Re: [cobalt-users] Strange Qube 2 Power Problems

["Zeffie" <cobaltlist@xxxxxxxx>]

> > it looks to me like it needs 12V@xxxx with some "handy dandy"
>connector.
>  What is interesting is the online manual says:
> Power consumption: 25 watts
> While the printed manual says : Maximum power consumption: 25 W
> and on my AC Adapter says : 45 W cont
> and the Qube3 Manual says : Maximum power consumption 45 watts.
> I wonder what the Qube3 with 2 drives has for a power source.
> A guy from Arcoide said that the 45 Watt continous I have is probably
> not strong enough for the power-up of 2 big drives; he thinks 80-90 watts
> is good. Though it would be great to find out what the Qube3 Professional
> Edition runs with 2 20.4 gig drives; who knows, mabye comes with the
> same AC adapter that I have?
> > I would suggest you get a
> > nice regulated 12v@5a power supply something like
> > http://216.147.54.136/resources/products/datasheet/map42.pdf
> > or if you want a frame around it.
> > http://216.147.54.136/resources/products/datasheet/map55.pdf
> Ok, though are these just 45 and 55 Watt adapters, and is that what I
> have right now? The only consistent description of all the Qubes' power
> requirements are that the input rating is 100-240V, 50/60 Hz.

> If my adapter says 45 W cont, does that also mean 45 Watts maximum
consumption?

Yes and no the adapter is a 45W Continusily or "Running all the time without
burning up the house" the maximum consumptiom of the adapter depends on
various factors including construction, quality, circut design, load, the
waveform of the load, the time, in rush, just all kinds of stuff...  but
thats technical stuff

it should mean to most that they should not plan on getting more then 45
watts from it unless it is well ventleated or opened and a fan installed to
milk the extra watts from it for extended periods of time.  Actually I have
never seen the qube AC Adaptor because I don't have a cube to play with
:(  but if it's a little box that plugs into the wall the power produced
can't be all that clean?  You might be able to get a regular regulated 5amp
power supply from the local electronics store that should work fine.

    In the big picture maximum power is a releative term used to set a
guideline for setting up electrical systems in work/production/facilities
such that balanced loads can be maintained through design.

Belive me if I stick a 12ohm 100w resistor inside the cube the maximum power
used by the qube will be over 12a or 144w !  But not for very long and you
would need to have a 12v@16a supply.  The cube in this example would burn
up.   But the point is that the maximum power used by a device depends on
whats going on inside the "cube" and not it's power supplies ability to
provide a consistant voltage and current to meet the demands put on it
without burning up.

Stancor makes good AC Adapters.. but your at the Imax already.
http://www.stancor.com

    Another solution for dual drives would be to make a circut mod that
would cause the disks to spin up sequentaly followed by the motherboard or
something like that but I don't have a cube to look at much less play with
but if anyone wants to send me one I will make something work.  It could be
as simple as an additional cap?  or killing the lights?

Zeffie