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Old 12-05-2015, 03:35 PM
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Electronic M Electronic M is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Pewaukee/Delafield Wi
Posts: 14,758
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed in Tx View Post
Actually it's called SoftHeat. It should be safer than the old Sunbeam, but whether it will still be working in 5, 10, 20+ years like the old Sunbeams, who knows since it has a 16V 3.5A switch-mode power supply to derive the 16V DC it operates on. I suppose it could run on a big battery if all else failed..
Could also find an appropriate printer power brick, or a beefy stepdown transformer....Heater wire don't care if it gets 16VDC or 16VAC (rms).

I don't think low voltage or DC operation makes the new ones safer (if the PS has enough overload, etc. protections built in IT might make it safer)....If you have ever had a starter motor short out in a BIG old American car and seen the sparks thrown off by the terminals, or built an output-transformer-less tube amp using 8 6AS7 tubes (with a heater draw of 2.5A @ 6.3V for each tube) and ran the 20A of heater current through wire rated for 11A (it was a temporary proof of concept test build) and watched it smoke, short and catch fire you would not find the low voltage alone to be more fire safe....
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