Multiple power supplies

[rwizinsky]

I've been looking though a bunch of the posts and haven't seen anybody discuss the pro's and con's of hooking more than one power supply to a larger part or parts. If you used say a large battery charger (with 2 amps), and a viariable power supply (5amps with a controller for the amperage and voltage). Wouldn't you be able to do larger parts in a pinch and still be able to detect the peak with the meter on the 2nd supply?

Thanks,
Russ

[Fibergeek]

I'm not sure I understand what you are describing, but I can say this:

Multiple power supplies can be used, but all of them must capable of voltage adjustment and/or current adjustment. Some lab type power supplies have provisions so that a number of them can be ganged and all operate like they were one.

Some multiple PS examples using battery chargers:

Manual battery chargers can be operated in parallel (output + to output+, output- to output -). Two of them will double the available current if they are the same. You can still use the lamp dimmer, plug both chargers into it.

Manual battery chargers can also be used in series, this doubles the available voltage, current is still the same as one charger. Again the dimmer is used by plugging both chargers into it. The + output of the "top" charger is the + to the load. The top charger - output connects to the "bottom" charger + output (and nothing else) the bottom charger - output becomes the - to the load.

This works best if both chargers are the same, It probably won't work with "automatic" chargers.