28 Sep
2005
28 Sep
'05
9:15 p.m.
On Wed, 28 Sep 2005 18:33:20 -0700 (PDT)
Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote:
There are Middle-era PC Clone machines that are pretty much only useful
as power supplies. A few times when I've needed quick-and-dirty 12
volts I have taken an old clone supply and tapped into the yellow and
black of a drive cable connector. The only thing is, the PC switchers
won't start up and regulate properly without a nominal load on the 5
volt line. So you plug in and duct tape an old 3-1/2" hard drive to
the power supply and use it as a 'dummy load.'
I've used such contrivances for example, as the power source for an old
'286 laptop that I didn't have the power adaptor for.
On Thu, 29 Sep 2005, Tony Duell wrote:
> Whule I can see the point of taking power from the computer for an
> interface converter, keyboard, mouse, something like that, wouldn't
it be
simpler if
devices like the aquarium, light, etc had their own mains
adapters? Or is a computer now regarded as simpler than a 5V PSU?
Are modern machines good for anything ELSE?
How well do they do that?
I'm not sure that I'd trust modern machines with anything that
needed precise regulated voltage.