Can't find AC adapter

[JimL]

I'm wanting to set up a USB external 2.5 inch enclosure that draws power
from its own ac adapter. I have a NexStar SX that has a 5v DC input, but it
didn't come with an adapter. And it seems there are plenty of output
connectors available in 5v adapters, including mini-USB and various
proprietary ones. But none of the ones I've found in a couple hours show
the simple connector I need. That is not to say they don't have it. They
just don't specify or picture it.

Does anybody know a specific supplier or part number for these adapters?

Thanks

 

[John McGaw]

I'm wanting to set up a USB external 2.5 inch enclosure that draws power
from its own ac adapter. I have a NexStar SX that has a 5v DC input, but it
didn't come with an adapter. And it seems there are plenty of output
connectors available in 5v adapters, including mini-USB and various
proprietary ones. But none of the ones I've found in a couple hours show
the simple connector I need. That is not to say they don't have it. They
just don't specify or picture it.

Does anybody know a specific supplier or part number for these adapters?

Thanks

I have an Apricorn 2.5" enclosure. It uses a "JET" power supply, 5V, 1.4A.
Model number is SA0105-A. It is made by Touch Electronic Co. Ltd. It uses a
mini coaxial-type connector with a + center pin and - sleeve. Of course
there is no guarantee that this is even close to what you need but it might
be a starting point.

Odd thing is that right now I can find the adapter but the drive itself
seems to be AWOL...

 

[John McGaw]

snip...

This is the exact power supply that I have:

http://www.apricorn.com/product_detail.php?type=reg&id=1185

 

[John McGaw]

If worst comes to worst, get the adapter you want and order
the plug seperately, they're about a dollar plus shipping at
places like Digikey (though they have a small order fee),
Newark, Mouser, or various electronics surplus 'sites like
BGMicro are a little cheaper but with lesser selection.

I just measured the barrel on my PS and find that it is 3mm in diameter and
9.5mm long. Measurements are, at best, approximate since I can't find my
good micrometer and the only thing I could come up with a cheap plastic
unit which has seen better days. This size doesn't really match any of the
common EIAJ types so far as I can tell but it does match at least one type
of barrel connector in pretty common use. It _MAY_ be equivalent to the
Radio Shack 273-1710 adapter.

 

[JimL]

I have an Apricorn 2.5" enclosure. It uses a "JET" power supply, 5V, 1.4A.
Model number is SA0105-A. It is made by Touch Electronic Co. Ltd. It uses
a mini coaxial-type connector with a + center pin and - sleeve. Of course
there is no guarantee that this is even close to what you need but it
might be a starting point.

Odd thing is that right now I can find the adapter but the drive itself
seems to be AWOL...

The adapter itself seems to be somewhat awol too.

Thanks

 

[JimL]

snip...

This is the exact power supply that I have:

http://www.apricorn.com/product_detail.php?type=reg&id=1185

Hey, great. When I saw this I did some testing. I got a lot more hits on
Yahoo search than on Google. Interesting.

Thanks

 

[JimL]

You didn't mention what this simple connector is or looks
like, but generally any 1A or less reglated (switching) 5V
AC-DC adapter with the right connector should suffice.

One picture I saw was too small to be sure but it looked a
bit like a common DC barrel jack, the type found on many
consumer electronics though being a 2.5 inch enclosure I'm
not sure about the scale, if it might be 5.5mm outer
diameter or smaller than that... probably smaller.

Often I find it a bit trickier to measure the sockets with a
ruler than to find a wall wart I already have somewhere that
mates with it and measure that plug instead.

If worst comes to worst, get the adapter you want and order
the plug seperately, they're about a dollar plus shipping at
places like Digikey (though they have a small order fee),
Newark, Mouser, or various electronics surplus 'sites like
BGMicro are a little cheaper but with lesser selection.

Well, it's a regular "barrel" connector, but I don't know about the
diameter. The hole appears to be about 3mm, but that doesn't prove the
barrel is that size. The closest thing I have is a 6v that's 5mm.

Thanks

 

[JimL]

I just measured the barrel on my PS and find that it is 3mm in diameter
and 9.5mm long. Measurements are, at best, approximate since I can't find
my good micrometer and the only thing I could come up with a cheap plastic
unit which has seen better days. This size doesn't really match any of the
common EIAJ types so far as I can tell but it does match at least one type
of barrel connector in pretty common use. It _MAY_ be equivalent to the
Radio Shack 273-1710 adapter.

Well, well, well. I guess I should have looked at Radical Shaak - even
though they don't have a clue what the amp ratings are - been there, done
that. But yours looks like exactly what I need. + center, 3mm, 5v, 1+
amps.

Thanks

 

[Guest]

I'm wanting to set up a USB external 2.5 inch enclosure that draws power
from its own ac adapter. I have a NexStar SX that has a 5v DC input, but it
didn't come with an adapter. And it seems there are plenty of output
connectors available in 5v adapters, including mini-USB and various
proprietary ones. But none of the ones I've found in a couple hours show
the simple connector I need. That is not to say they don't have it. They
just don't specify or picture it.

Does anybody know a specific supplier or part number for these adapters?

Thanks

You don't say where you are, but the Radio Shack stores
in Oregon have a "tester" setup.

Has all their connectors available like an octopus...or maybe a
dodecapus. Just try 'em till you get one that fits.

This page

http://www.powerstream.com/index.html

has a bunch of pictures and plug dimensions that sometimes help
you figger out what you need.

Be aware that the power setup on those external boxes varies from bad to
worse.
Some use diodes to isolate the voltages and barely have enough volts
left to run the drive. You "might" want a 5.3V brick.
Others just tie 'em together. So, when you turn off your laptop,
the power brick on the drive feeds back thru the usb port and tries to
power the laptop. Don't know what it's doing to the laptop, other than
flashing all the lights...that can't be good..., but the external drive
is going nutz
as the power brick goes in and out of current limit.

I finally gave up and put a switch so I could decide where the power was
coming from. Another thing you can do for external boxes without power input
is to cut up a usb extension cable, break the +5V and add your power
brick there.

 

[JimL]

They could pick an uncommon diameter just to foul up
people's attempts to use the *wrong* adapter, thinking
people will make mistakes and use the wrong voltage or
unregulated, but usually it is a standard size (but that
doesn't necessarily mean a well-stocked Radio Shack will
have it in stock, let alone some of their stores which seem
more interested in selling cell phones than anything else.

Regardless, I've had good luck there coaxing them into
opening the blister pack so I can compare fitting on various
parts, you might see if they'll do that while you're there.

If the 6V PSU is regulated you can probably get away with
soldering a 1A silicon diode (approx 0.7V voltage drop) in
series with the power lead. A 1A, or many 2A diodes are
small enough you could cram it into the jacket of a barrel
plug you solder on so it has a more finished appearance and
remains sturdier... though personally I often find the
cheaper varieties of DIY barrel connectors have flimsy
jackets so I often put a blob of hot glue or epoxy around
the inner contacts right before sliding the jacket on. You
can get better ones at places like http://www.digikey.com ,
probably Mouser, Newark, et al., but it's certainly less
convenient and more expensive to pay shipping on a $1-2
part.

If there is free space on the back of the enclosure you
could go the opposite route. Instead of soldering a new
connector on a PSU, get a panel-mount type jack w/nut that
matches common PSU like yours (probably 5mm is 5.5mm, but
either 2.1mm or 2.5mm inner diameter) and drill a hole for
it on the enclosure, then air-wire that from it's contacts
to the contacts on the jack soldered to the PCB. Voids the
warranty, but 5.5mm OD jacks are a lot more common
especially in 500mA and higher current AC-DC adapters
(excluding those for some cell phones having small jacks by
necessity though these days they are proprietary).

A lotta stuf here.

I'll note that at my RS the trend seems to be for a salesman to say no.
Saying no makes small people feel big.

As for voiding warranties, returning small items often costs more than
buying a new one.

Thanks

--
JimL

If some scientist doesn't think it makes sense, then it doesn't make sense;
ergo, nothing makes sense, because someone found fault with every theory
ever developed.

 

[JimL]

They could pick an uncommon diameter just to foul up
people's attempts to use the *wrong* adapter, thinking
people will make mistakes and use the wrong voltage or
unregulated, but usually it is a standard size (but that
doesn't necessarily mean a well-stocked Radio Shack will
have it in stock, let alone some of their stores which seem
more interested in selling cell phones than anything else.

Regardless, I've had good luck there coaxing them into
opening the blister pack so I can compare fitting on various
parts, you might see if they'll do that while you're there.

