Guru
Joined: 22/10/2019
Location: AustraliaPosts: 952
| Posted: 02:42am 07 May 2023 |
I scored an early type BP 6Kw GTI with a toroid. It is a rebadged SMA and the toroid is encapsulated, but that would still make a great start.
I also priced a toroid from AEM Cores and while I ended up building up a core using most of 4 x 3Kw Aerosharp toroids, I think if I was starting again I would simply pay the money. I'm in SA, so could avoid freight costs by picking it up.
The reason I didn't buy one was mainly because to get the size I wanted I still would have had to sandwich two together, though I'm pretty sure I could have still made it work with a flatter and larger diameter.
An advantage would be that they also 'anneal' them or whatever the process is once wound. IRRC 100mm is the widest material they use, so there are limits still.
Having said that, it wasn't really all that difficult to build up the cores I used ... BUT ... one version of 3Kw Aerosharp toroids is made up of hundreds of short pieces of material ... and that would be difficult to use to keep nice and tight.
On the other hand, the other version with blue tape around it, are wound with one continuous piece and they worked beautifully.
I rang around several years ago and found a repairer who was happy to sell me any inverter he got in, for $25 each. I don't get to Adelaide all that often, but when I do I call in and pick up various stuff. Apart from all the Aerosharps I've collected, I occasionally pick up something else just to take home to play with. Best entertainment you can get for $25.
I had never seen any SMA stuff, so bought one to check it out. While it is transformerless (that's where the TL comes from in the model number) I was super impressed at how they are built. With a power driver, you can have it apart and down to all its basic bits inside minutes ... like 3 or 4 perhaps. Not that anyone ever fixes them I suppose, but all the same I was impressed with the design and the build quality.