REVIEW: Fame DCT-200 Multi-Output Power Supply

vasselmeyer

In another thread entitled Budget isolated power supply I mentioned that I was building a budget (everything) pedalboard, just to see how cheaply I could do it. I tried a 1-Spot but the pedals hummed like mad so I started looking for an isolated power supply. I settled on the Fame DCT-200 which I found at DV247 for around £39 shipped and it arrived after a couple of days. Here's the review.

In the box (picture below) was the PSU itself, a UK kettle-lead, a Euro kettle-lead, 10 x short power leads, 10 x long power leads, 2 x old-style Boss power leads (one long, one short) and a Line 6 power lead.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45292621/fame01.jpg

The unit itself feels really solid. I can't find out where it was manufactured but for the price, it has to be made in China. It's a pressed-steel cover with the power input and switch on the back and the pedal connectors on the front. Compared to other PSUs I've seen the first thing to jump out is that it's tall. I've put in a picture of a Polytune just for scale (picture below). I'm going to have to raise the back of the pedalboard quite high up if I want to fix this underneath it.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45292621/fame02.jpg

There are 8 x 9V DC power outputs, 1 x 12V DC and 1 x 12V AC (picture below). I'm assuming the 12V AC is for Line 6 units but I haven't linked it up to my M13 yet. Each of the DC ports supplies 100mA apart from ports 5 and 6 which supply 250mA for more power-hungry pedals. All of the outputs are centre-core negative. None of the supplied leads allows a change to centre-core positive should you have an odd pedal. I'll come to the two pots next.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45292621/fame03.jpg

The unit is actually adjustable with DIP switches (picture below). When set to normal, the outputs are described as above. When set to on, outputs 1-4 supply 12.3V at 60mA, output 5 supplies 14.5V at 50mA, output 6 12V at 200mA outputs 7-8 are adjustable with the pots between 4V and 9V at 100mA. The AC ports remain the same. All my pedals are only 9V but this seems pretty good for those odd pedals that don't take a standard voltage.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/45292621/fame04.jpg

I have hooked it up to my cheapo pedals (a mixture of Joyo, Nux and Digitech) just to try it out and it clearly is isolated as the hum I had with the 1-Spot has completely disappeared. The manual also claims that as well as each output being isolated they also have short-circuit protection. With a total supply of 1600mA, 9V DC, 12V DC and 12V AC as well as the non-standard setting, this thing seems a bargain at the price.

ThePrettyDamned

Wow.  Might need to get one of these, I like those dip switches.

Flanging_Fred

Thanks for the review. It'll be interesting how reliable it turns out to be. Looks a good candidate to replace my crummy Sound Lab one.

steamabacus

Looks a bargain.

Your link didn't work, try this ...
www.dv247.com/guitars/fame-dct-200-multi-output-power-supply--204885

vasselmeyer

steamabacus said:

Your link didn't work

Fixed. That was Chrome's cut & paste and trying to be too clever by invisibly adding an http at the beginning of the link.

steamabacus

For some reason, my link seems to go to a blank page
:-/

Don't you just love the internet!

[It seems the problem with mine was a rogue 'http//' as well.]

vasselmeyer

steamabacus said:

For some reason, my link seems to go to a blank page
:-/

Don't you just love the internet!

That's because your link ended up with the http:// at the END of it. Cut & paste has been around for years and still trips us up  >:D<

DarnWeight

Good experiences with the Fame unit here too, so far.  I've got one of the T-Rex current doubler cables (the green ones!) arriving shortly, which should work fine.  Hoping to power a Zoom G3, EHX Superego and Akai Headrush using it...the Zoom and the Headrush will get a 250mA each, and the Superego a pair of 100mA.  Running a bunch of drives/dirts off the remaining 4x100mA 9v taps.

Keeping my fingers crossed with the Zoom on a single 250mA (yet to try it out)...it's dedicated power supply is rated for 500mA, but reports I've read are that this is a rated max for the PS itself, and the G3 only actually draws about 250mA.  We shall see!

ddlooping

Thanks for this comprehensive review, vasselmeyer.

ChrisMusic

Thanks for the review, I may just have to try one, cheers  

Dave_Mc

Thanks for the review

Fortheloveofguitar

I commented in your other thread that I was sceptical as to if this was truly isolated at this price.

I'm glad I was proved wrong. This looks like a lot of power supply for the money.

Great review buddy!

vasselmeyer

@Fortheloveofguitar I was also sceptical about it being fully isolated at the price, but with distance selling regulations I knew I could send it back if it wasn't as they described. I just have to work out how to keep it out of the way on the pedalboard I'm goign to build.

DarnWeight

Finally got around to giving mine a run with a few pedals hooked up this afternoon (G3, Superego, couple of drives), and can confirm no hum or extraneous supply-related noise.  Also, the Zoom G3 is perfectly happy running off a single 250mA output, which is a big plus for me.

No polarity switching means my old MXR Distortion+ can't be hooked up...but I tend to keep this as a battery-powered backup anyway, so no big deal.

lespaulcustom68

Anyone tried ports 5+6 to double up current? I'm trying to run a Nova repeater - should theoretically work with that current. Ment to work at 9 or 12 v? Here's an interesting 'techy' thread with internal shots and the positive/negatives discussed.

ChrisMusic

Great link @lespaulcustom68, it looks like there is a transformer tap for 12v 0.5A so it *may* be moddable for a bit more juice, which is interesting.  I could only see 3 regulators though.  (* the obligatory disclaimer)

Misterg

vasselmeyer said:

I'm going to have to raise the back of the pedalboard quite high up if I want to fix this underneath it.

Or maybe not

vasselmeyer

Yeah, I've seen that. To be honest, that's beyond my meagre DIY skills. I'm so ham-fisted that wood actually splits by itself when I walk into a room with a saw in my hand. I do know a friendly metalworking engineer though, so it might be worth asking him if he could do it for me.

DarnWeight

UPDATE

Boo!  My unit has just developed an ungodly hum on one of the outputs (#3), so will be going back to DV247 for repair/replacement once I have the necessary authorisation through.  Shame...it was working very well up until the weekend.  I could potentially make do without one tap (none of the other outputs are affected), but being as it's under guarantee I'd rather have it firing on all cylinders.

bennyg85

Anyone else have one of these?

Is it still working?!

Ben

vasselmeyer

Mine's working perfectly. No issues at all. My only real niggle is the height but I've fixed that by mounting it underneath the pedalboard instead of on top.