Tekpower TP3005T Variable Linear DC Power Supply, 0-30V @ 0-5A with Alligator Test Leads

I received the power supply in just a few days and in good shape. Like all good linear supplies, it is heavy because of the transformer. As advertised, it supplies clean power with very low noise - much lower than a comparable voltage/current switching supply. The case and display are very neat and functional. Because of some of the reviews, I was expecting the multifunction controls to be hard to learn, but after about 10 minutes, they all made sense and are easy to use. Although the instructions do not say so, you can enter a voltage or current and then get the least significant digit you want to use blinking. Then if you immediately start turning the control up or down, it will raise or lower the voltage or current smoothly while incrementing the higher order digits when you pass 9 or decrementing them when you pass 0. Thus, you do not necessarily need to set each digit individually as they describe. It also lets you search for a voltage or current that does what you are trying to do. All of the functions worked as advertised and are typical of quality lab power supplies. This power supply is not exactly cheap, but it is a fraction of the cost of most professional lab supplies. It is definitely worth the price.There are only three negatives on the whole power supply, and one very small one was the banana plugs on the power leads. The springs were tight in the jacks, but the contact between the springs and the plug was intermittent. Whether this was poor construction or an attempt to allow the leads to swivel, it caused temporary interruptions of the current that would cause extreme problems in either analog or digital circuitry. I removed them and soldered on new plugs eliminating the problem. You should definitely examine the plugs. If the spring swivels easily on the plug, you should definitely replace them with better plugs. (Radio Shack sells banana plugs.)The second negative is the very strong paint smell as it comes from the box. I finally put a light load on it and left it to run with the fan on for a day or so to finish curing the paint. This is not a long-term problem, but unexpected in a quality product like this.The fan is very quiet under 1 amp, but jumps directly to high above 1 amp (at least with a 2 ohm load.) On high, the fan is pretty loud. A nice upgrade for the design would be a fan that is true variable speed based on heat sink temperature.

Feels solid and well built. I have put it through various trials and it does exactly what it is supposed to do and accurately. Took me a minute to practice with limit setting techniques etc but got it down. The pvc handle did smell on unwrapping but one night in my garage and it was dissipated. No smells from inside machine as far as I could tell. I'm very pleased with purchase. I also prefer a well smoothed beafy linear supply for bench work.I have now done an open up. Main points are ...Very well assembled with clean and tidy assembly workNice heavy transformer with primary and secondary windings separated by thick polymer slabs. Same for separation from transformer frame.Transformer mounting screws have lock washers.Transformer had a slight smell with nose right on it. Will go with warmth and use.High grade modern surface mount pcb behind control panel. Excellent soldering.Mains feed wire double insulated including heat proof where it goes past transformer on floor.All wiring terminals properly heat shrink wrapped.Properly rated caps.Very adequate coated steel case.Some high tolerance (gold) resistors in main smoothing area.Overall just a really nicely built unit with good components and build practices.Excellent heat sink/removal system at back for power transistorsGreat value.

It works very well, and is easy to use. You can adjust to every digit- to the 1/100th of volt and 1/1000th of an amp! It is very accurate and repeatable, as well as stable. The values are adjusted in real time-- that was not clear in the online marketing material, and it is a very nice feature.The only minor annoyance is that there is no way to set the timeout for adjusting the voltage/amperage. The timer times our the knobs in about 1 second, and then you have to depress the button again. I wish there was an option to adjust the timeout limit or disable it. This is only a minor complaint, though. The only other minor issue, which is common on all the power supplies of this value range, is the power spike at startup. Just remember to turn on the device and let it stabilize for a second or two before attaching anything and you will be fine.It is rated at 5 amps, though it is actually 5.2 amps. For anodizing, it takes about 4.5 amps for every square foot of surface area, so this can do an item with around 1.15 square feet of surface area at the normal anodization level, and a bit more if you want a softer anodization, and a bit less if you want a harder anodization. I am really happy with this item, and I now wish I would have bought the 10 amp version in case I ever wanted to do larger pieces- just in case.