AC adapter question

T

teepee

Guest
Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this.

I bought an electronic item in the US but I live in England. I bought the AC
adapter for English version of the same piece of kit, which has exactly the
same voltage and HZ specs. Yet it doesn't work. Is there a polarity issue
I'm missing or something else. Or just a dodgy adapter?

Any thoughts welcome
 
"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:4961d224$1@newsgate.x-privat.org...
Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this.

I bought an electronic item in the US but I live in England. I bought the
AC adapter for English version of the same piece of kit, which has exactly
the same voltage and HZ specs. Yet it doesn't work. Is there a polarity
issue I'm missing or something else. Or just a dodgy adapter?

Any thoughts welcome

Your adaptor, if designed to allow the kit to work on 220v 50 Hz., should
Click to expand...
just work out of the box.
I'm not sure what you mean by "exactly the same voltage and HZ specs. "
Your adaptor most likely is not going to change the 50 Hz. to 60 Hz. and
there is no need to do so since the AC will most likely be converted to DC.

Tom
 
"Tom Biasi" <tombiasi@optonline.net> wrote

Your adaptor, if designed to allow the kit to work on 220v 50 Hz., should
just work out of the box.
I'm not sure what you mean by "exactly the same voltage and HZ specs. "
Click to expand...

Thanks Tom. I mean that the adapter appears to output the same but the US
mains input is obviously different from the UK mains input. I can see no
reason why it wouldn't work if the output is the same and yet it doesn't.
The only unknown is polarity.
 
On Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:25:43 +0000, teepee wrote:

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this.

I bought an electronic item in the US but I live in England. I bought
the AC adapter for English version of the same piece of kit, which has
exactly the same voltage and HZ specs. Yet it doesn't work. Is there a
polarity issue I'm missing or something else. Or just a dodgy adapter?

Any thoughts welcome
Click to expand...
Most adapters note their polarity, and most devices do to -- take a look,
and see if they match (there's no standard, so they often don't).

--
Tim Wescott
Control systems and communications consulting
http://www.wescottdesign.com

Need to learn how to apply control theory in your embedded system?
"Applied Control Theory for Embedded Systems" by Tim Wescott
Elsevier/Newnes, http://www.wescottdesign.com/actfes/actfes.html
 
Tom Biasi wrote:

"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask this.

I bought an electronic item in the US but I live in England. I bought the
AC adapter for English version of the same piece of kit, which has exactly
the same voltage and HZ specs. Yet it doesn't work. Is there a polarity
issue I'm missing or something else. Or just a dodgy adapter?

Any thoughts welcome

Your adaptor, if designed to allow the kit to work on 220v 50 Hz., should
just work out of the box.
I'm not sure what you mean by "exactly the same voltage and HZ specs. "
Your adaptor most likely is not going to change the 50 Hz. to 60 Hz. and
there is no need to do so since the AC will most likely be converted to DC.
Click to expand...
Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Graham
 
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote
Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.
Click to expand...
Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf


To save you looking it says

AC Adapter Electrical Ratings:
US, CAN Input: ~120VAC, 60Hz
UK Input: ~230V, 50Hz
Output: DC5V, 500mA, 2.5VA
 
"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:496251db$1@newsgate.x-privat.org...
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf


To save you looking it says

AC Adapter Electrical Ratings:
US, CAN Input: ~120VAC, 60Hz
UK Input: ~230V, 50Hz
Output: DC5V, 500mA, 2.5VA
Click to expand...
What do you mean "Doesn't work"?

1. Is there any picture on the TV?
If there is some Picture then the problem is different TV standards between
the USA and the UK.
Read the Trouble shooting Paragraph
Colors/Colours are distorted on TV

or TV image is flickering


2. Does it work on batteries.

3. Is there 5 volts at the battery connector?
If it works on batteries it will work if you have 5volts DC and the
polarity is correct.

John G.
 
On Tue, 6 Jan 2009, John G. wrote:

"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:496251db$1@newsgate.x-privat.org...

