PSC Power Star Operation Manual

Power Star

Power Distribution Platform

Professional Sound Corpor at ion

Operation Manual Version 1.0

Copyright 2010

Printed in the U.S.A.

Thank you for purchasin g the Prof ess ional S ound Cor poration P ower St ar power
distribution platform. PSC is confident that the Power Star has set new
standards for clean, quiet powering of your portable audio equipment. Please
feel free to contact us at the address below if you have any comments,
suggestions, or quest ions abo ut your new PSC Pow er St ar. Add itionall y, w e are
always open to suggestions for new products that you would like to see
developed.

PSC extends a one-year, limited, parts and labor warranty to all Power Star
system owners who return their warranty card at the time of purchase. This
warranty gives you specific rig hts, which are stat ed on the card, an d enables us
to keep you informed of product updates.

The PSC Power S tar provides the clean, qu iet, reliable power requ ired for your
entire digital audio recording package. Its rugged design allows for complete
confidence that you will have uninterrupted power throughout your recording
sessions.

PLEASE BE SURE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THIS
ENTIRE OPERATIONAL MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE PSC POWER
STAR!

CAUTION! THE CASE OF THE POWER STAR M AY GET HOT DURING USE .
DO NOT ALLOW ANYTHING TO BLOCK THE COOLING VENT OPENINGS.
ALWAYS ALLOW AT LEAST A ONE INCH AIR GAP ABOVE THE VENT
OPENINGS.

ALL AUXILARY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE REVERSE POLARITY
PROTECTED AND PROPERLY FUSED AT ALL TIMES.

THE POWER STAR IS DESIGNED FOR USE WITH SEALED LEAD ACID
BATTERIES AND IS FACTORY ADJUSTED FOR PROPER CHARGING OF
SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERIES ONLY! PLEASE CONSULT THE
FACTORY FOR USE WITH OTHER BATTERY TYPES. YOUR POWER STAR
MAY NEED INTERN AL ADJUSTMENT S TO BE COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER
BATTERY TYPES.

Professional S ound Corporation

28085 Smyth Drive

Valencia, CA 91355 USA

PH [phone]

Fax [phone]

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.professionalsound.com

DESCRIPTION:

The Professional Sound Corporation Power Star power distribution system has
been designed and built specifically to provide clean, quiet, reliable power for
your complete di gital audio recor ding package. T his new design easily handle s
the heavy power requirements of today’s digital recorders and mixers. When
connected to a sealed lead acid batt ery it can output 12Vdc at up to 24 amps.
The PSC Power S tar contains a hig h capacity, on board bat tery charger that is
designed to operate from 100Vac to 240Vac or from 127Vdc to 370Vdc for
worldwide operation without adjustment. Each of the PSC Power Star’s 10
output connectors are equipped with dedicated EMI/RFI output filters to ensure
clean, noise-free power for your equipment. In additio n, each of the 10 output
connectors are individually Polyfuse protected and are monitored for proper
voltage outp ut an d ov er c urre nt fault s. T he s tat us of all of these monit ors c an b e
viewed from the front panel LEDs. A Green LED indicates proper operation, a
Yellow LED, indicates a tri pped Polyfuse (ov erload condition). The PSC Power
Star will operate as an un-interruptible power supply when used with a re­chargeable battery.

REMOTE MONITOR /C ON TR OL BOX:

The PSC Power S tar co mes with a s mall re mote monitor and contro l box. T his
box contains both a DC Volt Meter and a DC Current Meter. In addition, it
contains the P ower Star’s main power Switch. Each unit is provided with a 4’
(1.3M) cable to allow the remote monitor/control box to be mounted in a
convenient place. The DC Voltage Meter reads the battery voltage when a

battery is being used. Typical readings are 14.4 volts DC when the battery is
fully charged, ranging dow n to 10.8 volts DC when the PSC Power Star is ready
to shut down due to lo w battery char ge. When connecte d to AC, the reading s
will typically be 13.6 to 14.4 volts DC. The DC Current Meter reads total
equipment current consumption in DC Amps. For example if your entire
connected equipment package consumes 8 Amps, this meter will reflect that
amount.

RACK MOUNTING :

The PSC Power S tar is designed to b e rack mounted. T he rack mount br acket s
are removable for use when the unit is not rack mounted. The rack mount
brackets are designed for two position mounting. Allowing the unit to be
mounted flush t o the front of the rack or mounted so that the output conne ctors
are recessed within the rack. Simply remove the 4 rack mount brack et screws
and re-position the brackets to suit your needs.