If the 6V PSU is regulated you can probably get away with
soldering a 1A silicon diode (approx 0.7V voltage drop) in
series with the power lead. A 1A, or many 2A diodes are
small enough you could cram it into the jacket of a barrel
plug you solder on so it has a more finished appearance and
remains sturdier... though personally I often find the
cheaper varieties of DIY barrel connectors have flimsy
jackets so I often put a blob of hot glue or epoxy around
the inner contacts right before sliding the jacket on. You
can get better ones at places like http://www.digikey.com ,
probably Mouser, Newark, et al., but it's certainly less
convenient and more expensive to pay shipping on a $1-2
part.

If there is free space on the back of the enclosure you
could go the opposite route. Instead of soldering a new
connector on a PSU, get a panel-mount type jack w/nut that
matches common PSU like yours (probably 5mm is 5.5mm, but
either 2.1mm or 2.5mm inner diameter) and drill a hole for
it on the enclosure, then air-wire that from it's contacts
to the contacts on the jack soldered to the PCB. Voids the
warranty, but 5.5mm OD jacks are a lot more common
especially in 500mA and higher current AC-DC adapters
(excluding those for some cell phones having small jacks by
necessity though these days they are proprietary).

A lotta stuf here.

I'll note that at my RS the trend seems to be for a salesman to say no.
Saying no makes small people feel big.

As for voiding warranties, returning small items often costs more than
buying a new one.

Thanks

--
JimL

If some scientist doesn't think it makes sense, then it doesn't make sense;
ergo, nothing makes sense, because someone found fault with every theory
ever developed.

 

[JimL]

You don't say where you are, but the Radio Shack stores
in Oregon have a "tester" setup.

Has all their connectors available like an octopus...or maybe a dodecapus.
Just try 'em till you get one that fits.

This page

http://www.powerstream.com/index.html

has a bunch of pictures and plug dimensions that sometimes help
you figger out what you need.

Be aware that the power setup on those external boxes varies from bad to
worse.
Some use diodes to isolate the voltages and barely have enough volts
left to run the drive. You "might" want a 5.3V brick.
Others just tie 'em together. So, when you turn off your laptop,
the power brick on the drive feeds back thru the usb port and tries to
power the laptop. Don't know what it's doing to the laptop, other than
flashing all the lights...that can't be good..., but the external drive is
going nutz
as the power brick goes in and out of current limit.

I finally gave up and put a switch so I could decide where the power was
coming from. Another thing you can do for external boxes without power
input
is to cut up a usb extension cable, break the +5V and add your power brick
there.

Thanks

--
JimL

If some scientist doesn't think it makes sense, then it doesn't make sense;
ergo, nothing makes sense, because someone found fault with every theory
ever developed.

 

[JimL]

A year or so ago I bought a package of two power adapters from Fry's. Each
has a dial on the front to set the voltage output ( 3, 4.5, 5, 7.5, 9 and
12 volts) and each also had six interchangeable tips. They are rated at
1800 ma. The face says "Rhino Universal AC/DC Adapter" and has a red logo
with a rhinoceros head. I kind of wish I had bought more than one package.
If you can find these they might solve your problem. The usual disclaimer:
I have no connection with Fry's and the last time I looked in a mirror I
wasn't a rhinoceros although I've read Ionesco's play of the same name.
Allen

Thanks

--
JimL

If some scientist doesn't think it makes sense, then it doesn't make sense;
ergo, nothing makes sense, because someone found fault with every theory
ever developed.

 

[JimL]

You don't say where you are, but the Radio Shack stores
in Oregon have a "tester" setup.

Has all their connectors available like an octopus...or maybe a dodecapus.
Just try 'em till you get one that fits.

This page

http://www.powerstream.com/index.html

has a bunch of pictures and plug dimensions that sometimes help
you figger out what you need.

Be aware that the power setup on those external boxes varies from bad to
worse.
Some use diodes to isolate the voltages and barely have enough volts
left to run the drive. You "might" want a 5.3V brick.
Others just tie 'em together. So, when you turn off your laptop,
the power brick on the drive feeds back thru the usb port and tries to
power the laptop. Don't know what it's doing to the laptop, other than
flashing all the lights...that can't be good..., but the external drive is
going nutz
as the power brick goes in and out of current limit.

I finally gave up and put a switch so I could decide where the power was
coming from. Another thing you can do for external boxes without power
input
is to cut up a usb extension cable, break the +5V and add your power brick
there.