Korad KA3005D Bench Supply

Peter ScargillKA3005D, Korad, Power supply24 Comments on Korad KA3005D Bench Supply

Just a quick one here as it’s all in the video below. This is about the  Korad KA3005D Bench Power Supply – a nice solid unit able to provide up to 30v at up to 5a.   I had visions of some lightweight switched job – but no – a honking great transformer inside.

4 memories, voltage and current limiting AND optional cut-out, fine and course controls for voltage and current and – not expensive.

All in all very nice – but for two things – no English manual (but that IS available online) and it came with two power cables neither of which were British – but apart from that – spot on – see what you think. Anyone got one? If so how is it working for you? I wrote to teh manufacturer about M5, not only did they send me an up to date manual but immediately cleared up the question about the M5 indicator (as did readers of the blog and video).  Select memory M4, turn the dial to the right and you’re talking to memory M5.

Yes I’ve had the scope out – 5v 4 amps – the output hardly budged (a few mV) and no appreciable noise output.

Using a meter I trust (for now, until my precision voltage reference turns up),  the output from the power supply off-load was in all cases within 0.22% of my meter reading!!   On the 5v out setting, I applied 2.33 amps load and the output voltage dropped 0.41%

Again at 5v, with a 4.66 amp load, the 5v output dropped 2.01%

Other power supply stuff from Banggood here.

24 thoughts on “Korad KA3005D Bench Supply”

  1. I bought the TENMA 72-10495 (AKA Korad KA3005D-2S) dual channel power supply, but there are many issues with it. To help others understand it’s limitations before buying it (or to help work out its insane user interface after purchase),
    here is the manual, marked up with corrections and warnings about bugs in the user interface and behaviour:
    https://ufile.io/drsjx09j

    This applies to models:
    – TENMA 72-10495 (Korad KA3005D-2S): 30V-5A x 2 Channels
    – TENMA 72-10500 (Korad KA3003D-2S): 30V-3A x 2 Channels
    and probably also
    – TENMA 72-10505 (Korad KA3003D-3S): 30V-3A x 2 Channels & 5V-3A x 1

    Important notes to avoid damage:
    ● Do not allow power supply to sink current. Use diode when charging battery.
    ● For sensitive circuits, see Avoiding overshoot and excessive in-rush current :
    ○ Inside the power supply, there is a capacitor near the output terminals for stability. The current limiting and over current
    protection (OCP) cannot control current from this capacitor.
    ○ There is some overshoot on turning a channel on.
    ○ There is a spike when turning mains off while the channel is on.
    ● In parallel mode, connect load to CH2 (right hand) channel. (When mains power is turned on, the power supply defaults to
    independent mode, and CH1 to whatever voltage and current settings are in CH1 memory recall M1, with the load turned off.
    Therefore, avoiding CH1 could prevent mistakenly applying wrong settings to the load.)
    ● OCP and OVP do not work in serial and parallel modes.
    ● If you recall a CH2 memory in SER mode, only CH2 is updated from that memory and only CH2 turns off. At this time, CH2
    output terminals have up to -1.2 V (i.e. reverse polarity) on them, with a short circuit current of up to -2.8 A.
    This also happens when the channels are independent but you have wired them in series.
    ● When using the power supply in SER mode, or wired in series, you may have to ensure the supply is working in CV mode to
    avoid instability.

    Important notes to avoid confusion:
    ● There is a small negative voltage and current when the load is switched off (50mV, 100 uA)
    ● OCP/OVP:
    ○ CH2 OUT LED stays on after CH2 OCP/OVP trip disconnects the load.
    ○ OCP and OVP do not work in serial and parallel modes
    ○ CH2 OVP/OCP buttons also control CH1 OVP/OCP
    ○ CH1 OVP/OCP buttons only control CH1 OVP/OCP
    ○ The OCP and OVP LEDs apply to whichever channel last updated them. Pressing either the OVP or OCP button updates both the
    OVP and OCP LEDs with that single button push.
    ● An OCP/OVP trip for one channel does not trip the other channel

  2. I have the dual version which cost around 60% more than the single unit back in June, from CPC in UK with english manual and free delivery. Very hand if like me you want +/- supplies.
    Today the single unit is £69 and the dual £133 incl vat from CPC.

