Almost a workbench...With the addition of my little "Fifteen Dollah" CV/CC PSU, my bench is now approaching something close to usefulness. The aluminum pipe-wrench is just because I stole it for $US5 while out thrifting.
The build went something like this: Find little panel regulator module on Amazon for $14; go thrifting for a power source. Turn up a large linear power brick rated at 24V/2A made by Ault for CAD$4; figure its probably good for considerably more given its heft. Tinker around with it on the bench; find the thing will happily drive 3.5A while only sagging from 28.8V to 25.5V on the input side, even running through the OEM overload thermistor.
Take another trip thrifting looking for an enclosure (among other things on my list); look at everything from a little redwood gift box (later given to my wife) to a little PC subwoofer enclosure with a 3" sub in it. Find some desk lamps and a couple Harmony One remotes; give up & go look through the crafty wooden boxes at the Dollarama. Everything is either just a hair too small or way too big or just too kitschy even for me.
Then I find this little steel mesh thing for CAD$1.50. Sold!
My original intent was to put a bit of ply on the opening & paint it, then cut the panel meter into the bottom, turning that into the top. When I discovered that the panel mount just snapped into the top of the thing, everything else just fell into place and I realized KISS was the way to go here. Fastened the XFMR to the inside using a bit of bent rubberized coathanger, did up the wiring in 16ga silicone wires from my RC modeling parts box, then added a fan robbed from an old IPTV box and it was up & running.
I can get 26V at 1A; max looks to be 24V@3.5A-ish. Fan control output is 12V; it appears to be hardcoded to switch on at 2.01A CC mode, no PWM. Not sure if there's any thermal control or not.
Still... a good little piece pf kit for CAD$19.50/US$15; now I just need to get something to look at (and generate) wiggly lines in a wire and I might stop feeling like I'm back at my high-school electronics bench.
I'll let y'all know how I fare with the component tester once I have some assortment of components to test with it...
mnem
*goes to lie down before he falls down*