Made my own custom power strip.

Just wanted to share my new creation.  For years I’ve been juggling several power strips to handle everything in my rig.  I had built a couple of buckers before but wanted something that would handle everything.  So with the free software by Front Panel Express I made a plate that everything would mount to.  I got the biggest 6.3V transformer I could find, Triad F22A, to make sure there was no current restriction.  I was inspired by Shunyata power strips.  15A hydraulic magnetic circuit breaker/ power switch.  Heavy duty Hubbell inlet and hospital grade outlets.  (I got a deal on the orange ones, plus I like the color.). 12awg wired internally.  Hammond 12x10x3 box.  No filters.  It has a short 10awg power cord to the wall.  Meters can be turned off.

The first thing I noticed when I fired everything up was the utter lack of noise.  My system is dead quiet!  Cost a lot less than the Shunyata!

Custom Power Strip with bucking transformer.

Custom Power Strip with bucking transformer.

Very nice !

Totally Awesome!

You should market it as kit.
It looks great!

Yes definitely should offer it as a kit.

I want one!!

Wow, good layout, sturdy, Hubbell Hospital grade outlets with isolated ground. Impressive, But, after all the trouble, why not spec'd to 20 amps ?. Fantastic job.

Check out Rob's Flickr slide show; Just click on the right of his photo. Rob, that is perfect. Dale

I'd buy the kit - or the plans for the bucker/conditioner to build it myself if you don't want to go into business.

Wow!  Thanks for the kudos.

Sadly, those panel meters I used are very hard to find at the moment.  Amazon ran out and doesn’t know when or if they’ll be back.  I could redesign the plate minus the meters which would save a few bucks but wouldn’t look as cool.  Otherwise I’d have to order a different panel meter which also means back to the drawing board.

Honestly, I’m not much of a business man.  I’d rather share my design.  Most of the parts aren’t difficult to source.

I guess I could’ve made it all 20A but I just figured most people wouldn’t need it. I didn’t.

Can we get a gut shot to see how complicated the wiring is?
Thanks.

Dave_in_Va wrote:Can we get a gut shot to see how complicated the wiring is?
Thanks.

You sure can!

Custom Power Strip

Man, looks great.
I have a primitive version of that, i. e. a power strip plugged into a bucker.
Yours is so much cooler. And you're right, the meters are really the crowning touch.

Dang! Nice!

Very nice!

Can you get those voltmeters to do tenths of a volt ? i.e. 117.3 for example

DavidR : Those are a three digits display only. I've seen those with fractional voltage on b bay, but you pay a lot for the extra digit

Great work, nice and clean!

Very nice! I would be interested in a kit.

corndog71 wrote:Wow!  Thanks for the kudos.

Sadly, those panel meters I used are very hard to find at the moment.  Amazon ran out and doesn’t know when or if they’ll be back.  I could redesign the plate minus the meters which would save a few bucks but wouldn’t look as cool.  Otherwise I’d have to order a different panel meter which also means back to the drawing board.

Honestly, I’m not much of a business man.  I’d rather share my design.  Most of the parts aren’t difficult to source.

I guess I could’ve made it all 20A but I just figured most people wouldn’t need it.  I didn’t.

I don't think the meters are a sticking point - you could configure it with two test points and periodically monitor voltages with a DVM, or even plug a pair of $5 meters in permanently.

Excellent work.

That is a really nice configuration. I designed a digitally controlled audio system power controller for church sound systems and I use one to sequence my stereo system correctly (Turntables, then pre-amp, then power amp turn on in that order and off in the opposite) with programmable time delays and even 12 volt outputs for vent fans so that the power amp shelf doesn't overheat in our hot Texas summers. I will post in in another thread soon. That combined with what you did hear would make both a lot better. Also, the Arduino makes meter control really easy. I have a design for that but never implemented it in production.

@corndog71 Does The reduced AC fluctuate if the Main AC changes or does it hold it steady at 117V ?

DavidR wrote:@corndog71 Does The reduced AC fluctuate if the Main AC changes or does it hold it steady at 117V ?

No, the transformer drops the main voltage by 6 volts regardless of what it’s at. There is no regulation and no filter.

very very cool, I think I'll research doing a kit but with an internal 8A transformer, that would be enough to run an amp, preamp, and two sources, I'm guessing around $200 for parts,
the most expensive part is the custom machined top aluminum plate, could also save alot of $$ by making a smaller one with just an internal transformer, output voltage meter,
and just two outlets to plug strips into, probably under $100.

These were my goals:

1. One box. No extra strips. Been juggling multiple strips and filters for years and they look cluttered and messy and I’m tired of them.

2. Heavy duty inlet and outlets. They have better grip and will hold up longer. I currently have 8 things to plug in but with different amps or monoblocks I’ll need those extra outlets. Also better spacing of the outlets to allow for wall warts.

3. Many high end manufacturers use overrated transformers and base that on sound quality. The 20A transformer may be overkill but it also just gives me peace of mind that it won’t ever be a limiting factor. And it’s not that much more money.

3. Cool meters built in. No extra plug in meters or needing to keep a separate voltage meter nearby.

4. High quality circuit breaker.

5. Less cost than the competition.