Alternative A/C adapter for HP Photosmart camera

[David Turrell]

I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

--
David Turrell Domain: panix.com

 

[Al Bundy]

dht+usenet@domain.in.sig (David Turrell) wrote in message news:<clpbi4$qjt$1@reader1.panix.com>...

I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

I've been fooling with my 435 power supply because the battery grain
is so high on these. The NiMH cells only have 1.2V nominal and fully
charged they run the camera fairly well, but within a couple days they
are in the low battery mode. So I searched for a jack to use on the
AC/3.3V input and found one at an electronics store for $1.99. It's
the same size as slot car power supply jacks and Radio Shack sells
them for $4.95. I am sure you can use a 3.6V cell phone charger on
that jack with no harm. At least it worked for me. However, the
charger will try to charge any batteries in the camera. I did not want
that happening. What I was really after is to put a DC source into
that jack so I could furnish more total power to the device. So that
idea flunked my testing.

What I ended up doing was working from the battery compartment. I took
an old AA cell and cut it in half. I cleaned out the inside. Then I
ran a wire to the plus and minus ends. I replaced the missing half of
each cell with a wood dowel with a hole drilled in the center. In
essence I made these fake batteries to put into the battery
compartment and run a cable out the door, with a slot cut in the door.
I took a 3.6V cell phone battery (removed from the case) and cabled it
to that compartment. Fully charged the battery puts out 4.2V. I
estimate the dam thing will take 200 pictures on a charge, but I
recharge at 3.7V. I took the chance of over powering the camera
because I was fed up and got to the point that I considered it
expendable. I was stupid lucky this time. I have the power supply
problems absolutely solved. I've taken 600 pictures with no problem
from a power standpoint. I often get dark pictures and always have,
but that's an unrelated issue. The white balance and E/V adjustments
don't fix that consistently.

That's what I did anyway.

 

[Bob Salomon]

In article <clpbi4$qjt$1@reader1.panix.com>,
dht+usenet@domain.in.sig (David Turrell) wrote:

I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

See:

http://www.ansmann.de/en/index.htm?view=list&pr2id=13

--
To reply no_ HPMarketing Corp.

 

[Ken Weitzel]

Hi...

Respectfully, no it sure won't...

The original puts out 2.5 amps; whereas the rs version
delivers only half an amp. That's a world of difference.

Ken


Jamie wrote:

the 3 volt level should be ok since its most likely is putting out more
than 3 volts to start with.


David Turrell wrote:

I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

 

[Jamie]

the 3 volt level should be ok since its most likely is putting out more
than 3 volts to start with.


David Turrell wrote:

I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?