Quote:
Originally Posted by barnakiel
Is it easy to step UP too?
I always imagined stepping down is just a resistor.
How do you step up DC?
There is no transformer, you know, these work on AC only.
???
b.
|
DC droppers use buck converters, not resistors, for reasons of efficiency. Buck converters are a kind of switching
power supply, which are extremely efficient.
DC conversion to increase voltage is done with a "boost converter" -- see:
Boost Converter Design
Both are
cheap and efficient. You can buy small buck converters, boost converters, or combined buck-boost converters, for a couple of dollars, to
power any kind of small
electronics. I have probably a dozen on board my boat. Most of them made by DROK, but some expensive ones which were part of my boat's original build (she's 24v so has droppers for some 12v equipment).
HOWEVER, as someone noted, these devices, like switching power supplies of other types, often cause a lot of RFI, which can be a real problem if you operate
HF radio, and could cause other kinds of
interference.