20-amp, stable power supply for diagnostics

[workingonit]

I'm glad to see the website back up and running, after almost three days being down (at least for some of us).

Meanwhile, I bought a Solar/Clore Pro-Logix PL 2320 from Amazon, to use during my prolonged testing sessions, where I've been known to run the battery down...

from another thread:

Originally Posted by workingonit

(eight months ago), while fiddling with multiple OBD cables/switches to hookup the Foxwell and my OBDLink LX bluetooth dongle (for Android diagnostic apps) at the same time (only one would been activated at any time, so I could leave both always connected inside the X5...the LX dongle goes into a sleep mode), I let my battery drain too low, and the Foxwell didn't function too well.

I sometimes switched from Foxwell to Android app before either was ready, or tried to back out of a Foxwell function before it was ready, and it would lock-up on me. And, after that happened, I couldn't start the engine until the battery was above 12.5? v, and I learned that I should always use my Foxwell with a steady voltage supply, and never interrupt it while it was hesitating.

I normally maintain my X5 battery everyday 24/7/365 with a Battery Tender 1.25amp unit, but I'll be using my Schumacher XCS15 smart charger while testing from now on. I can use it on 2/10/15 amp settings (whatever it needs), so my future long-duration testing sessions will get enough power.

I didn't like the voltage and amperage variability of my Schumacher XCS15 while testing (the "smart charger" aspect doesn't let you select volts or amps that won't change as the battery drains or charges back up), and wanted a stable, consistent power supply, just for that purpose. I had been going to buy an "Adjustable DC 0-24V Power Supply with LED Display 110V AC to DC 0-24V 0-25A 600W Buck Converter" so I could set the volts and amps where I wanted them, but just couldn't pull the trigger on getting one off Amazon, for $66-69 (from mfgs and sellers I've not heard of).

I have two "fully manual" chargers: a 35 year-old? Schumacher SE-1010 (10 amp, high) and a 30 yo? Century model 87423 wheeled charger (40 amp, high); the SE-1010 is only 10 amps, and the Century could be set at 20 or 40 amps, so they might be OK, but neither gives out "clean" power, and both are probably not going to last much longer, anyway.

As I do everyday, I look for better options or prices on Amazon (first) and Ebay (second) and NewEgg (rarely) for electrical/electronic gear, and saw (again) the "Clore (made by Solar) Automotive, PL2320 20-Amp Fully-Automatic Smart Charger, 6V and 12V Battery Charger, Battery Maintainer, and Stable Power Supply", which I had seen during my searches months earlier. The price was listed as 56% off (as it was around Christmas, but I had other items on my mind), so I went ahead and bought it, before the price rose.

And, as usual, I spent a whole day researching it on YouTube, and saw a great review or two, and a tear-down by AvE, which showed it to be a well-built piece. I've also seen, for a long time, Eric O. of South Main Auto videos using the MATCO re-branded version (a higher amperage model, I'm sure), whenever he's troubleshooting electronics on cars in his shop, even programming them. He uses the PS (power supply) button, which holds the volts & amps stable.

The model PL2320 I bought has a 20 amp max setting, which is probably not enough for flashing or coding even my E53 (which I don't plan on trying, anytime soon), but plenty enough for simple diagnostics.

I haven't used it yet, but at $81 right now at Amazon, I couldn't let it go. My Schumacher XCS15 is 12 years old, anyway, and has been used a lot, so I probably needed a replacement. Their new model (the SC1360) is $100, so the $81 PL2320 saves me money, now.

[80stech]

You probably would have wasted your money on the cheap Amazon one , I tried to save some money that way too and got one off Ebay that only lasted an hour or 2. If you get too high with the amps on a battery charger you can get an overvoltage problem so that is something to watch for as well. It would be nice if the running lights would stay off with the parking brake pulled but I never could get that to work.

[crystalworks]

EDIT: This is the one I got. With the voltage display. It has NOT come down in price. PowerMax PMBC-75A. Now I'm questioning how much I paid. I don't remember it being that expensive. But I do try to forget about how much money is spent on tools if I can.

I broke down and got a 75amp PowerMax supply. I liked the adjustable voltage and 75amp is enough to handle every chassis older than the G series cars. Though, full programming of an F15 or something might be a stretch.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/39434219595...cAAOSwb1RlRUnR

It's been working well for years now. And is cheaper than when I bought it, think I paid $180ish. I've seen YouTube videos saying the sine wave is not stable enough for full programming but I've done the E53, E61, E39, and E70 (45min+) with no issues. YMMV.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by 80stech

You probably would have wasted your money on the cheap Amazon one , I tried to save some money that way too and got one off Ebay that only lasted an hour or 2....

The unit I was about to buy was this one, by NUOFUWEI https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...7GLIW8E89&th=1 for $67. I would've added the 4-year protection plan to it, for $12, so the total (before tax, free Prime shipping) would've been $79. Just about the same as the $81 I spent on the PL2320 (I didn't buy the protection plan for it, as I'm pretty sure it's better built), as shown in this video by AvE on YouTube, "BOLTR: Solar (brand) Charger | Get what you pay for. Sometimes."https://youtu.be/3JEUPdPnXUw

In that video, he sorta disparages the Schumacher "smart" chargers (like my XCS15, though it's been "berry, berry good to me") https://twitter.com/i/status/1469072174036271107, and shows the build quality of the PL2320 (he usually finds fault with most items he tears down). A good-enough recommendation for me!

[80stech]

Haha, the AvE videos are awesome! I watched a lot of those a couple of years ago when my back went out and I couldn't do anything else, I didn't watch the charger one though. I worked as a millwright doing shutdowns for a short time so definitely can relate to some of his stories!