This tool falls into the category of things I didn’t know I needed… or even existed…

I recently picked up this tip from the fpv show podcast (shout out – go listen to them if you have not already). This little device is pretty handy to have around when you are building. It takes a pretty wide range of input – personally I’m using either my hobby power supply or 4s lipo. Fire this baby up, select a voltage and it will provide a regulated power output.

This is useful in a number of scenarios. I have wired up some alligator clips so I can power any component individually. Does your vtx require 5 volts? No problem. Set the output and wire it up. No more waiting for your whole build to test that new thing you got in the mail.

Alligator clips by themselves are pretty handy to have around. I often don’t know how long to make my battery lead when beginning a new build. I can power my flight controller directly without any soldering. To add some safety, this power supply has a great advantage with overcurrent protection. No more magic smoke (hopefully) if you’ve wired something up wrong! If a short is detected, the power is automatically cut.

Current limiting can also save your fingers. While I would still recommend against this, you can lower the current limit and safely work with the props on. The motors won’t be able to draw enough power to cause harm.

An additional feature for the data nerds is measuring power draw. This is useful to determine how many amps your motors are really pulling.

Best of all you can build to your heart’s content and never have to search around for a lipo. That’s worth the price of admission on its own.

I found one that seems to be common among the rc community. It’s cheap so the form factor is not very polished. I found and modified a 3d printable case that makes it much more practical. For my build I decided to use XT60 connectors for the input and output. You can download the files on thingiverse.

The super glue I used ruined the aesthetic a bit, but it works perfect for me. Check it out!