Rack Mount Brackets Shown in Standard and Recessed P os itions:

CHARGING:

The PSC Power Star contains a built in charger designed to charge external
Sealed Lea d Acid (SLA) bat teries. These external batteries can be the in dustry
standard 12V, 33AH Pelican bat ter y box es or lar ge De ep C ycle bat teri es such as
Optima Yellow Top batteries. The PSC Power Star will operate from a wide

range of AC or DC power so you can plug it in anywhere in the world without
having to worry about making adjustments. The charger circuit used in the
Power Star has been specifically designed for charging the batteries while the
batteries ar e in use powering l ow noise audio equipment. Unlike our competitor’s
battery chargers, our design has a very low noise floor. Using a typical
33amp/hour SLA batt er y you can expec t a r ec har ge time of about 2.5 hours. The
charging function is aut omatic and it does not require your interaction in any way.
Simply plug the PS C Power Star into an AC outlet, and the char ging begins. A
front panel mounted BLUE LED indic ates AC is on and charging is possible if a
battery is connected. The Power S tar may get war m d ur ing use. Be careful when
touching the surface of the P ower Star and be sure to allow a minimum of a 1” air
gap around the top panel mounted ventilation slots for proper heat dissipation.

The PSC Power Star is designed primarily for use with Sealed Lead Acid
batteries. These batteries do not have the memory effects associated with
NiCad batt eries an d unlik e NiCa ds, S LA batter y life exp ectanc y is bas ed on ho w
deeply it is discharged, how long it is left in that condition and the number of
discharge c ycles. If you want to get the gre atest life from yo ur S LA batteries, yo u
should keep them charged at all times. This is easily accomplis hed w ith t he PSC
Power Star as it can be used while char ging. T he PSC Power Star has a built in
Voltage meter th at allows you to visu ally see th e remaini ng batter y capacity at a
quick glance. The Power Star is also designed to protect your batteries from
over discharge. When your battery voltage drops to a pre-determined level
(approximately 10.8Vdc) the Power Star will automatically shut itself off and
disconnect t he load from the bat tery. You cannot ov er discharge your bat teries
from misuse or by accidentally le aving your equipment on over a weekend, etc.

Because the PSC Power Star is equipped with such a high capacity charger,
care must be ex er cise d i n the type and con dit io n of b att eries to be char ged. The
Power Star is primarily designed to charge Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries.
Additionall y, it is rec ommended that you insp ect you r batt eries w eekl y fo r an y

signs of damage such as case cracks, leaks or bulging cases. Do not
connect th e PSC Pow er Star to batt eries th at are damaged , or b eyond their
recommended life span. Failure to heed this warning could result in product

damage and/or personal injury. Bulging battery cases are a sure sign of a
damaged batt ery and/or s horted b atter y cell. Charg ing a bat tery in th is con dition
can result in excessive heat build up and battery venting (hydrogen gas
discharge and/or explosion). While charging, the sealed lead acid batteries
should only get slightly warm to the touch. If they get very warm or hot,
something is wrong and charging should be discontinued immediately and the
batteries sh ould be inspected by a qualified technician.

When used with one 12V, 33AH Pelican style battery and no AC power
connected, your battery only run time may be anywhere from 2 to 6 hours
depending upo n your equip ment’s power req uirements. W hen connected to A C
power, your run time is virtually limitless. W e highly recommend that you use

Pelican case batteries t hat ar e equi pped with Neutrik Speak on connect ors rat her
than 4 pin XLR connectors. Standard 4 pin XLR connectors are only rated for
use at up t o 9 amps of current. As the Power Star can charge at up t o 1 5 amps
per battery con nec tion, the use of Speakon connectors is highly recommended.

BATTERY STORAGE:

Always make sure to charge your batteries before putting them into storage.
Your batteries should not be allowed to go below 10.6Vdc for any extended
period of time. Doing so will permanently damage them. Because all
rechargeable b atteries slo wly self discharge w hile in storage, it is recommended
that you charg e the m ever y two to t hr ee mont hs w hen yo u are n ot usi ng th em for
extended per iods of ti me. T his will e n sur e th at t he batt eries n ev er self d isc harge
to a damaging level.

