AC "wall wart" source in UK

[Walter Harley]

Similar question to one I asked a while ago, but this time for UK, not
China:

I need to refer an English customer to a retail source for quantity ONE of a
wall-wart power adapter, so he can use a product I make. (I make it in the
USA, so the adapter that I ship is inappropriate.)

Looking for an adapter with 12VAC (not DC) output, 500mA, with a 2.1mm x
5.5mm coaxial plug. Obviously, for UK it'll be 230V primary with the
appropriate power pins.

The source could be a chain store, or mail-order - anywhere that a normal
non-engineer bloke could buy a single unit from. In the USA I would point a
customer to Radio Shack or to Jameco; in the UK, I'm not familiar with
what's available. I looked at Farnell but they don't seem to carry wall
warts at all. Looks like RS Components, part 400-6585, might be right but I
can't tell if those are the right mains pins for UK (it says "Euro").

Any tips will be helpful. Thanks!

 

[Joe McElvenney]

Hi,

Not the cheapest but he can get a switched voltage (12V incl.)
adaptor from Maplin Electronics (similar to Radio Shack) which is
a well known high street chain here in the UK. Their stock number
is N57AT and it's priced at 7.99GBP (~$12). It comes with a range
of interchangeable output plugs of which the 2.1 x 5.0mm is just
one and of course, with AC polarity won't be a problem.

Having said that, if the customer knows what they are looking
for, there are lots of much cheaper examples around.


Cheers - Joe

 

[Graham W]

Walter Harley wrote:

Similar question to one I asked a while ago, but this time for UK, not
China:

I need to refer an English customer to a retail source for quantity
ONE of a wall-wart power adapter, so he can use a product I make. (I
make it in the USA, so the adapter that I ship is inappropriate.)

Looking for an adapter with 12VAC (not DC) output, 500mA, with a
2.1mm x
5.5mm coaxial plug. Obviously, for UK it'll be 230V primary with the
appropriate power pins.

The source could be a chain store, or mail-order - anywhere that a
normal non-engineer bloke could buy a single unit from. In the USA I
would point a customer to Radio Shack or to Jameco; in the UK, I'm
not familiar with what's available. I looked at Farnell but they
don't seem to carry wall warts at all. Looks like RS Components,
part 400-6585, might be right but I can't tell if those are the right
mains pins for UK (it says "Euro").

If your device has its own low voltage rectifier/smoothing/regulator
why cant you feed it from a DC supply at a little higher voltage?

The RS 400-6585 isn't suitable for UK because of its round pins.
Our sockets have three rectangular pins (sometimes called square!).
There is a mechanical shutter operated by the ground pin.

--
Graham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial
WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex
Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps
Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter.
--
Graham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial
WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex
Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps
Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter.

 

[Walter Harley]

"Graham W" <graham@his.com.puter.INVALID> wrote in message
news:43629526$0$73595$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...

If your device has its own low voltage rectifier/smoothing/regulator
why cant you feed it from a DC supply at a little higher voltage?

Because it generates a bipolar supply, using two opposite-polarity half-wave
rectifiers.

The RS 400-6585 isn't suitable for UK because of its round pins.
Our sockets have three rectangular pins (sometimes called square!).
There is a mechanical shutter operated by the ground pin.

Good info - thanks.

-w

 

[Walter Harley]

"Joe McElvenney" <ximac@btinternet.com> wrote in message
news:bbr4m1hb11ukd38h7ol1q3or3llbpvpi6r@4ax.com...

Hi,

Not the cheapest but he can get a switched voltage (12V incl.)
adaptor from Maplin Electronics (similar to Radio Shack) which is
a well known high street chain here in the UK. Their stock number
is N57AT and it's priced at 7.99GBP (~$12). [...]

Maplin! Right, that's who I was forgetting. Thanks! And thanks for
looking up the part number, too.

 

[Graham W]

Walter Harley wrote:

"Graham W" <graham@his.com.puter.INVALID> wrote in message
news:43629526$0$73595$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader03.plus.net...
[...]
If your device has its own low voltage rectifier/smoothing/regulator
why cant you feed it from a DC supply at a little higher voltage?

Because it generates a bipolar supply, using two opposite-polarity
half-wave rectifiers.

Understood.

The RS 400-6585 isn't suitable for UK because of its round pins.
Our sockets have three rectangular pins (sometimes called square!).
There is a mechanical shutter operated by the ground pin.

Good info - thanks.

Perhaps if you get around to a redesign of the PCB, you could split the
supply to provide a 'middle' rail to use as ground and thereby utilise
a DC external wall-wart. Maybe the ccts don't have to run from +/-
12vdc but would 6vdc do it?

Of course, this may be more trouble than it's worth!

When you look at the picture of the Maplin part, the short black thing
coming from the bottom of the wart is the output lead, most of which is
out of view (tucked underneath wart) but its connector end is shown
nearby with the assortment of adapters.

--
Graham W http://www.gcw.org.uk/ PGM-FI page updated, Graphics Tutorial
WIMBORNE http://www.wessex-astro-society.freeserve.co.uk/ Wessex
Dorset UK Astro Society's Web pages, Info, Meeting Dates, Sites & Maps
Change 'news' to 'sewn' in my Reply address to avoid my spam filter.