Mean Well - 150W 12VDC Switchmode Power Supply (AM8739)

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Switchmode power supplies offer several significant advantages over traditional linear transformer power supplies.They are far more efficient than their linear counterparts. As they do not use power or mains transformers the equivalent power supply weighs considerably less than traditional types

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Shouldn’t the product’s power rating (150W) match the product of output voltage (12V) and max output current (stated as 6A)?

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Hi Daniel

I don’t know where Core got the “Rated Current 6A” from.

The specification sheet on the MeanWell web site clearly says 12.5A

Cheers Bob

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Please note: these power supplies connect direct to 240VAC.

DO NOT use if you do not understand the dangers of 240VAC, essentially you need a qualified electrician to connect this up and an approval rating of your final design to use it. Which is very expensive to get.

I really think Mean Well need to produce a product with a power cord connection and which meets the Australian design standards and is approved to use. Messing with 240VAC is VERY dangerous.

Regards

Jim

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Hi Jim

MeanWell have been manufacturing this style of power supply no for a long long time.

I do believe they would not be in the market in Australia if the design standards were not met. They have been around too long now not to.

I do agree however that they are not really targeted at the hobby market. More the professional user to be embedded in his/her design where it can be made to be foolproof with regard to accidental 240VAC contact. I think it would be fair to say the end user has a responsibility here.

Keep in mind that MeanWell are not selling direct to the general public here. Core are doing that and if they had to comply with your suggestion it is Core who probably should do something about it.

Incidentally I have a 5V 14A version and I fitted a couple of rivnuts into the perforated cover and fashioned and fitted a perspex shield completely covering the 240V terminals.

Cheers Bob

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It’s worth noting that the cheap Chinese copies of this style power supply are potentially lethal, so being able to recognise the risks and handle them accordingly is critical. At a glance they seem to be equivalent to the Mean Well, but they have several issues. The separator between the bottom of the PCB and the base of the frame is ridiculously thin and flexible and the component leads that protrude through the bottom of the PCB are not trimmed. The support for the PCB consists of very thin rails molded into the side of the housing, which spread under the slightest pressure and allow the main board to flex. The result is that the 240V terminations on the PCB as well as other high voltage parts can easily arc over to the base of the frame, for instance while pressing down on the screw terminals to tighten, or possibly just from the lead of the mains wiring if the space is tight. At best the components might short across the frame and blow a fuse, at worst the frame will be live for someone to touch.

A hobbyist with enough knowledge to wire a plug correctly would probably feel confident in, for example, replacing the PS in a 3D printer. But the same person might easily miss important problems with a product that looks similar but is actually quite dangerous. It’s a matter of what you don’t know that you don’t know.

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Hey @Daniel70781,

Looks like there was an error on our end that Bob rightly pointed out, the rated current is 12.5 A. As others have mentioned, this supply is more suited to our industrial/commercial customers than hobbyists.

For anyone looking for a more hobby-friendly option, something like this 12 V 5 A supply is a solid alternative, just with lower current output.

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