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- **********
- Topic 33 Sat Oct 11, 1986
- R.A.PINKSY at 09:42 CDT
- Sub: C64 Power Supply
-
- Frequent failure of unit
-
-
- 11 message(s) total
- **********
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 1 Sat Oct 11, 1986
- R.A.PINKSY at 09:54 CDT
-
- My third C64 power supply is on its' last legs. I suspect
- the drain of my 80 col. card is the cause. A unit made by Huff
- Electronics has been recommended. Does anyone have any experience
- with this or any other third party replacement?
-
- Bob P.
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 2 Sat Oct 11, 1986
- MICHAEL.M at 14:11 EDT
-
- Bob P. - I have been one of the lucky ones who has never had
- power supply problems, so I can't recommend any replacement.
- But, here are two more sources for power supplies (I'm a firm
- believer in having multiple choices to make decisions).
-
- CPS-10 Power Supply from HBH Sales includes two 100 watt outlets,
- provides surge and spike protection, has a steel casing, and is
- user-repairable. Costs about $60 from HBH Sales, 225 W. Main,
- Collinsville, IL 62234 (618) 344-7912
-
- POWER UP! from C&B Enterprises is a heavy duty unit with a 3 amp
- TO-3 rugulator with heat sink, and a fused primary and secondary.
- This unit is warranted for 12 months, comes in a metal housing,
- and is user-repairable (includes schematics). Costs about $50
- from C&B Enterprises, Dept C64F, PO Box 16252, Panama City, FL
- 32405 (904) 784-7125
-
- -Mike
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 3 Sat Oct 11, 1986
- P.OGREN at 14:55 PDT
-
- I ahve had good luck with a HD C-64 power supply from an outlet
- called Maxtronics. I don't know the number but they advertise
- in almost all the CBM magazines. Also elevating the power supply and
- keeping good air ciculation around it seems to help a lot. There are
- plans and specifications running around on how to build your own.
- good-luck
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 4 Sat Oct 11, 1986
- GRAFIX.M [Mike Hooper] at 21:24 EDT
-
- I've gone thru 3 power supplies myself, and have found this real easy, quick
- "fix." Lash 2 of them together!
- I made up a little "Y" connector to tie the outputs of both power supplies
- together. This effectively doubles the current that can be supplied to the
- 64, while keeping the exact same voltage levels. Under normal 64 current
- requirements, this allows both power supplies to supply just 1/2 the juice.
- They both run much cooler and will peacefully co-exist "forever!" If you've
- really loaded them down with addons (couple of cartridges, RS-232C interface,
- Cardco style printer interface, trackball, mouse, etc, etc, etc...) then
- you have DOUBLE the juice available! (note that you still can't execced
- the rated power specs on the output interfaces, since there are also INTERNAL
- power regulators in the 64).
- Since I've lashed the 2 together, I've been running over a year with no
- problems at all.
-
- \\GFX//
-
- p.s. I bought 1 new CBM power supply and used one of the "weak" ones for the
- other. No reason to buy 2 new ones for this scheme since all you are looking
- for is just a little more juice, not really double the juice.
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 5 Mon Oct 13, 1986
- R.A.PINKSY at 15:52 CDT
-
- I thought I'd report back on what I've discovered since
- my previous message. The CPS-10 power supply mentioned in Msg.
- 2 is no longer handled by HBH Sales with a strong negative
- recommendation. C & B Enterprises (POWER UP!), also mentioned
- in Msg. 2 is no longer in the Panama City phone book and the
- number given has been re-assigned.
-
- I tried the lash up mentioned in Msg. 4 and I suspect it
- would work in most cases. A voltage fluctuation in my 'weak'
- unit causes an intermittent brightness change on my 80 col.
- card; however, the normal video output was exceptionally
- noise free.
-
- This left me choosing between the Huff unit (called Pow'r
- Pak 64) and the Maxtronics unit (HD C-64) mentioned in Msg. 3.
- Huff doesn't have a phone in Springfield, IL any longer but the
- unit is available by mail order. I; however, opted for the
- Maxtronics (El Monte, CA, (818) 350-5707) as it is 1.7A v 1.5A
- as well as $20 cheaper (29.95).
-
- Hope this helps anyone else with this problem. Thanks to
- all for their suggestions.
-
- Bob P.
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 6 Mon Oct 13, 1986
- S.OLOCK at 20:39 EDT
-
- Lets face it, CBM really blew it
- with the 64 power sup@pply
- I run a 24 hour bbs, with a 1670,
- 2 moniters, busscard II, 1700
- RAM expansion, xetec Super Graphix
- interface, and 7 drives, i had
- to go to a larger unit, so i
- Merely added a 5 volt PC type
- supply, and used the CBM for its
- 9volt AC source, the 9 volt
- almost never goes bad, so the
- 5 volt supply( 10 amp) was the best choice for
- me, they cost anywhere from
- 10-20 dollars, and can be gotten
- ham show, or from
- the advertisers in the back of
- <<COMPUTER SHOPPER>>
- steve
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 7 Sat Nov 15, 1986
- J.GILHOUSEN at 19:15 EST
-
- How does one know that it is the power
- supply that is the culprit of woes on
- the C-64? For some time, I have had
- problems with my printer "going down"
- (i.e., "Device Not Present" message in
- response to PRINT#, and finally the
- on-line light going out). I upgraded
- for a variety of reasons to a new
- printer, but the problem remains. Now,
- I have even bought a new Xetec Super
- Graphix interface, and (you guessed it)
- the same problem! It happens only after
- several hours of continuous use of my
- computer system. Could this symptom
- be attributed to power supply failure?
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 8 Sat Nov 15, 1986
- MICHAEL.M [-:SysOp:-] at 23:55 EST
-
- J.GILHOUSEN - Sure does sound to me like a power supply problem.
- Might be best to borrow a friends power unit and check it on your
- system. Besides buying a new unit, you might want to opt for making
- your own, in accordance with the 'how to' file located in software
- library #1 here in the FlagShip. Other options that might be
- considered are following Mike Hoopers (GRAFIX.M) suggestion to
- hook up two old power supplies together, or even picking up the
- December issue of AHOY magazine and making a peripheral power supply
- for your Xetec Supergraphix and any other peripheral you need as per
- the issues instructions.
- -=:Mike
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 9 Sun Nov 16, 1986
- J.GILHOUSEN at 22:34 EST
-
- Thanks for the advice, Mike. As I am
- telecomputing on the weekend (as per
- usual), I can't run out and buy a new
- power supply today, but if there is a
- chance that this will end the aggrava-
- tion of suddenly seeing my printer "go
- on strike," when I particularly need a
- document, I will soon be the owner of a
- new power supply. If possible, I will
- try to find an alternative to Commodore
- so that I will not have to do this with
- frequency.
-
- Thanks again!
-
- >> John-Mark
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 10 Sun Dec 21, 1986
- VJOHNSON at 00:16 EST
-
- For what it's worth, Toys 'R' Us sells a Recoton power supply (non-serviceable)
- for about $30 that's rated at 1700ma on the 5v side. I've only been using it a
- month so I don't know if it will last but at least the video doesn't get wavy
- when the furnace kicks on and that's a lot more than I can say for my two
- previous Commodore units (R.I.P.). *s
-
- ----------
- Category 11, Topic 33
- Message 11 Tue Dec 23, 1986
- JIM.MAC [* SysOp *] at 00:49 EST
-
- Running a BBS with a Busscard can burn up the power supplies that come
- with the (old) 64s.. Even using a printer interface that draws from the
- computer will do them in in time.
-
-