Rigol DP832 vs. Korad KA3005P

I recently switched from my Rigol DP382 power supply to three Korad KA3005P supplies. In this video I compare both and show you the ups and downs of the respective choices.

Detailed video of my KA3005P mods:

EEVblog talking about the failed KA3005P:

EEVblog talking about the DP832 power spike:

My Rigol DP832 fan mod:

Video License: CC BY-SA 3.0

[TheStuffMade]

I've had a Korad KA3005 for 5-6 years and besides a relay I had to replace at some point it's been performing well. I believe it's still one of the best value for money linear bench supplies available.

[elecb]

Rigol is modern design, it's Control part is seprate from output part, this means:1) You can power on 3 channels at the same time, so when your board has different power domains(such as 12V and 3.3V) can be powered on at the same, more safe.2) Programable, very useful when you debug your board. I had debug one board with python, capture output from UART, when some output is printed, hold on the state and alarm, if not power down and reboot again.

[graxxor]

I got my DP832 second hand for $150, updated the software to 832A, so I think I'll stick with this... I also have a couple of HM310s... which I will keep to use in tandem.

[GadgetReviewVideos]

I’ll say my experience is a little different from yours. I have three of the 3 channel Korads, one older unit that’s a side by side of the of two single channel units. And 2 of the newer units with a variable temperature controlled fan. Now my older unit did have a fan issue twice in one year, but since I bought this refurbished I discovered the replaced fan was a 12V fan and this unit runs 24V for the fan. So this was the cause for the fans failing after 6 months. The newer triple korads are quiet with the fans even fully ramped up, it’s sort of impressive.
As for the display update rate and accuracy shown on the display I saw the same things you did, the Korad display refresh rate is much faster.
The accuracy of the three channel korads (remember I have three of them) compared to the Rigol I received is much more accurate and that annoyed me a lot. For the price I expected better accuracy and that was a disappointing discovery, but that wasn’t my experience. Some day I will have to calibrate the Rigol but for now if I need accuracy I use the korads.
In fact, after dealing with firmware issues for years with the Rigol 1054Z and this Rigol power supply inaccuracy I’ve stopped buying or even considering buying any more Rigol equipment. My next scope will be a Keysight.
I’ve never owned a single channel Korad, but I do find it interesting in the different results people have seen and that’s part of my problem. So many people experience different things with Rigol stuff it leads me to think the quality control is horrible for the calibration.

[GeorgeWMays]

Excellent. Thank you for taking the time to do this video. Much appreciated.

[mrpetit]

Korad also has the ka3305P.
Not totally 3ch, but 2 channel (0-30V 0-5A) + 5v 3A.
With a very quiet speed controlled fan, and programmable by usb. I bought one on sale for €144 ex VAT, so way cheaper than the Rigol.(normally its about €190 ex vat, still cheap)

[dand]

If you hold down the OCP button for a few seconds it disables the beep, no need to mod it.

[Parax]

The Rigol is programmable in many ways, that are all totally ignored in this comparison. There are complex Timer, Delay, and cutout programming modes.. I can easily set it up as a battery charger that cuts-off when the current falls below a threshold, to prevent trickle overcharging.. the Rigol is a proper Tool not just a Dumb Box.

[injoelsgarage]

Thank you for your time and information. I have been pondering on which supply to purchase. Korad is the winner. Thank you again. Joel

[Justsquareenough]

Great video thanks for the comparison.

[Arek_R.]

5 years later and they didn't remove the startup spike?
Wtf?
That's like a major issue and should be fixed along with first PCB/Software update.

[FelinoAnticomunista]

Hagan todas las pruebas que quieran. Yo me compre una Korad 3005 y va de maravillas. Hace justo lo que necesito. Alimenta mis circuitos, limita la corriente, no genera picos de arranque inportantes, etc. Una maravilla. Lo unico que me gustaría cambiar es el panel numerico de amperios a color verde.

[nicolasguichard]

Thx for the video. Your hacks triggered my curiosity, I am looking forward to the videos in which you explain them :)

[jwrtiger]

Good video on your preferences. I also have both the DP832 and the "newer" Korad KA3005P. For me they are both useful but a two or three set composed of Korads do not offer series tracking and since I do a lot with opamps that is a major deal breaker for going the route you selected. Again good video and I agree with you on the short comings of the Rigol.

[neko]

I have both, always use the Rigol, unless I need the power of the Korad (which is rare).

[delos]

How do you finding safety terminals? I cannot find new Korad in with old screw terminals and Im not sure if the safety terminals are any good in use?

[hansmoser]

Can the 3 independent Korads be switched in series or in parallel?
Their manuals dont't say anything about that.

[Professzore]

Furthermore...
Rigol is a wildly and freely programmable bench PSU. It has a lot of added functionality which is not easily reachable with an analogue-type PSU like Korad.
Rigol also has a programmable I/O on the back. It is also possible to turn on and off all three channels at the same time (within milliseconds), though you're not able to make a programmed turn-on procedure.
On the downside: The OVP function has some serious (and dangerous) limitations. If set, even the smallest overvoltage may kill a sensitive product with that huge (sometimes over 10s of milliseconds) overshooting.

[pa]

I'm on similar dilemma and wondering how would you proceed if you want 3 voltages at the same time? I mean with the rigol you could just turn it on with the outputs enabled but with three separate supplies you would need to power them on with a power strip, right?

[shkhamd]

curious if there is a way to callibrate the korad unit to improve the accuracy. 1% or lower would be more than enough for what it costs.