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf


To save you looking it says

AC Adapter Electrical Ratings:
US, CAN Input: ~120VAC, 60Hz
UK Input: ~230V, 50Hz
Output: DC5V, 500mA, 2.5VA

What do you mean "Doesn't work"?

1. Is there any picture on the TV?
If there is some Picture then the problem is different TV standards between
the USA and the UK.
Read the Trouble shooting Paragraph
Colors/Colours are distorted on TV

or TV image is flickering


2. Does it work on batteries.

3. Is there 5 volts at the battery connector?
If it works on batteries it will work if you have 5volts DC and the
polarity is correct.

John G.



There are cases where the frequency of the AC line will matter, but in
Click to expand...
those cases, the AC adapter will output AC. In some cases, that means
only AC, and the rectification and filtering is inside the main unit.
In other cases, it means an extra contact that supplies the required
AC, so the AC can be used for some clocking purpose.

But then, in the former case, the adapter will be marked as outputting
AC.

The example of the latter that comes immediately to mind is the AC
adapter, which was more of a brick, for the Commodore 64. It supplied
9vac in addtion to +5 and +12v, since something in the computer needed
60Hz to keep track of time.

But even in that case, the wrong AC line frequency would not result
in failure, just a slow clocking.

Michael
 
"Michael Black" <et472@ncf.ca> wrote in message
news:pine.LNX.4.64.0901052356160.13550@darkstar.example.net...
On Tue, 6 Jan 2009, John G. wrote:


"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:496251db$1@newsgate.x-privat.org...

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that
specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf


To save you looking it says

AC Adapter Electrical Ratings:
US, CAN Input: ~120VAC, 60Hz
UK Input: ~230V, 50Hz
Output: DC5V, 500mA, 2.5VA

What do you mean "Doesn't work"?

1. Is there any picture on the TV?
If there is some Picture then the problem is different TV standards
between
the USA and the UK.
Read the Trouble shooting Paragraph
Colors/Colours are distorted on TV

or TV image is flickering


2. Does it work on batteries.

3. Is there 5 volts at the battery connector?
If it works on batteries it will work if you have 5volts DC and the
polarity is correct.

John G.



There are cases where the frequency of the AC line will matter, but in
those cases, the AC adapter will output AC. In some cases, that means
only AC, and the rectification and filtering is inside the main unit.
In other cases, it means an extra contact that supplies the required
AC, so the AC can be used for some clocking purpose.

But then, in the former case, the adapter will be marked as outputting
AC.

The example of the latter that comes immediately to mind is the AC
adapter, which was more of a brick, for the Commodore 64. It supplied
9vac in addtion to +5 and +12v, since something in the computer needed
60Hz to keep track of time.

But even in that case, the wrong AC line frequency would not result
in failure, just a slow clocking.

Michael
Click to expand...

Thats a lot of useless detail to the OP who just wants to know why his
simple DC device does not work.

Of course Frequency may be important in a complex supply but this one is
just a mains replacement for a dry cell battery.

John G.
 
"John G." <greentest@ozemail.com.au> wrote

Thats a lot of useless detail to the OP who just wants to know why his
simple DC device does not work.

Of course Frequency may be important in a complex supply but this one is
just a mains replacement for a dry cell battery.
Click to expand...
yes this is just a straight case of the dc power supply. The unit works fine
on batteries - just the UK version ac/dc adapter at issue.
 
teepee wrote:

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf
Click to expand...
It was bought in the USA ?

Therefore it's designed to work to US TV standards and won't work in most of the rest of the world. End of
story.

Graham
 
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote
It was bought in the USA ?

Therefore it's designed to work to US TV standards and won't work in most
of the rest of the world. End of
story.
Click to expand...
Sorry it works fine in UK on battery power. This is purely an ac/dc adapter
question.
 
teepee wrote:

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

It was bought in the USA ?

Therefore it's designed to work to US TV standards and won't work in most
of the rest of the world. End of story.

Sorry it works fine in UK on battery power.
Click to expand...
Does it go in the SCART socket and your TV can do 60Hz (most modern UK ones
can) ?


This is purely an ac/dc adapter question.
Click to expand...
So where did you get the UK adapter ? The label you quoted seemed to indicate a
'universal voltage' adapter.