POWER STAR USE:

The PSC Power Star is designed for use in powering your entire digital audio
recording package. The Power Star’s ten (10), 4-pin female XLR output
connectors pr ovide output voltage at all ti mes when the Po wer Star is swit ched
on. All power cabl es wired for us e between the Po wer Star and your eq uipment
must be wired cor r ec tly and professi onally.

Anytime the Power Star is plugged in, its battery charger is operational. Your
battery may be charged without the Power Star’s front panel electronics being
turned on. By switc hing “ON” the power swit ch on the small re mote contr ol box,
the Power Star will t urn on and begin to supply power to your e quipment. If the
Power Star is connecte d to a battery, but not plu gged into AC, all of the p ower
will come from th e battery. If the battery is discharged below a safe point, the
Power Star will n ot turn on when the power sw itch is set to “ON”. If the bat tery
level is good, the Power Star will operate normally. When the batteries are
discharged t o the point where t hey are in dang er of being damag ed due to over
discharge, the Power Star will automatically shut itself off and disconnect the
load. T his low batter y shut off occu rs at approximatel y 10.8 Volts as read
on the meter. You can also shut off the Power St ar at any time by simply turning
the main power switch to “OFF”. The power switch is centered between the
Voltage and Cur rent meters o n the small remote c ontrol box . The box has built
in overhangs to prevent accident al s witc hing of t he ma in po wer swit ch. Yo u can
also operat e the Power St ar without a battery conn ected by s imply pluggi ng the
Power Star int o AC a nd swit ching “ON” the main pow ers switch. The Powe r Star
will power your equip ment at up to 15 amps current consumpti on (approxi mately
225 watts of total output power) when connected t o A C only.

OPERATING VO LTAGE: (100Vac to 240V ac or 127 to 370Vdc)

The PSC Power S tar has a “ universal” input voltage and ca n even be oper ated
from high voltage DC current. This design was chosen to facilitate the Power
Star operating worldwide without having to be adjusted. Simply plug it into a
properly wire d outlet and you are ready to go.

AC LINE SAFETY:

Electrical safet y cod es require t hat elec trical equ ipment be properl y ground ed for
operator safety. Many electrical outlets have been mis-wired with hot and
neutrals rev ersed as well as having m issing grou nds. This is es peciall y true on
film sets where al l power lines are po rtable and neut rals get k icked out t ime and
time again. F or your own s afet y and for t he good of your equip ment, you should
test any AC line bef ore connecti ng to it. This can be done b y using a small , low
cost line checker available at most hardwar e stores. These checker s look like a n
AC plug with three or four lights on them that indicate when t he AC outlet is wired
correctly.

OUTPUT OVERLOAD PROTECTION:

The PSC Power Star is equipped with Raychem Polyfuses that automatically
reset to protect the outputs of the Power Star and also to provide a degree of
protection to your equipment. Thes e solid state devices act li ke ordinary fuses or
circuit break ers. They interru pt the flow of dan gerously high e lectrical curr ent in
the case of a fault conditio n in the equip ment being power ed. The PSC P ower
Star contains Polyfuses on its battery input and on all 10 outputs. The 10
separate Polyfuses that protect the 10 output connectors are monitored
separatel y.

The front panel of the PSC Power St ar has 20 LEDs (10 gree n and 10 Yellow)
that provide a c onvenient means to monit or for proper operation. Un der normal
operation, al l 10 of the GREEN LEDs should be lit . This indicat es that ther e are
no faults on an y of the 10 outputs. If any one of the GREEN LE Ds is off and the
corresponding YELLOW LED is lit, this indicates that this particular output
connection P olyfuse has trip ped. T his is a fault cond ition that must be correct ed
immediately. By noticing which YELLOW LED is lit, you can easily know which
piece of equi pment is having a problem. Si mply put, Green is G ood, Yellow is
Bad!

Because each of the individual outputs is indiv idually polyfuse protected, if any
one piece of your equipment has a fault, the rest of your sound package will
continue to operate. These Polyfuses will only reset after the fault has been
removed and the Polyfuse allowed time to cool down (approximately 30

seconds). Please note that these output protection devices should not trip
during normal u se of the Power Star! If you experience tripping of these
devices on any continuing basis, something is wrong and a qualified
technician should check your equipment and cables immediately.
Additionally, these polyfuse s are rated at 8 Amps and 3.5 Amps as noted
on the front panel silk-screening. These polyfuse current ratings may be
higher th an i s safe f or v ario us t ype s o f equ ip men t. Always ma ke sure your
individual equipment is properly fused for its own protection.

