THURSDAY TESTIMONIALS: RL's Power Supplies Hitec 12-volt 75-amp DC power supply

0 Sept. 8, 2016, 2:42 p.m.

By Joe Adragna
LiveRC.com

Whether it's wheel nuts, wings, tools, tracks, trinkets and/or anything in between, the LiveRC staff gives their testimonial and review of each every Thursday morning!

In today’s age of cycling LiPo packs at high amp charge rates, many other vital pieces of equipment go unnoticed when looking at a pro racer’s pit space. One that recently caught my eye was a power supply that started popping up a year or so ago, and it’s a hidden gem of value. I, like most kids growing up, had one of the large Rivergate power supplies and loathed having to carry it everywhere for my Tekin 112A charger. These days there are tons of AC-powered chargers that are very capable, but a lot of the top brands are still DC-only and require a power supply. Fitting into this market is a beautiful, carbon-wrapped setup from local Arizona racer Randy Locken. He started making these as a hobby a few years ago, and his side-venture has blossomed in such a high-demand market.

RL’s Power Supplies Hitec 12 Volt 75 Amp DC 900w RC Power Supply w/ Triple 4mm Bullet Output

$40

stores.ebay.com/hbdude2k

So what is it? Well, it’s a power supply that originates from the server racks you’d find at a web hosting company. Randy then retrofits a USB port and several 4mm plugs for outputs, then wraps it in a carbon fiber decal as seen on mine, all at a cost that’s less than $40. Mine arrived and I was eager to put it through its paces, as I’ve had issues with my current setup supporting my 70-amp charge rate. Also of note - several graphics companies make customizable wraps just for RL’s power supplies!

It’s light, and compact, which makes it easy to transport and store. At the track, it continuously pumped up 70-80 amps as I charged up to two batteries, and kept my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 topped off all day. Of course, charging 2S packs isn’t much of a test for a unit rated at 900 watts - but if you need more power, RL’s Power Supplies offers an 85-amp, 1025-watt unit as well.

Pros:

Low cost

compact

Very powerful

Cons:

Not available from large online retailers (yet)

Conclusion:

The cost for the output is an insane value, and can’t be matched by any other product on the market.

Beacon Rating: