Phranzdan posted:I set up a similar circuit using an MTH Z1000 transformer which uses the same phase angle fired thyristor control as the CW 80. I used a 5 amp bridge rectifier with A 470 UF 50 volt cap. I set the output to 12 volts with a 40 ohm load. I let it run with the load for 10 minutes. The bridge was warm which I would expect, but the cap was not. The ripple voltage was .5 volts measured with a scope. You can measure ripple voltage with a DVM set to measure A.C. It seems that your circuit is drawing to much ripple current through the capacitor. I would remove the load from the circuit and measure the A.C. with no load. Also let the circuit run for 10 minutes or so no load and see if the capacitor gets warm. The A.C. should be very low with no load. If it is different, you may have a defective bridge rectifier. With most of these devices, it helps to have a heat sink attached to reduce temperature. Bridge rectifiers are available with holes for mounting a heat sink.
A 40 ohm load on 12V is less than 1/3 amp, a far cry from the several amps he was drawing with a full 5 meter strip. Try repeating your experiment with a 6-8 ohm resistor and see what your results are.
