Is a white C64 PSU more reliable?

[+wongojack]

I've got one of the white ones. Should I be worried about it or are the white ones known to be reliable. Is there a way to test it with only a meter or do I need one of Ray Carsen's "savers?"

[carlsson]

YMMV and I believe there is a difference between 115V and 230V here, but my feeling is that the white ones with the C64C are better than the older ones. Yet I've seen people posting opposite opinions.

 

Then again I've been lucky and none of my power supplies have malfunctioned and let out 9-12V on the 5V line. One or two may have died entirely, but that is far better than overvoltage.

[+wongojack]

Yeah, it's the overvolting that I'm worried about.

 

Do you run your PSUs with a "saver" or just risk it given the good luck you've had?

[AtariLeaf]

Completely anecdotal, but I had two white ones and neither worked. Of course I had 3 black ones that didn't work either. Of 6 altogether I only had one working and it was a black one but I stopped trusting it and as a result never used my C64.

[carlsson]

Wongojack: So far I have been playing the lottery and not invested in a saver, though I know I really should...

[RobertB]

IShould I be worried about it or are the white ones known to be reliable.

 

(snip)

 

...do I need one of Ray Carsen's "savers?"

Both the black and the white power supplies are buried in epoxy (unless you have the CBM repairable power supply). Both will get hot, so hot that the internal components will eventually self-destruct. If you don't want to replace your p.s. with a heavy-duty power supply, then buying and installing a Ray Carlsen Computer Saver is a wise decision.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

[zylon]

The white C= bricks are really no better than the black ones, except they usually have more time left in them. I use one of these and have had no issues ever.

 

http://pdbuchan.com/commodore/c64_power_supply/commodore_902503-02.html

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Commodore-C-64-Power-supply/173454676010?hash=item2862b4502a:g:5VYAAOSwEMpbaHOF

 

If using the bricks, test them often. I use a 12v car tail light bulb and socket from a non-LED car and hook it up to the 5vdc pins. If the light gets brighter in 10-15 min, toss that brick, or build a wall.

Edited August 25, 2018 by zylon

[RobertB]

...toss that brick, or build a wall.

The late Jim Scabery, the last Commodore dealer in Portland, Oregon, used the Commodore bricks to edge his front lawn.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

[zylon]

The late Jim Scabery, the last Commodore dealer in Portland, Oregon, used the Commodore bricks to edge his front lawn.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

 

That's cool. Between those C= bricks and the Atari ingots, one could really do something there, lol. Perhaps even a checker/chess board using the B&W ones. Lifelong C=user here, & still adore my 64.

I used to buy any old C= stuff I ran across at flea mkts, etc, and wound up with a lot of those bricks over the years. My 1st rule was "if the computer it came with didn't work, toss the brick" About half the breadbins were bad. Next test was the 12v car light bulb, most failed that. I also found that the failed ones had a warped outward casing from the heat cycles and you could squeeze them and hear crunches. Saw about 90% failure of black C='s and about 25% failure of white C='s. The only real difference in the bricks was the age, or how much time left to give really. The later 64c designs with 2-chip RAM seem to put a tad less strain on them. Running any peripherals like drives would negate even that.

Atari ingots/bricks seem to hold up better, but it's only an illusion. Many are still turning up NOS in warehouses all over. New ones wouldn't show issues for years.

[Vinnie D.]

An Atom PSU isn't all that expensive. Trust me, invest now, because fixing a C64 with blown caps and possibly even burned out ICs is a lot more expensive and time consuming. By the time you've paid the price plus shipping for an original PSU brick you'd be halfway to a modern PSU with proper protections built in.

[AtariLeaf]

Both the black and the white power supplies are buried in epoxy (unless you have the CBM repairable power supply). Both will get hot, so hot that the internal components will eventually self-destruct. If you don't want to replace your p.s. with a heavy-duty power supply, then buying and installing a Ray Carlsen Computer Saver is a wise decision.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

 

I had one of those savers, it's how I knew 5 of my 6 power bricks were dead or dying. They're a great "peace of mind" bit of hardware.

[+wongojack]

I need more help with C64 power supplies. What am I looking at here?

 

 

I think this is 2 items. 1 C64 to C128 power adapter and another adapter that goes in reverse. Am I right?

 

I got these in a big bundle with 3 C64s, but there was no C128 PSU for me to test and be sure.

[carlsson]

Yes, that would make sense. However a C64 to C128 adapter sounds risky as the C128 PSU is rated for higher effect than all regular C64 PSUs are, so there would be risk of burnout unless you're using a heavy duty C64 PSU with the adapter to use it on a C128.

[motrucker]

The late Jim Scabery, the last Commodore dealer in Portland, Oregon, used the Commodore bricks to edge his front lawn.

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

That's the best use I have ever heard of concerning these power supplies, white or black. Wish you had a photo of this!

[+sm3]

The 128 and 64 both use 5v and 9v so it's just a matter of putting the right voltage to the right pin. 3rd party power supplies like the Ray Carlsen version can be purchased with an adapter (the white one you have) so the power supply can be used with a 128. I have one of these.

 

The other power cable you have (I have one made from a guy in Texas) looks like it was made so you can use a 128 power supply on a 64 which is fine!

 

The 128 default power supply (in the US) is a switching type power supply with quite a few amps so it's perfectly fine for a 64 (with the adapter) as well, especially if you use accessories like an REU or something.

[RobertB]

That's the best use I have ever heard of concerning these power supplies, white or black. Wish you had a photo of this!

I probably have a photo of that front yard some place. But I don't know where!

 

Truly,

Robert Bernardo

Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm

Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan