Thread: Power supplies?

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Hi guys and ghouls,

I'm curious what everyone uses for powering their haunts. Do you guys use wall warts? Computer supplies? Batteries? 120AC suicide cords? Bifocal flux capacitor oscillators??

Please chime in with any good deals, great ideas, or wonderful words of wisdom you've got, and add your .02 to the poll!

- Hook

Depends on what you're powering and how fast you want it to run. I like ATX power supplies but they are overkill for most props.

I've got a mix of everything. It all depends on the motor and its application.

Just like doto I use all voltages.... 4.5dc to 48 volts dc. Also I use some really weird AC voltages......But I also work as Senioir Tech, in A production plant........

I'm using the power adapters that go with the props I have this year, instead of batteries. That will be adding some to the equasion for balancing out the power load. I'm running 4- 400watt foggers, eco color bulbs [the least of my concern] and other various powered stuff. All this is in my front yard display. I'm powering different sections with 'master' extension cords plugged into different zones [circuits] in my house. I can't just plug everything into my outside power outlet. I have to balance that load out, so some will go to my exterior outlet, some will go into an extension cord run from an outlet inside on a particular zone, and some will be done the same way but on another zone. That should keep the loads to any one circuit down enough to keep the fun going, and the lights on. Hopefully!

Dan

I use all types of voltages and batteries. My haunt is indoors so there is a mix of AC and DC. I try to keep to the low voltage DC when possible. I have a lot of wall warts that I've accumulated over the years.

I also built my first two ATX power supplies this year which will help reduce a lot of wart usage.

Servos on SSC-32 over ethernet cable I power with 2 6.4vdc 8amp wall warts.

Servos on Medusa boards over DMX chain have 5vdc wall warts.

DMX lights are powered by house current.

Hacked malibu lights with multi-LED bulbs are powered by a 12volt AC malibu power supply.

We run several things off of an ATX power supply's 12volt output. Ghostly footprints, wiper motor for an animated arm and a pneumatic solenoid.

Hey, this is good input. I'm surprised so many are using 24V and 120AC. Do you guys mostly use the 24V for solenoid valves? Or...?

- Hook

I use 120V AC for miniature light strings and spots, I also need the AC for any wall warts of course.

My 24V DC is just for solenoids.

I use 12v, 24v, 120v for solenoids and some moters(12v). Depends on what I'm using. A boobox flex controller setup is 24v, while a picoboo unit will be 12v or 120v.

3v, 9v for other things here and there. Sometimes battery if it can last a while(LED). I ditched computer power supplies because they are to large. They are cool if you want to test stuff with though. They have a wide range of voltages.

I use alot of different voltages.