Hard drive enclosure power supply

[Harvy]

Hi, I recently purchased a hard drive enclosure. When I coneected
everything up and plug the powers supply, the power supply adapter
blew. I googled for a replacement adapter but no luck, I searched for
Switching adapter (which was written on the power supply) but then
found that the connecters to the actual enclosure were different. They
look like a PS/2 adapter on the end, in the manual they have 5V, 12V
and ground. I have searched for 2 hours on this adapter and have found
it bundled with hard drive enclosurse but not actually available on its
own. I would buy another hard drive enclosure but that would be a
waste. Can anyone shed light on where these adapters have disappeared
too?

 

[Frazer Jolly Goodfellow]

Hi, I recently purchased a hard drive enclosure. When I
coneected everything up and plug the powers supply, the power
supply adapter blew. I googled for a replacement adapter but no
luck, I searched for Switching adapter (which was written on the
power supply) but then found that the connecters to the actual
enclosure were different. They look like a PS/2 adapter on the
end, in the manual they have 5V, 12V and ground. I have searched
for 2 hours on this adapter and have found it bundled with hard
drive enclosurse but not actually available on its own. I would
buy another hard drive enclosure but that would be a waste. Can
anyone shed light on where these adapters have disappeared too?

Q: Why not get a replacement under warranty?

 

[Harvy]

Unfortuantly I haven't got the box and got the hard drive enclosure
from japan, some time ago. There must someone selling these as it is an
available part but not on its own.

 

[Harvy]

Unfortuantly I haven't got the box and got the hard drive enclosure
from japan, some time ago. There must someone selling these as it is an
available part but not on its own.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi, I recently purchased a hard drive enclosure. When I coneected
everything up and plug the powers supply, the power supply adapter
blew. I googled for a replacement adapter but no luck, I searched for
Switching adapter (which was written on the power supply) but then
found that the connecters to the actual enclosure were different. They
look like a PS/2 adapter on the end, in the manual they have 5V, 12V
and ground. I have searched for 2 hours on this adapter and have found
it bundled with hard drive enclosurse but not actually available on its
own. I would buy another hard drive enclosure but that would be a
waste. Can anyone shed light on where these adapters have disappeared
too?

The problem with these adapters is that they are usually a custom job,
i.e. produced spefifically for the specific enclosure. ''Normal''
industrial brick-type PSUs usually only deliver one voltage output
and are much more expensive due to significantly higher quality
standards. (As a side-effect, they usually do not ''blow''...)

You might still be able to get a 12V/5V external PSU with the required
current rating (usually >= 1.5A @ 12V and >=1A @ 5 should be enough).
It may come without case (''open frame''), so you would need to mount
in a plastic case yourself. Look at a professional electronics parts
supplier and expect to pay areound 50..100USD.

You can then use the cable from the defect PSU, cut it off and attach
it to the new PSU. You absolutely need to get the connection right, or
you will damage the enclosure and the HDD. Some electronics skills are
required for this.

Arno

 

[Harvy]

I see what you mean but these PSU's are so common, I'm stuggling to
find out why there arn't any on the internet let alone actually finding
one. Nearly all hard drive enclosures come with one (simply look on any
site selling one, and look at the PSU bundled with them), the thing is
even the web-sites selling these have no idea what it is. Some say it
is a switching adapter others say its is PS/2 type power cable. If Arno
is saying they cost around 50 USD then why do they cost around 30 USD
for both PSU and the enclosure,

 

[Arno Wagner]

I see what you mean but these PSU's are so common, I'm stuggling to
find out why there arn't any on the internet let alone actually finding
one.

They are not ''stock articles'' for the PSU manufacturers. However if
you want 10.000 pices, they will design them to your specification
and make you a reasonable price per pice.

Nearly all hard drive enclosures come with one (simply look on any
site selling one, and look at the PSU bundled with them), the thing is
even the web-sites selling these have no idea what it is.

Correct. Thay are specifically designed for the enclosure
and are not sold separately.

Some say it is a switching adapter others say its is PS/2 type power
cable.

It is a switching power supply with two outputs, specifically
designed for your enclosure. It is not common at all in that,
the other just look the same to the untrained eye.

If Arno is saying they cost around 50 USD then why do they
cost around 30 USD for both PSU and the enclosure,

As I said, these are high-volume custom orders, often in
significantly lower quality than the stock PSUs, i.e. the
ones the manufacturers have in their catalogs....

