Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

[c_hegge]

IMO, this is just as bad (but funny) as kc8's echo star with dummy weights. It's from an "AOBAMA" branded unit, the OEM of which has to be HongKongFlyApart Company (R) LLC. Enjoy .

[Colt45ws]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

Wow, it has two y caps. They went all out on this one didnt they?

[ratdude747]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

it's the presidental edition!

epic fail... only other 2 dummy weight psu's mentioed on BCN:

1. KC's echo star
2. fake dell PA-10 (referenced from another forum)

but at least those 2 did something, even though not performing up to spec. this, well, is 100% useless.

[b700029]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

http://4hv.org/e107_plugins/forum/fo...ic.php?77658.0
http://www.cloudfrom.com:8080/showIt.../10680033.html

You're not the first to notice this...

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

I've never owned a PSU with an external choke like that. I've only seen them in PSUs designed for the European market.

Some stricter regulations for suppressing line noise maybe?

I knew that transformer was fake before you even opened it the external tape on the transformer was too far forward.

Check this out for more details on this deceiving practice:

The insides of an external choke on a cheap supply. Guess copper wasn't in the budget !

http://*************/photo/my-images/160/img2319.jpg/

Check these PSUs they're even worse:

They just jammed a few pieces of iron together into the bobbin to make it feel heavy enough to be real. Another manufacturer filled the bobbin with ground up iron filings and taped it up. Great way to get rid of manufacturing waste don't you think ? Another just glued the plastic bobbin to the underside of the PSU case without an E core and you guessed it more iron plates for weight. Some manufacturers have gone high tech and molded a solid piece of iron that fits into the bobbin instead of individual iron plates!

All of course have a continuous loop of insulated dummy wire to make it look legit from the outside.

http://www.cloudfrom.com:8080/showIt.../10680033.html

Bad caps are bad enough but as consumers from other countries keep buying this disposable Chinese crap they get more and more ballsy like this. It pisses me off to no end!

At least you can tell when you'll find these fake coils because they are usually accompanied by Hong Kong Flyapart (gutless wonder) built quality an undersized discrete line rectifier, undersized paper thin heatsinks, undersized switching and secondary rectification components, etc.

[Colt45ws]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

The external coil is supposed to be for passive PFC which uses a large transformer like that.
Since many markets require at least passive PFC now and all these people can seem to put together are the same 2 decade old designs; it seems they have started to fake PFC.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

I have plenty of passive PFC supplies here and all have onboard chokes not a single external one to be found.

Still don't get why they're commonplace in Europe and not in the US.

[370forlife]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

If it has a onboard choke it is probably Active PFC.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

Nope two filter caps and a manual autorange switch so passive PFC.

I think I only have one active PFC power supply in the whole house my PSUs are ancient .

[370forlife]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

Thats strange. Never seen PPFC with a onboard choke. Do you have pictures of it?

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

Try every PSU I have here is a link to my Antec Smartpower:

Check out the third pic that's the input. A pretty common sight on a PSU that isn't a gutless wonder. An onboard choke and inductors only no external e coil choke.

https://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=4956

Check post 8 for another pic.

I've never seen one in any passive PFC supply I've opened.

I have seen them constantly in pics on supplies marketed for 220 volts though.

I'm thinking stricter regulations for line noise in the EU requires a bigger choke.

[Th3_uN1Qu3]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

That choke you have there in your Antec isn't a passive PFC choke, it's just a component of the EMI filter.

[370forlife]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

That is strange. Hmm. Yeah every ppfc psu I have has a big inductor bolted to the case including a few deltas.

[jsog]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

IMO, this is just as bad (but funny) as kc8's echo star with dummy weights. It's from an "AOBAMA" branded unit, the OEM of which has to be HongKongFlyApart Company (R) LLC. Enjoy .

There's a header on the board for that blue wire, but is that header connected to anything?

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

I stand corrected that PSU doesn't have Passive PFC. That is the EMI filter .

I figured a mid range PSU that wasn't cheap mind you bought in 2006 would have it.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

There's a header on the board for that blue wire, but is that header connected to anything?

I don't see why the traces for the PFC choke wouldn't be there they have to sell the scam after all.

That blue wire enters the dummy PFC bobbin loops around and comes back out .

Just to trick the casual observer so it appears to meet the EU requirement and has some form of PFC.

One plug into a Kill A Watt set to the PFC function would expose it though.

[jsog]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

No, I mean the header on the PC board. Is there any circuitry actually connected to that? Is it just not connected, or both pins tied to ground, or what?

[Rulycat]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

The EU should really test samples at random to check the PFC readings.. then they'd find the fakery.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way

LOL @ 2009 "Obama" PSU!

[Derek23]

Re: Passive PFC - The HongKongFlyApart way



This is going too far, what would be the next thing?? a PSU case without any circuitry with a piece of lead to make it heavier??