Best/Inexpensive DC Power Supply

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TomS

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I have a surplus RV slideout gear motor, don't ask why I have an extra motor, I am adapting to my mill/drill to raise and lower the head. It is rated 12 VDC 30A at maximum load. The power supplies I've found at a reasonable price don't come anywhere near 30A. Any suggestions?

Tom S
 
TomS said:
I have a surplus RV slideout gear motor, don't ask why I have an extra motor, I am adapting to my mill/drill to raise and lower the head. It is rated 12 VDC 30A at maximum load. The power supplies I've found at a reasonable price don't come anywhere near 30A. Any suggestions?

Tom S
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A car battery charger. maybe.
 
Considering that the head on your mill/drill will probably not fully load your linear actuator, it will probably not use a full 30 amps, but I think you can expect it to use 15 to 20 which still puts it outside the realm of most power supplies. As already mentioned, your best bet might be a battery charger.
 
If you have a surplus electronic store nearby, that would likely be the cheapest option. You can also try E-bay, I have see some larger capacity switching supplies on their for not too much. Another option is PC power supply. Some can pump out a lot of current. I have one here that has 2 channels rated at around 14A each. They tend to be cheap too.
 
Amazon has some 30A/12V supplies for around $30 that's what I looked for but there probably are others.
 
How about a car battery! Throw it on the charger occasionally, you probably need a new battery in your car anyway. Keep the old one for your mill.
 
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Thanks to everyone for their input. I like the idea of using a computer power supply but will have to order one. In the mean time I'll search through my stash of battery chargers and see if I have one with enough amps to power up the motor.

Tom S
 
I think a normal computer power supply will be way short on amps.
 
A trickle charger will do the job if you use it to keep the old car battery that Jim suggested topped up. When you use the battery to run the motor, the charger will put it back at a slower rate. Lead-acid batteries need to be kept fully charged, so leaving a very small charger (say, 1 amp) on it all the time won't hurt it. A big charger would hurt it, if on all the time.
 
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