Monster Technology

Hello folks, it seems like very few people understand how to properly use this PS

tester like me. Being an electronic and computer technician, I take things one step

at a time, and err on the side of safety.

Yes, the connectors are better marked on the PS-228 than the PS-224. Both of them

are in a plastic case, NOT aluminum, unless it is so thin and the plastic coating

so thick I can’t tell by tapping it and the resulting sound. The PS-224 has been

discontinued, and is a better constructed unit. I ordered it and was shipped the

PS-228 instead, like someone else. IF it has the white connectors on the end in-

stead of black, KEEP IT! It has the better connectors and power button on it. I

should have kept this one and returned it in haste. The seller would not return

the exact one I returned back to me. It also said “PS-228″ on the front if I am

remembering right.

Proper procedures are as follows:

With the power supply AC cord disconnected, plug in the 20 or 24 pin main connector.

Then plug in one of the Molex. Now you can plug in your power supply and get some

readings safely. If your power supply has a switch, turn that on. Both the PS-224

and PS-228 have a shorting connection internally replicating the power switch on a

PC. The PS-228 added this as a manual ON button. This tests 2 +12V rails. This will

beep if it does not see voltage from the second rail, and display “LL” on it. Look

at your display and understand what it is you are actually looking at!

Turn off your power supply, or unplug it. Unplug the Molex and plug in the FDD con-

nector. Restore power to your power supply and see your readings. Follow the same

procedure for the SATA connector. The SATA readings show up on the display and the

green LED’s on the left. Notice you also now have the +3.3V off the SATA pins. All

readings should be within specification, and less than 400ms on the PG value. The

highest I’ve seen was 390 so far, usually 350-380, non-PFC power supplies. The PCIe

6 pin is only on the PS-228, along with the power ON button.

Putting a load inline using this device shuts it and the power supply off. This is

to protect it from overcurrent and shorted connected devices. You can only test one

type of power connector in addition to the 20/24 pin motherboard connector at any

time. Test each individual connector on your power supply, you could find an open,

intermitent, or dead connection due to a bad crimp. You can find a dead rail too.
Rating: 5 / 5

Summary:

This is a nice product, but the documentation could be better….

The Good:

The physical build quality on this unit is very good – it’s built for a rough shop work and the aluminum case feels and looks like it will take the abuse of constant use for years to come. The display is very nice and easy to read backlit showing all the details you need; this is important for me since it seems like I’m always testing under a desk or somewhere dimly lit. Some other reviewers mentioned the 24 pin jack on the PS-224 was not well made and there was great difficulty in connecting the power supply – this must have been isolated to the PS-224, the PS-228 connects easily and correctly every time across several makes of power supplies I’ve tried. Testing an ATX power supply would be difficult without a unit like this.

The Bad:

If you decide to buy this unit, grab a known-working power supply and spend some time verifying this tester is working and you understand how it works before using it for troubleshooting. Unfortunately I did not have a known good power supply handy, and my first test with this unit was on a suspected bad power supply. In my initial test, I connected the 24 pin main power connection and the PS-228 beeped continuously and indicated a “LL” (zero voltage fault) with the +12V2. This seemed to indicate the power supply had a fault, so I obtained a new one and replaced it – but that didn’t fix the problem, which through some more manual testing I discovered was with the video card.

What I didn’t realize is that unless you connect both the main power cable and one of the accessory power cables, the unit will register a fault with the +12V2 (showing LL as zero volts) which may lead you to believe (as it did me) that the power supply has a problem. The best way to avoid all of this is just to do some testing of this tester against a known good working power supply so you understand what must be connected in order for all of the checks to be “passed.”

Other than the minimal documentation, I would rate this tester as five stars, — well worth the money if you are in a position to have to test computer power supplies even occasionally.

Rating: 4 / 5