Arno

 

[CWatters]

Hi, I recently purchased a hard drive enclosure. When I coneected
everything up and plug the powers supply, the power supply adapter
blew. I googled for a replacement adapter but no luck,

The power supply and the drive are likely to account for 90% of the cost.
Why not buy an empty enclosure and transfer the drive over?

 

[Harvy]

Hi, I have already ordered another enclosure and I am simply going to
use the power supply from that as they are the same, as it was only
£7($15) it was cheap but now I am going to have an enclosure with no
power. waste :-(

 

[Folkert Rienstra]

Hi, I have already ordered another enclosure and I am simply going to
use the power supply from that as they are the same, as it was only
£7($15)

it was cheap but now I am going to have an enclosure with no power.

And if the original enclosure blows that PS too, you'll have two.
Isn't life great.

 

[Arno Wagner]

The power supply and the drive are likely to account for 90% of the cost.
Why not buy an empty enclosure and transfer the drive over?

That would likely be the cheapest solution. Should have
thought of that myself.

Arno

 

[Arno Wagner]

Hi, I have already ordered another enclosure and I am simply going to
use the power supply from that as they are the same, as it was only
£7($15) it was cheap but now I am going to have an enclosure with no
power. waste :-(

Welcome to capitalism... (Although communism did not work
better either. Maybe it is just human nature to be
inefficient.)

Look at it as a spare part. Maybe the enclosure breaks down too
in the future. Then you are luky (or not) ;-)

Arno

 

[Harvy]

Maybe you could start a bussiness just selling those power unit without
the cases, I mean if its $100 for the circuitry.........

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

Arno Wagner wrote:

I see what you mean but these PSU's are so common, I'm stuggling to
find out why there arn't any on the internet let alone actually finding
one. Nearly all hard drive enclosures come with one (simply look on any
site selling one, and look at the PSU bundled with them), the thing is
even the web-sites selling these have no idea what it is. Some say it
is a switching adapter others say its is PS/2 type power cable. If Arno
is saying they cost around 50 USD then why do they cost around 30 USD
for both PSU and the enclosure,

It's not as if these PSUs are custom jobs produced specifically for the
specific enclosure, and you should be able to find one from an
electronics supply, even if the original one put out two different
voltages. Try places like Marlen P. Jones, JDR Microdevices, Jameco
Electronics, MCM Electronics, etc., or local electronics dealers used
by hobbyists (people at electronics schools may be able to tell you
where they are). Be sure to check the pinout of the plug because
several styles are available -- different numbers of pins, different
arrangement of pins, and the key pin may differ in shape, position,
orientation, and size. Even the voltages may not go to the same pins
as your original's.

All of the power adapters are now switching types because that lets
them be smaller and lighter.

Some HD enclosures have built-in PSUs, but be careful when buying them
because not all contain UL certified power supplies and can be bad fire
and shock hazards.

Here's an example of an enclosure with a UL certified internal PSU.
It's a Bytec brand made by Welland. The PSU is enclosed in the silver
box with vent openings in it:

http://static.flickr.com/49/170756085_2d0fb1c01f_o.jpg

In comparison, here is a Neo brand enclosure that is not UL certified

http://static.flickr.com/51/128289379_5034f765c4_b.jpg

Notice the lack of any grounded metal enclosure around the PSU. There
was just a sheet of plastic covering it (removed for the photo), and it
was the only thing between the high voltage in the PSU and the USB-IDE
controller that was mounted right above it. Neo claimed that the
enclosure was made of polycarbonate, a plastic that's kind of hard to
set on fire and that has a high melting temperature. However it wasn't
affected by ammonia, a chemical that's supposed to attack
polycarbonate, and it seemed to actually be acrylic, which is
unaffected by ammonia but is a much more flammable plastic.