    1. that’s a old video, and a different model (P, while Peter tested the D model), and those problems where addressed by manufacturer in following revisions, links are in Dave’s video description and in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uecvB4U1fps

      and Dave made an updated video, too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HrvuHSywms

      eventually Peter could open his own and compare with Dave’s latest video, where he shows the 2 different motherboards

      here teardown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g94mpom2Ahs

    2. Hi Squonk. If you look carefully at that video from Dave Down Under… it clearly states that this was an early batch.. and the video itself goes back to 2012 – I doubt very much if any of the models for sale right now are anywhere near that old. Given the age of the video – and the pace of change in the world I would completely ignore that.

      That price you gave looks good. I’m sure Banggood will be looking in as I already fed back to them that their charges are a little high. I can’t imagine them ignoring that. But thanks – might save someone a bob or two as we say in the UK.

      Moer on this when my voltage reference turns up.

      1. problem with these items from China is their WEIGHT… chinese stuff is cheap as soon as it’s light, while expenses raise up pretty soon if they are heavy… same thing with 3d printers, CNC, laser engravers and so on, even though in the end they’re cheaper than buying them from europe, in most cases anyway…

    3. That Rechelt advert says “bargain item, limited stock” – maybe they’re getting rid of something old – and it’s a different model. Mine has the D suffix, there’s has the P suffix. No idea what the difference is.

      1. I’m assuming these are the exact same as the Tenma models. One has a “remote” interface i.e. you can send it command over usb/rs232 to control it. I think the P version has the remote interface and the D does not.
        I just bought the Tenma 72-2685, it’s great and I Like the OCP and the Lock feature so you can’t adjust it by accident. However mine doesn’t allow the output to be turned off which would be really useful. I bought mine from Farnell It was pretty cheap around £ 65

  4. What I like with this supply is the fact that the output can be independently switched ON and OFF. I am no fan of power supplies where you have to unplug the leads to setup the voltage before you power off, plug in and power up again or have to install a switch inline with the power cables. 🙂

    I have a Rigol DP832A and this feature is great as it also allows the display to show the current limit setting before you switch it on.

    By the way, my Rigol is also linear so it weighs a considerable amount. Any switched mode versions on the market are very expensive.

    1. Hi Dave I’ve got that model Rigol too, I really like it and its very versatile BUT it’s rather more costly then the one Peter is reviewing.

      1. Yes it was as I got the top of the line for work (I work for myself) 🙂

        In the past I’ve used low end supplies but they didn’t have the ON/OFF features so it is good that the low cost ones these days have the ON/OFF feature. That one Peter reviews here seems to be a bargain.

    2. Absolutely Dave, my old power supply you could turn on and off but the whole thing – and that always worried me in terms of glitches etc, this one has output on and off. I also like the ability to actually cut out on overload as against just a limiter. Handy for unattended operation!!!

        1. It would seem as far as the UK is concerned that you are right Peter. I even found the manual which answers my question on the M5 indicator – it is just a “setting memory” indicator. Well, I will feed that back to Banggood – and lets see what happens next.

    2. Do you have one – and in which case – what do you think of it – and does yours have 5 memory lights and 4 memory buttons (I’m still trying to figure that one out)

      1. Reading the manual on CPC it looks like when you have set / recalled memory 4 rotating the dial allows you to access memory 5. That seems an odd way to do things. I don’t have this PSU so I can’t speak from experience.

          1. Thank you Bob – got your reply at the same time as the manufacturer came back to me – works a treat and blog updated along with a comment in the video.

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