Adding volt meters direct to psu.

[markes12344]

Hey community, it's Markes12344 here and I got a different kind of mod, either to be mounted to my desk or on case, but what I'll like to do is find some cheap accurate needles to measure the voltage of the 3v 5v 12v ect. would like one per wire, direct from the psu.

Not sure if anyone has come by this before or not, I'm just not really wanting to buy a 25$ meter just to break apart, simplify, and then fit into case.

Thanx for any help.
Markes12344

 

Hey so added a mod log at the bottom. 

[markes12344]

Well went to eBay and found my solution. I'll keep this post updated to let people know how it goes.

http://m.ebay.ca/itm/371100873788?nav=SEARCH

Thanx anyways, Markes12344

[MogIsWinning]

Nice find

[markes12344]

Nice find

Thanx, I plan to add pictures when I'm done, looking to get a wire making kit so I can convert my CoolerMaster psu flat cables into the right ends to plug into my new Evga psu. Then I'll probably just make a molex end to measure the 5v and 12v working on what to do to measure the others.

[markes12344]

Hey guys, I'm back and revealing my log, bear in mind I'm no professional and sometimes got to much into it to remember to take a picture of everything i should of.

but anywho here's the log of my mod to add the volt meters right to the psu. 

 

company

 

Well packed, unless ran over, the content would be find. was also in a bubble envelope. 

 

rough idea of their size

 

my first idea. later decide to stick with 3, 12v 5v 3.3v

 

seems to perfect to be true, to test meters. 

 

Little bit of modding to put both Vin and Vcc to a 12v wire. (yes these chips use 12v for power)

 

Not sure what one works best to show, but they work

 

Okay so i forgot to take pictures of my cutting out process.

Basically i followed these steps.
-Masking tape over outside

-marked out my holes with a straight edge

-cut out with dremal and zip-cut blade. 

-then cut the corners out with a box cuter knife

-placed the volt meters in and flush then hot glued down

-had to cut the edge off the meters to make fit back on pc (they where to thick ill explain more next pic)

 

So added the ground and power wire (easier to see in second pic but the grinding of the edge to the volt meters)

 

my benchish area... handiest little clamp thing to work with, if you ever see one get it. 

 

with the wires untwisted you can wiggle one into the other to solder together.
Just testing to see if the meters work still after soldering wires on.
(see handy little clampy guy)

 

all soldered up

 

so had to damage the molex female fingers to get them out of the plastic (figured out a better tool later)

 

i then use the female end, put it onto the male, then by pushing the connections together by holding the wires only not the plastic, you then can pull the male out of the plastic. without wreaking its fingers. 

 

So my new tool. a old rc remotes antenna, now i didn't have the whole antenna or i could of found a better fit. but luckily i had this last piece and got it to work. (the rest of the antenna i used as a rc boats propeller shaft and sleeve to have a tight fit seal, anywho enough of that)

 

oh yea the whole reason for this wire pulling thing was to take two fan adapters and make a 12V, ground, and 5V wire adapter

 

 

realized i had no 3.3V easily. so new idea. pull the forks out... diss-mantal a module sata cable from my PSU

 

clip the ones i don't need, oh crap i clipped both grounds. Okay just i just made a 2 end sata cable, it'll come in use still. luckily I still had another module cable to do it right. 

 

handy little guy again. with the crappiest solder job...

 

needed smaller heatshrink but it worked. 

 

first test with psu cable soldered on. on to the next 2 meters. 

 

btw this is how i solder. heat up the wires a little then apply 60/40 solder to the tip right where it meets the wires and let the wires suck the solder up into them. a little bit of dragging the solder back and forth on the wires after its melting may be needed. also i use a 60W variable pen @45-60W depending on what im doing.

 

okay so they all work but i messed up... 5v and 3.3v i mixed up from rushing with confidence. opps. still will work tho. 

 

hot glue over the soldered ends just for security. 

 

So my some what cable organization.

 

and it all works. just cant get a decent picture with my note3 sorry no pro here, can't really get my hands on a real camera to remove the led glow. at-least you can see them some how in reverse off the lenses i believe. 

 

 

anywho that's all for now, hope this case mod is informative and neat for all you. 

[gylmir]

wel this looks nice but its only measuring the voltages from psu it would make more sense if you know the voltage of your fans or leds etc ?

 

alto great work.

[markes12344]

Never thought of the fan voltage, but most of mine are plugged into the psu so they're running off the voltages I'm reading.

The reason why I want to read the voltages in real time like this is to be able to link a blue screen with psu dip. Not that it should happen, but I also wanted to do something different and fun to make.

One thing I have noticed, when doing big transfer to my 2x2 4tb raid 10 I notice the 5V doing down to 4.9v I know it ain't much but kinda neat to know psu's as good as the gold certified ones still can't stay at a solid 5v even with sudden power draws.