I worry about fire, especially after someone else who bought this
enclosure suffered a hard drive failure that caused a small hole to
burn through it. The seller, Dealsonic.com, much to its credit,
replaced not only the enclosure but also the hard drive. I returned one
of my enclosures to Dealsonic, and they gave me a complete refund,
including shipping, and picked up the cost of return shipping as well.
I highly recommend Dealsonic for being a class act. I kept the other
identical enclosure because its IDE-USB controller used an NEC chip,
and I had already modified it to use an external UL-approved power
supply from an IOmega enclosure.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

Hi, I have already ordered another enclosure and I am simply going to
use the power supply from that as they are the same, as it was only
£7($15) it was cheap but now I am going to have an enclosure with no
power. waste :-(

I forgot to mention that if you want to reduce the odds of the hard
drive failing from heat, raise it off the bottom of the enclosure a few
mm by installing plastic spacers where the mounting screws go, using
appropriately longer screws.

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

The problem with these adapters is that they are usually a custom job,
i.e. produced spefifically for the specific enclosure. ''Normal''
industrial brick-type PSUs usually only deliver one voltage output
and are much more expensive due to significantly higher quality
standards. (As a side-effect, they usually do not ''blow''...)

Those wall brick PSUs are kind of common now, even in multiple output
voltage models, and in the U.S.they're typically referred to as
"desktop power supplies", even though they're not for desktop PCs, or
"table-top power supplies".. Here's one from Marlin P. Jones Associates
for $12.95 that should work, provided the pinout of its DIN plug is the
same (it may not be):

www.mpja.com/productview.asp?product=15955+PS

You might still be able to get a 12V/5V external PSU with the required
current rating (usually >= 1.5A @ 12V and >=1A @ 5 should be enough).
It may come without case (''open frame''), so you would need to mount
in a plastic case yourself. Look at a professional electronics parts
supplier and expect to pay areound 50..100USD.

Isn't it risky to recommend doing that because the plastic case may
need to be ventilated to prevent overheating, and most cases aren't
made of fire resistant plastic.

 

[Arno Wagner]

Arno Wagner wrote:

Those wall brick PSUs are kind of common now, even in multiple output
voltage models, and in the U.S.they're typically referred to as
"desktop power supplies", even though they're not for desktop PCs, or
"table-top power supplies".. Here's one from Marlin P. Jones Associates
for $12.95 that should work, provided the pinout of its DIN plug is the
same (it may not be):

Isn't it risky to recommend doing that because the plastic case may
need to be ventilated to prevent overheating, and most cases aren't
made of fire resistant plastic.

It is basically risk-free if you know what you are doing.
The PSUs do not get hot enough to melt anything. As for
fire-resistant, if you know what you are doing, you will of
course buy one that is. If you are incompetent, then you
can of course do arbitrarily stupid stuff.

Arno

 

[Arno Wagner]

Arno Wagner wrote:

Those wall brick PSUs are kind of common now, even in multiple output
voltage models,

They are not. At least not as stock items.

and in the U.S.they're typically referred to as
"desktop power supplies", even though they're not for desktop PCs, or
"table-top power supplies".. Here's one from Marlin P. Jones Associates
for $12.95 that should work, provided the pinout of its DIN plug is the
same (it may not be):

www.mpja.com/productview.asp?product=15955+PS

Are you blind? It clearly says "Specifications/Features: Removed from
New Equip". This is not a stock item or from normal production. This
is from overproduction or a failed businesses inventory. That is why
it is so cheap.

Arno

 

[Rod Speed]

Arno Wagner wrote

Those wall brick PSUs are kind of common now, even in multiple output
voltage models, and in the U.S.they're typically referred to as
"desktop power supplies", even though they're not for desktop PCs, or
"table-top power supplies".. Here's one from Marlin P. Jones
Associates for $12.95 that should work, provided the pinout of its
DIN plug is the same (it may not be):

www.mpja.com/productview.asp?product=15955+PS

Thats about the same as the whole new enclosure and power supply,
do it makes more sense to go the new enclosure route instead.

 

[JohnH]

The problem with these adapters is that they are usually a custom job,
i.e. produced spefifically for the specific enclosure. ''Normal''
industrial brick-type PSUs usually only deliver one voltage output
and are much more expensive due to significantly higher quality
standards. (As a side-effect, they usually do not ''blow''...)

You might still be able to get a 12V/5V external PSU with the required
current rating (usually >= 1.5A @ 12V and >=1A @ 5 should be enough).
It may come without case (''open frame''), so you would need to mount
in a plastic case yourself. Look at a professional electronics parts
supplier and expect to pay areound 50..100USD.

Makes no sense to go that route when a whole enclosure and power supply
costs a lot less than that and when anyone can do that replacement route.