Example of Pro per O per ation

Example of T r ipped P olyfuse
Additionall y, the Power Star has a n internal fuse on the AC suppl y that protect s

this main power supply. This 5mm x 20mm white ceramic fuse is rated at 6.3

amps and is of the “slow blow” type. This fuse should not fail under normal
operating cond itions. If t his fuse ever fails, pl ease tak e your PSC Pow er Star to
a qualified t echnician for r epair. Failur e of this fuse or the p ower suppl y itself is
indicated when the f ro nt pa nel, B LUE LE D, A C indic at or is not l it when the unit is
connected to AC . This front panel, BL UE LE D indicator is labeled “AC”

Safety note: There are no user serviceable parts within the PSC Power Star.

Within the PSC Power Star, there ma y be hazard ous voltages p resent. Do
not disassemble the PSC Power Star. Refer all servicing to a qualified
technician.

PROPER POWER STAR COOLING:

Your new PSC Power Star is a high pow er device. It has a rated output of 225
watts. Alt hough it has been des igned using a high efficienc y switch-mode power
supply, the un it still does g enerate a cons iderable a mount of heat whe n running
at its full rate d ca pacit y. T his heat mu st be dissi pated f or pr op er o perat i on o f the
Power Star. Because of this, the Power Star is designed with a housing that
contains rows of cooling v ents. T hese cooling v ents must not be b locked at any
time. Failure t o provide adequate airflow ar ound the PSC P ower Star w ill cause
damage to the unit and will not be covered under warranty. Always leave a
minimum of 1” (2.5cm) open space above the PSC Power Star for proper
ventilation.

SILENT OPERATION:

The PSC Power Star is convection cooled. It does not contain any fans that
generate any mechanical noise. Therefore it can be used without concern on
even the most qui et film set.

EQUIPMENT POWER CABLES:
PSC recommends that you use only two conductor, unshielded, 16AWG

power cable for power distribution. Shielded cable is not recommended as

the shield ma y cause short circuits between adjacent pins on the connector s.

NOTE: Use only the pins necessary to operate your specific piece of
equipment! For example, if your Solice Mixer requires 12Vdc to operate, then

you should only connect pins 1 (ground) and pin 4 (+12Vdc). Many pieces of
equipment us e pins 2 a nd 3 for oth er functions such as bat tery char ging. T here
are no industry standards for the use of pins 2 and 3. Their use may not be
compatible with the Power Star. Re member, us e only 2-conductor cable and
wire only pins 1 and 4 on your connectors!

TYPICAL 12Vdc POWER CABLES:

For use with PSC Solice Mixer, PSC M6 RetroMix, PSC RF Mult iMax, PSC RF
Multi Dual 1x8, Cooper CS208, Audio Developments Mixers, and most other
audio mixers and recording devices that operate form 12Vdc and use a 4 pin
XLR power connector.

POWER STAR SOLICE MIXER
4P MALE XLR 4 PIN FEMALE XLR

PIN 1-----------------------------------------------------------------------------PIN 1
PIN 4-----------------------------------------------------------------------------PIN 4

BATTERY POWER CABLES:

The cable used to connect the battery to your PSC Power Star is of special
importance as it carries the entire electrical load of your sound recording
package fro m t he battery. In addit ion, it must c arry the entire char ge current to
the battery. This battery cable must be made from heavy gauge cable

(12AWG) and kept as short as possible to eliminate voltage drops across
the cable. Beca use you are work ing wit h a 12 v olt DC system, t he l oss of ev en

1 volt across a cable run is unaccept able. We have equipped the PSC P ower
Star with a Neutrik Speakon connector for connecting your battery. This
connector is rated for use up to 30 amps. Each Power Star is supplied with a
Speakon to S peak on ca bl e for us e w it h your S LA bat ter ies. We recommend that
you have all your ca bles pr of essi ona ll y built or bu y speci all y built cables ma de by
PSC from any authorized PSC dealer .

WARNING: It is highly recommended that you have your cables built by
qualified personnel and tested prior to use with your Power Star. All power
cables should be clearly labeled on both ends as to what they are to be
connected t o. For exampl e, label one en d “Power Star” and the other end
“Solice Mi xer”. This will help prevent inadvertently connecting the cables
to the wrong piece of equipment. We cannot stress enough the importance
of good quality power cables and careful connections. Poorly constructed
and/or labeled cables can result in equipment damage!

