pyramid ps-46kx power supply

[bdgf2004]

i bought this power supply new several years ago and shortly after i got it the current meter starting acting up. it for the most part is non responsive, if i tap on it some times it will jump around but will hardly ever start working properly. this has been a pain for years and now i'm getting tired of it. the other day perry asked me how much current a particular amp was drawing and i had to pull out my power supply, take the cover off inspect it and see if i could find a problem. i saw nothing obvious that was wrong but there is something. when i put it back together it worked like new for a few hours and now it is worse than before. when it stopped this time i did nt pull the power supply apart i just tapped it a few times and now the lights for both my meters have stopped working!!! the voltage meter has never given me any problems nor has the actual power supply. i have noticed that if i put a signifigant load on the power supply (30+ amps) the current meter will sometime be responsive. has anybody had this sort of problem before? should i try to replace the current meter?

[Perry Babin]

Post a photo of the back of the meters.

[bdgf2004]

3 pics

[bdgf2004]

1 more

[Perry Babin]

Disconnect one of the two center terminals completely from the power supply. Set your meter to diode check and touch the probes across the two center terminals (the outer terminals are for illumination). Does the meter swing every time you touch the probes to the terminals? If so, the problem is on the main board or a connection between the main board and the meter. The pots on the meter could be dirty or intermittent but that's less likely. If the meter swings the wrong way, reverse the probes on the terminals.

[bdgf2004]

the lights were out from a bad connection, i got that fixed. with one of the center terminals of the current meter disconnected and my multi meter on diode check the needle will jump around like you said. so i guess it's a bad connection somewhere else.

[bdgf2004]

i really can't seem to find any bad connections. maybe the heat from the solder gun had something to do with the current meter responding better now. the actual light bulb in the current meter is bad though. would it be okay to replace it with an led.

[Perry Babin]

Yes but you'll need to insert a current limiting resistor in series with the LED.

Did you try turning the adjustment pot on the meter to see if that made a difference?

[bdgf2004]

no, i didn't mess with the pot it is glued in place.

[Perry Babin]

Even if they have adhesive on them, you should be able to work them back and forth to see if the pots are dirty causing the meter to stop working.