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Dormant Electronic Start-up

BrianFL

Sep 4, 2013
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Sep 4, 2013
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I am looking for the safest way to power-up electronics that have been dormant for 10+ years. In my early years of TV repair, we used a variable auto-transformer to gradually bring up the power in order to prevent capacitors from popping. Does anyone have an optimum procedure?

Thank you,
Brian
 

GreenGiant

Feb 9, 2012
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Feb 9, 2012
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That may do more harm than good, slowly increasing power like that, generally if they are meant to be turned on right away, that is how you should do it.

Blowing a cap or two is way better than underdriving something and causing all sorts of unforseeable problems, especially with a transformer, going from low voltage and high current to high voltage and lower current.
 

GonzoEngineer

Dec 2, 2011
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Dec 2, 2011
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I would have to agree with GreenGiant.......just get a long pole to turn on the switch.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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Yeah, double plus if they have switchmode power supplies.

Not so common now, but I had a piece of Hewlett Packard equipment that had a switchmode power supply which would die if the input voltage fell too far. At that stage we had a service contract, so we just sent them away and a new or reconditioned one would come back, so I'm not sure what was failing.

Starting one of these power supplies from a low voltage would ruin your day.

And it was from Hewlett Packard -- when they were great!
 

BrianFL

Sep 4, 2013
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Sep 4, 2013
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*update*
Yeah, I'm not in a hurry to power them up.
Just thought I'd post a little more info: Fortunately neither have switching power supplies. One actually has vacuum tubes, lol..One of them is a 16mm sound projector manufactured by B&H in the 1940's. About 12 years ago, both projectors ran perfect.
 
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