PANEL CONNECTIONS:
Rear Panel:

AC Power Connection

Front Panel:

Remote Control Connection 10x Outputs Battery Speakon Connector

WARNING!

THE PSC POWER STAR OUTPUTS DC VOLTAGE AT SUBSTANTIAL
CURRENT! ALL AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE REVERSE POLARITY
PROTECTED AND PROPERLY FUSED TO EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURES
RECOMMENDATIONS AT ALL TIMES! THE PSC POW ER STAR IS CAPABLE
OF SUPPLYING MORE THAN 15 AMPS OF OUTPUT CURRENT INTO A
SHORT CIRCUIT BEFORE THE INTERNAL POLYSWITCH TRIPS. THIS IS
MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO SEVERELY DAMAGE UNPROTECTED
EQUIPMENT!

DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE PSC POWER STAR! IT CONTAINS NO USER
SERVICEABLE PARTS OR ADJUSTMENTS. HIGH VOLTAG E AND CUR RENT
MAY BE PRESENT. REFER ALL SERVICE TO QUALIFIED PERSONNEL
ONLY.

TERMS OF USE:

THE IMPROPER CONNECTION OF THIS POWER SUPPLY TO AUXILIARY
EQUIPMENT MAY RESULT IN DAMAGE TO SAID EQUIPMENT AND/OR
PERSONAL INJURY. THIS PRODUCT IS DESIGNED TO BE OPERATED BY
PROFESSIONALS IN THE FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRIES. THE PSC
POWER STAR SHOULD ONLY BE OPERATED AFTER READING AND
UNDERSTANDING THIS ENTIRE INSTRUCTION MANUAL. THE OPERATOR
OF THIS POWER SUPPLY ASSUMES ALL RESPONSIBILITY AND LIABILITY
FOR SAFE AND PROPER USE AND OPERATION OF THIS EQUIPMENT!
PROFESSIONAL SOUND CORPORATION AND/OR ITS EMPLOYEES AND
OFFICERS ASSUME NO RESPONSIBILITY OR LIABILITY FOR PERSONAL
AND PROPERTY DAMAGE INCURRED DUE TO ACCIDENT, CARELESS
HANDLING, ABUSE OR MISSUSE, IMPROPER CONNECTION, AND/OR
INSTALLATION, IMPROPER ELECTRICAL CONTACT OR GROUNDING.
OWNERSHIP AND/OR USE OF THE PSC POWER STAR CONSTITUTES
AGREEMENT WITH THESE TERMS.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Size: 17.50” x 7.5” x 1.75” (45cm x 19cm x 4.5cm)
Weight: 5Lbs (2.3Kg)
Input Power: 100Vac to 240Vac, or, 127Vdc to 370Vdc
Battery Input: SLA batteries, minimum capacity of 33Amp/hour each

Speakon 2 Pole Connector
Max Out put Powe r : AC Only, 15 Amps

(All outputs combined) Battery Only, 24 Amps, Battery+AC, 24 Amps

Individual Outputs: All individual outputs are polyfuse protected at 3.5 Amps

and 8 amps as noted on front panel silk-screening
Charging Time: 2.5 hours, typical per 33amp/hour battery, each output
Charger Type: Constant Voltage Type, Current Limited to 15 amps.
Warranty: Limited, One Year, Parts and Labor.

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

EMC: This product is in compliance with the

Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, 89/336/EEC

as defined in EN 50081-1, EN55022 and EN 50082-1.

IEC801-2, IEC801-3 and IEC801-4.

LVD: This product is in compliance with the requirements of

the Low Voltage Directive, 73/23/EEC. 93/68/EEC as

defined in EN60065, 1993 and/or EN60950/A1/A2/A3:

1995

TRADE NAM E: PSC
MODEL: Power Star

RESPONSIBLE PARTY: Professional Sound Corp.
28085 Smy th Drive
Valencia, CA 91355 USA

CONTACT PERSON: Ronald Meyer
[phone]

TYPE OF PRODUCT: Power Supply
MANUFACTURER: Professional Sound Cor p.

28085 Smy th Drive
Valencia, CA 91355 USA

We hereby declare that the equipment bearing the t rade name and model number
listed above has been te sted in accordance with the requi rements cont ained in the
above li sted directives. All necessar y steps have been taken and are in force to
assure that production units manufactured will conf orm to Dir ective guidelines.

March 2010 Professional Sound Cor poration.