Matt Ion wrote:
It shouldn't be - just trigger the proper wire(s) and she'll fire right up.
SHOULD work, anyway.
Good luck with that. Better get a wiring diagram.
Alternatively, you could get a pre-ATX AT style power supply. IIRC,
these just powered on with the switch on the power supply. You'd still
need to make it look like there's a motherboard there though.
Nope.... AT PSUs weren't typically that clever. The power switch was usually
attached at the front of the case via a big thick wire that actually interrupted
the incoming AC line, so you do have to be careful of that when using these things.
I actually hooked up a second power supply to my notebook computer's
docking station. This was a 486dx2-50 with a black and white lcd
display. The power supply wouldn't come up without a motherboard. I
had an old 386sx motherboard lying around and threw it in the case to
satidfy the power supply.
When I was on college, I had a job at a computer store assembling
machines to order, also upgrading existing machines. I saw a few with
this stick that reached through the case and switched the power supply.
Most just switched on the back though. None like you're describing.
I'm sure someone did it though.
Correct as well - looking at this 300W supply sitting right here, it lists 14A
capacity for the +3.3V output, 25A for +5V, 10A for +12V, 1A for +5VSB (standby
power??), and 0.5A for both -5V and -12V. I DON'T THINK that these supplies
typically "divide" a particular voltage individually to the separate wires - the
full 10A *should* be available to any device(s) on any of the +12V wires. Load
balancing is provided by Kirchoff's Law 
The voltages better not be divided. :-)
Something like this?
http://www.rpelectronics.com/English...s/PSR-1215.asp
13.8VDC@15A regulated-output switching supply, $123.
Yeah, the good ones aren't cheap.
brian