Story by Zac Wheatcroft
Photos and Editing by Darth Vader
I was recently able to review the Super Pro 40 power supply by Protek. I found it to be one of the most robust r/c power supply I’ve used. Here are my thoughts on the unit.
For starters, the unit comes in a nice box. You can use this for storage in your racing bag.
The “Super Pro” in the name really suits it. The front panel features four 4mm switched 13.8V DC outputs (up to 16 amps each), along with an unswitched 40 amp, 4mm binding post/banana plug combo.
For the most part, it’s best to convert your powered items (ie Charger,etc) to banana plugs. This makes it much neater to plug into the four separate outlets.
Even if you want to plug in a alligator clip item, a pair of outlet plugs are handily located on the front portion.
The outputs feature a unscrewable cap as pictured below. You can attach just about anything to these.
If that weren’t enough, it also has a 1.8 amp USB connection on the front panel, which can be used to power and charge all sorts of USB devices, such as mobile phones, LED lights, iPods, etc. I found this handy when racing…as I have had my iphone battery go low from time to time.
All this is backed by a high-powered 520W power plant, which as the name suggests, has a maximum output of 40 amps. It’s important to not exceed the maximum output when using multiple chargers or other devices simultaneously. The unit has a master on/off switch. In addition, it has individual switches for each separate banana plug ins. I was particularly impressed by this. No longer is an additional banana clip power strip required when running multiple items. If you compare the cost of other unswitched power supplies, plus a multi-outlet power strip, the Super Pro 40 wins on price by a mile.
Having said that, I connected every piece of 12V gear I have to the Super Pro 40, and it never broke a sweat. For my “torture test”, I tried three chargers, a tire truer, a motor lathe, and a USB LED light. It was no problem.
Worried about the unit getting too hot? The Super Pro 40 has a nice cooling fan on the back portion. It runs super quiet as well.
The provided documentation is detailed and concise, and gives you all the info you need figure out how many devices can be connected based on their power requirements. The manual is available in PDF form here.
In conclusion, the Protek Super Pro 40 is enough power for most racers and multiple friends. Think about it….most of the time you are charging at 5 amps or less. With a 40 amp power supply, you have enough room to use multiple chargers. This is a great power supply to share with a racing buddy or family member. The quality of this Protek release is up to the high standards of past items. I would recommend it to anyone looking for heavy power needs and a USB hookup. It has this covered.
You can learn more about the Super Pro 40’s specs at the A-Main Hobbies website.
Street Price: $149.99
US Distributor: A-Main Hobbies
Web: www.amainhobbies.com
US Toll-Free: 1-800-705-2215
Local/International: +1-530-894-0797
