Give me power (supplies) [Jack Dyer´s Clinic]

Introducing construction projects (with attendant opportunities to learn) is to be one significant reason for this column???s existence. To repeat myself [1]: My notion is to provide interesting projects that can be completed by persons with limited experience in design and construction, and which can have utility in common I&M tasks. Editor-in-chief Wendy Van Moer suggested a simple power supply as the first project, and I thought that to be a wonderful idea. Every piece of (active) instrumentation (and all but the simplest piece of electronic equipment) needs a power supply. Further, anyone designing or testing equipment needs power supplies on her test bench. One can never have too many power supplies! And simple is good, especially if we want to involve anyone with the aforementioned limited experience in the fun. (Again, my hope is that any project???whatever it might be???might be a good enough reason for those having lesser experience and those having greater experience to become project partners.)