7 replies to this topic

[Official Ninja]

I noticed that the power supply for the Jaguar is always pretty hot. Its the same if the system has been used for a couple hours or off all night. With the CD unit and the 2 power supplies, the CD unit power supply doesn't get hot unless the system is on and playing.

So is the Jaguar base unit "always on" and drawing from the power supply? Is that why it is so hot all the time?

My unit with CD is on a small power strip and I only turn it on when I'm going to use it.
However my sons Jag is always plugged in and the supply is hot 24/7.

Edited by Official Ninja, Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:02 AM.

[jaybird3rd]

Official Ninja, on Thu Jun 30, 2011 10:01 AM, said:

My unit with CD is on a small power strip and I only turn it on when I'm going to use it.

I've noticed the same thing with my Jaguar power supplies. That's one reason I started using power strips that are only switched on when needed, as you do. Not everyone realizes that power bricks always consume electricity, whether the console or computer they belong to is on or off, so using a power switch is a convenient way of cutting off a slow drain of electricity in addition to extending the life of the power supplies. I'd also recommend against plugging the Jaguar and JagCD supplies into adjacent outlets; they can both get pretty warm when in use, and spacing them farther apart gives them more room to cool off.

[remowilliams]

No the Jag isn't always on, the power supplies get quite warm just sitting there doing nothing.

jaybird3rd, on Thu Jun 30, 2011 12:29 PM, said:

That's one reason I started using power strips that are only switched on when needed, as you do.

Exactly what I do for all my wall wart stuff. Extends the life of the power supplies, and probably saves a small amount of cash.

[Stephen Moss]

A look at the circuit diagram shows that there is a few components such as a choke and a transorb between the power connector and the switch so there will be some current drawn from the supply when even when the Jaguar is off.
Even thought the current comsumed by those components may be small there is still current and therefore power (which generates heat) being used in the power unit itself as there will always be current flowing through the transformer, so even if you unplug the power unit from the Jaguar it will still get warm, the only way to prevent it getting warm is to disconnect it from the mains supply.

Edited by Stephen Moss, Fri Jul 1, 2011 2:13 AM.

[Official Ninja]

Thanks for the replies. I know these supplies always draw some current even when no draw is put to them.

Still, fact is the Jag supply gets hot when compared to just about any other console supply.

For example my 8-bit computer supplies are just cold when there is no use and they only warm up when you use the computer. Same for the 5200.

[Zerosquare]

Stephen Moss, on Fri Jul 1, 2011 2:12 AM, said:

A look at the circuit diagram shows that there is a few components such as a choke and a transorb between the power connector and the switch so there will be some current drawn from the supply when even when the Jaguar is off.

The common-mode choke coil is in series with the so it doesn't draw any current by itself, and the transiant-suppressor diode isn't actually present on the PCB (Atari probably removed it to save a few cents...), and even if it was present it would only draw a negligible current (in the microamp range). On the other hand, the main switched-mode regulator isn't completely turned off when the switch is off ; it's only in standby, so it may draw a few milliamps.

I doubt it would cause the transformer to generate much heat though -- it's probably the transformer itself that wastes energy (one way to test would be to leave it plugged in, but without connecting the Jaguar at the other end).

(Personnally, I no longed use the original transformer ; I found some discounted switched-mode power supplies that happened to be compatible with the Jaguar power requirements. They are smaller, lighter and more efficient that the original ones, and were discounted for €1 each.)

[remowilliams]

Zerosquare, on Fri Jul 1, 2011 4:16 PM, said:

it's probably the transformer itself that wastes energy (one way to test would be to leave it plugged in, but without connecting the Jaguar at the other end).

Done, and it does.

[bacteria]

Old consoles used thick power supply units, many that got hot.

Using regulators, you can make a PSU yourself that is cool and far more compact. Depends if you want that facility of course.