Next to last stage is assembling and testing. Before final assembling, check one more time the circuit board for the purpose of casual shavings, safety and accuracy of soldering. It’s better to wash it out with spirit and blow it out with compressed air. Grease contiguous surfaces with thermal paste (it’s necessary that radiator side would adjoin transformer through a thermo stencil), put spring washers under screw-heads, assemble the construction. Check with the help of tester the absence of contact between radiators and circuit elements. Switch on. Check voltage in idle running. If everything is normal, load 50% of power, for example, by means of autobulbs. Let the modded device work for several hours; control voltage and components temperature. If the testing is successful you may use total load. This must be done under supervision and voltage control. Treat the power supply gently because the radiator is still hanging on the transistor legs!
After successful testing mount power supply into the casing. I recommend paying special attention to secure radiator fastening. You may see my variant of the fastening in the picture. For better cooling you may make power supply casing of small steel gauze. It was tested in such condition
At first the power supply worked in such condition, plate 150*300mm
Inexperienced radio-amateur may ask what for we make simple things difficult and use everywhere insulating spacers…
Double insulation here is necessary because the quality of Chinese assemblage and components shouldn’t be relied on.
And the last. There a question may arise: how much does the construction heat up? This depends on the load, heat dissipation area and air intake. In my modded device, which has configuration of profile, in Big tower with one 120 mm*5 fan temperature may reach 50'C degrees, 60 degrees in summer at the most. This is 50 degrees lower than permissible limit. I’m contented with it.
This article is directed to technically skilled reader; there is life dangerous voltage in power box. The slightest false step is fraught with electrical shock or outage of all components of your computer. View your ability and potential risks in sober light before starting the work.
Good modding to you all from SilentMods.com
