but pretty naked, and trying to make sense of the feature called programform where it seems like you can set-up some schedules & timed measurement on different amp and voltagevalues along with intervals of timelengths..

[@kevvywevvywoo]

I have 2 of these psu's in the workshop, the first one had to be exchanged under warranty as the display was very inaccurate. Since then they've been fine. In the UK they are sold with full approvals by CPC.CO.UK under the TENMA brand. Regarding the Extech, I have seen one that got knocked over, onto its side and the pcb flexed and touched the case, bridging the mains to the low voltage side and blowing an expensive industrial computer to bits.

[@w8lvradio]

I still don't get the overvoltage and overcurrent protections...how do you set a threshold... And for Adruino, it seems (to me) that you set the voltage for 5 volts, and say, the amps for say, two. Is that right? Fifth memory, seems stupid to me. So I am just ignoring that, four is plenty anyway, eh?

[@LemoUtan]

+William Pietschman The "fifth memory" was reported as toxic elsewhere as it apparently defaulted to 30V/5A, which was pretty terrible if you accidentally switched to it from M4. Since the path from M4 to M5 via the UI is by no means obvious, this is/was a big problem. I don't know if the newer versions (post eevblog #315 blowup review) have switched the default to something rather less potentially hazardous. But if you can set M5, it is recommended you set it to something really low powered!

[@LemoUtan]

What's the included software like? I have heard it is pretty poor, but cannot find a decent review anywhere.

[@LemoUtan]

***** Right. Some German site (www.sprut.de/electronic/soft/korad/index.htm) mentioned that - apparently - LabView is now included but as that program is general purpose and incredibly expensive, I'm thinking that's a google translate mishap. But thanks anyway.

[@Nameless.v2]

The original manufacturer of Extech is Manson and the model is SSP 7080

[@Nameless.v2]

I don't know,u can try to send an email to Manson (www.manson.com.hk).How it is the Korad,i saw some people to eevblog who complain about she.

[@w8lvradio]

I think Korad is also branded "Tenma" here in Canada/US.

[@kevvywevvywoo]

in the UK too

[@dalewhitmore143]

Hi. I have the newest 240v non selectable one with no usb. I had trouble yesterday with a PWM from china that i was using on a ps3 fan and i made the supplys relays and voltage spaz out a bit but was on OVP. Can any feedback from the PWM cause this?

[@dalewhitmore143]

+Adrian Black Thanks. It was just a universal PWN controller off Aliexpress. s.aliexpress.com/i2M3ARjm Can i stop this problem with a diode maybe? I just dont want to damage to supply its been good so far.

[@dalewhitmore143]

+Adrian Black Ok thanks mate. Hows your supply anyway? Is the usb software anygood? Did you mod your OUT led,was it easy?

[@krnlg]

It's both frustrating and hilarious watching someone go down the wrong route in working something out for so long - but all is good when finally it clicks! Happens to the best of us! :-)

[@JanusCycle]

Nice, 31 Volts instead of 30 and 5.1 Amps instead of 5, it's like you can turn that up to 11 if needed.

[@petti78]

"Adam" is gonna be one out of 36 guys called Ding Dong IRL :-)

[@Dj_JohnMac]

I have the same but I am pretty sure it's a hantek 1 and I was not happy at low usage the fan spins up crazy and make you go o crap.. turn it off and on its fine but for reputable brand it should be better I could be wrong and its same as this

[@4funrc11]

Hey, thx for the vid! :*) It's now 09/07/2017, so how's it holding up? Yep, I'm a mere hobbist shopping for a linear power supply Thx! :*)

[@4funrc11]

Adrian Black Hey, that's good news. I'm stuck trying to decide which one to get. lol! Thx a million! :*)

[@nodriveasusephotos8019]

bit of a clone vid of daves and the other guy that did the update test but still good-seems this is the only one you get get now-wonder why? no 3 amp, no 10 just this..

[@MikeB_UK]

Here in the UK we are the same 240v as Australia, despite EU wanting 230v. Sometimes you can measure it over 245v, so anything designed overseas for 220v doesn't last very well here.

[@RkTechTelugu]

disply blinking why ? there isa cam pblm or psu display.

[@RFC3514]

Seven-segment displays are generally multiplexed. That means the segments light in sequence (not all at the same time). To human eyes that is not a big problem (you just see them shimmer slightly) but for a fast camera shutter it looks like they are turning off and on. I'm guessing the camera he used had auto shutter enabled, so sometimes it worked correctly and sometimes it didn't.

[@gornistvo-8821]

Anyone with USB driver for Win7 ???

[@kaybhee6]

26,30 ocp

[@janpiet9716]

My Korad had famous crash issue even with the updated boards. I'm done with this Chinese junk. From now on, on keep on saving money to buy Rohde & Schwartz or similar high end equipment. Granted you can buy a complete lab with Owon or Siglent stuff for the price of just a Rohde & Schwartz power supply, but at least you don't have to worry about the equipment failing or, even worse, destroying anything hooked up to it. Chinese just can't designing anything decent.

[@migry]

"I don't know what's on the CD...". Perhaps a Chinese computer virus?

[@horsthotzenplotz3321]

This may be a nice power supply for it’s price, but I can’t buy it, with this incredible ugly color. I don’t like the look of the past. The very past! 🤓