Graham
 
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote
Sorry it works fine in UK on battery power.

Does it go in the SCART socket and your TV can do 60Hz (most modern UK
ones
can) ?
Click to expand...
Goes in the red yellow white av ports. Not that its relevant here.

So where did you get the UK adapter ? The label you quoted seemed to
indicate a
'universal voltage' adapter.
Click to expand...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/LeapFrog-20519-Clickstart-AC-Adapter/dp/B000NVVO5G
 
On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:28:36 +0000, Eeyore
<rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:

teepee wrote:

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf

It was bought in the USA ?

Therefore it's designed to work to US TV standards and won't work in most of the rest of the world. End of
story.
Click to expand...
Nonsense.

It's a power supply, Graham, not a transmitter, and from its input specs
it's obvious that its a universal switcher.

Since the device it's supposed to be powering works with batteries, then
the problem is clearly in the power supply, the wiring to the device, or
the switchover circuitry in the device itself.


JF
 
teepee wrote:

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Sorry it works fine in UK on battery power.

Does it go in the SCART socket and your TV can do 60Hz (most modern UK
ones can) ?

Goes in the red yellow white av ports. Not that its relevant here.

So where did you get the UK adapter ? The label you quoted seemed to
indicate a 'universal voltage' adapter.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LeapFrog-20519-Clickstart-AC-Adapter/dp/B000NVVO5G
Click to expand...
And can you repeat exactly what the label on this one says, and ideally what
the label on the one you bought in the USA says too ?

Graham
 
"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

And can you repeat exactly what the label on this one says, and ideally
what
the label on the one you bought in the USA says too ?
Click to expand...
I don't have a US adapter - it didn't ship with a US adapter.
UK one says input 230 VAC 50 Hz
output 5 VDC 500mA 2.5 VA
polarity symbol centre positive
 
"John Fields" <jfields@austininstruments.com> wrote in message
news:fv57m49om42n834teso4vcicnamjv0o79f@4ax.com...
On Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:28:36 +0000, Eeyore
rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote:



teepee wrote:

"Eeyore" <rabbitsfriendsandrelations@hotmail.com> wrote

Bizarrely I have come across kit (a fingerprint reader) that
specifically
required 60Hz and wouldn't work in the UK without a suitable inverter.

A mention of the item would help.

Oh sure its called the Leapfrog Clickstart

http://www.leapfrog.co.uk/etc/medialib/leapfrog/clickstart/cs_clickstart.Par.0.File.tmp/ClickStartWebPG.pdf

It was bought in the USA ?

Therefore it's designed to work to US TV standards and won't work in most
of the rest of the world. End of
story.

Nonsense.

It's a power supply, Graham, not a transmitter, and from its input specs
it's obvious that its a universal switcher.

Since the device it's supposed to be powering works with batteries, then
the problem is clearly in the power supply, the wiring to the device, or
the switchover circuitry in the device itself.


JF
Click to expand...
Agreed!! only a mtere and actual contact with the device will isolate the
problem.

John G.
 
"John G." <greentest@ozemail.com.au> wrote

Agreed!! only a mtere and actual contact with the device will isolate the
problem.
Click to expand...
Well if no-one can see an obvious reason why it wouldn't work then I might
take a gamble on buying another UK adapter and assume the first one was just
a dud unit. Although it seems a bit unlikely.
 
"teepee" <nomail@nomail.com> wrote in message
news:4963da7e@newsgate.x-privat.org...
"John G." <greentest@ozemail.com.au> wrote

Agreed!! only a meter and actual contact with the device will isolate the
problem.

Well if no-one can see an obvious reason why it wouldn't work then I might
take a gamble on buying another UK adapter and assume the first one was
just a dud unit. Although it seems a bit unlikely.
Well you have to measure the voltage at the connector and verify it is 5VDC
Click to expand...
preferably with a small load (less than 2.5 watts).

I guess that is difficult as you would not have asked the original question
if your electrical knowledge was sufficient to do this.
(No offence meant)
Or get your local Computer tech to check it for you.

John G.
 
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