500VA Toroid - Relay or Contactor?

[Lee Roberts]

You have to dig deep in the catalogue to find the numbers, but it looks as if the 24V DC version takes around 150mA. The low-power version is about half that.

So the question now is...can m_c spare the 150

[m_c]

So the question now is...can m_c spare the 150

Should be fine. I've got 2.1A of 24VDC, which sole purpose in life now the old controller is gone, is to power a few relays and sensors. If need be, I can upgrade it or fit a second supply.
.
I've ordered a suitable ABB contactor that only takes 3.5W coil power from RS, as I get free next day delivery. I even ordered one with a NC Aux contact, which I can use to switch in a drain resistor for the capacitor, rather than have the resistor continually warming things up.

[Lee Roberts]

Should be fine. I've got 2.1A of 24VDC, which sole purpose in life now the old controller is gone, is to power a few relays and sensors. If need be, I can upgrade it or fit a second supply.
.
I've ordered a suitable ABB contactor that only takes 3.5W coil power from RS, as I get free next day delivery. I even ordered one with a NC Aux contact, which I can use to switch in a drain resistor for the capacitor, rather than have the resistor continually warming things up.

Good stuff, I like the drain resistor idea its also something I thought about doing for the caps on my driver PSU, dont forget the pics once installed ;-).

[Tom J]

I use the softstart, via 240v switch, than contactor via fail safe latching, but after reading few post will try MCB type D without softstart - will upload results.

Meantime here is my softstart



It switch primary coil via 4x10W resistors just to kill in rush current and after second small relay bypassing resistors before they became too hot. This delay is enough for peak to go down.
This is only inconvenience for toroid trafo I know.