Is there an AC adapter that can plug into battery slots?

[Sarah Houston]

I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to run
it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

What do they call a device like that?

 

[Jamie]

Sarah Houston wrote:

I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to run
it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

What do they call a device like that?



Not that I know of, you would have to solder the wires onto

the connection prongs using a AC adapter that you can get
from radio shack.
If you know some one handy enough, you could have wooden
dowels cut to the same size of the batteries and place them
in the slots to fill up the void, on one end of the dowels
you would need to put a brass screw in the end where you
can connect the AC adapter lead to.
Make sure you get the polarity correct.

since you're using 3 D cells, that would be 3 x 1.5 volts =
4.5/
you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500 ma's or better.



http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:48:41 -0000, Jamie <jamie_ka1lpa_not_valid_after_ka1lpa_@charter.net> wrote:

Sarah Houston wrote:

I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to run
it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

What do they call a device like that?



Not that I know of, you would have to solder the wires onto
the connection prongs using a AC adapter that you can get
from radio shack.
If you know some one handy enough, you could have wooden
dowels cut to the same size of the batteries and place them
in the slots to fill up the void, on one end of the dowels
you would need to put a brass screw in the end where you
can connect the AC adapter lead to.

Or buy a socket to attach to the side of the battery compartment, so you can plug in a normal adaptor.

Make sure you get the polarity correct.

since you're using 3 D cells, that would be 3 x 1.5 volts =
4.5/
you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500 ma's or better.



http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

The mayor could not remove the pigeons from the city. All of Phoenix
was full of pigeon poop. The people of Phoenix couldn't walk on the
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keep the streets and sidewalks clean.

One day a man came to City Hall and offered the Mayor a proposition.
"I can rid your beautiful city of its plague of pigeons without cost
to the city. But, you must promise not to ask me any questions. Or,
you can pay me five million dollars and ask one question." The mayor
considered the offer briefly and accepted the free proposition.

The next day the man climbed to the top of City Hall, opened his coat,
and released a blue pigeon. The blue pigeon circled in the air and
flew up into the bright blue Arizona sky. All the pigeons in Phoenix
saw the blue pigeon. They gathered up behind the blue pigeon. The
Phoenix pigeons followed the blue pigeon as she flew southward out of
the city.

The next day the blue pigeon returned completely alone to the man atop
City Hall. The Mayor was very impressed. He thought the man and the
blue pigeon had performed a wonderful miraculous feat to rid Phoenix
of the plague of pigeons.

Even though the man with the pigeon had charged nothing, the mayor
presented him with a check for five million dollars and told the man
that, indeed, he did have a question to ask and even though they had
agreed to no fee and the man had rid the city of pigeons, he decided
to pay the 5 million just to get to ask ONE question.

The man accepted the money and told the mayor to ask his question.

The mayor asked: "Do you have a blue Mexican?"

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2009-01-01, Sarah Houston <SHoust@pndfnospam.com> wrote:

I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to run
it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

you could try an ordinary 4.5V or 5V DC plugpack
but cut off the plug and run the wires to thumbtacks in the
ends of D-cell sized lumps of wood (or rolled paper, etc)

most times the wire with the stripe is the positive wire.

What do they call a device like that?

a battery eliminator ?

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Sun, 04 Jan 2009 01:15:59 -0000, Jasen Betts <jasen@xnet.co.nz> wrote:

On 2009-01-01, Sarah Houston <SHoust@pndfnospam.com> wrote:
I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to run
it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

you could try an ordinary 4.5V or 5V DC plugpack
but cut off the plug and run the wires to thumbtacks in the
ends of D-cell sized lumps of wood (or rolled paper, etc)

most times the wire with the stripe is the positive wire.

What do they call a device like that?

a battery eliminator ?

No, you're thinking of an AK47.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

( ____
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(c)\||-"'-.....-"-;|
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'.__ __.'

 

[Robert Baer]

Jamie wrote:

Sarah Houston wrote:

I just got a Heath-Zenith doorbell that uses three D cells but want to
run it off the AC line instead of eating batteries.

Is there some kind of AC adapter that can do that and plug into the
battery holder slots? ( it has no adapter jack )

What do they call a device like that?



Not that I know of, you would have to solder the wires onto
the connection prongs using a AC adapter that you can get
from radio shack.
If you know some one handy enough, you could have wooden
dowels cut to the same size of the batteries and place them
in the slots to fill up the void, on one end of the dowels
you would need to put a brass screw in the end where you
can connect the AC adapter lead to.
Make sure you get the polarity correct.

since you're using 3 D cells, that would be 3 x 1.5 volts =
4.5/
you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500 ma's or better.



http://webpages.charter.net/jamie_5"

NO! You definitely DO NOT want to use a 5V adaptor!

ALL non-regulated adaptors output a voltage *greater* than the rated
value, even at full load!
A 5V adaptor could produce up to 7V, and it may be bad enough to use
even a regulated 5V as a lot of equipment designed for battery power is
designed to run properly at 80 percent of nominal.

 

[JeffM]

Jamie wrote:
[...an] AC adapter that you can get from radio shack.
[...]wooden dowels cut to the same size of the batteries
[...]3 D cells, that would be 3 x 1.5 volts = 4.5/
you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500 ma's or better.

Robert Baer wrote:
NO! You definitely DO NOT want to use a 5V adaptor!
ALL non-regulated adaptors output
a voltage *greater* than the rated value, even at full load!

Well, I'm not familiar with RS's current offerings,

but if a *switcher* power pack is available--there or elsewhere
(can easily be distinguished from a unit with an iron-core transformer
by its heft), I would bet that would hold a tight regulation
--unlike the traditional brute-force wall wart you have in mind.

....and with fewer manufacturers wanting to pay for the iron
as well as the extra charges to ship those heavier products,
miniature switching supplies are becoming ever more common.

 

[PCPaul]

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:14:05 -0800, JeffM wrote:

Jamie wrote:
[...an] AC adapter that you can get from radio shack. [...]wooden
dowels cut to the same size of the batteries [...]3 D cells, that would
be 3 x 1.5 volts = 4.5/ you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500
ma's or better.

Robert Baer wrote:
NO! You definitely DO NOT want to use a 5V adaptor! ALL non-regulated
adaptors output
a voltage *greater* than the rated value, even at full load!

Well, I'm not familiar with RS's current offerings, but if a *switcher*
power pack is available--there or elsewhere (can easily be distinguished
from a unit with an iron-core transformer by its heft), I would bet that
would hold a tight regulation --unlike the traditional brute-force wall
wart you have in mind.

...and with fewer manufacturers wanting to pay for the iron as well as
the extra charges to ship those heavier products, miniature switching
supplies are becoming ever more common.

Even so, things designed to run on 3xAA batteries or whatever will be
expecting to get from max 4.5V down to 3.6V or so, not 5V or more.. and
these days they are designed so cheaply that that could be an issue.

A lot of El-Cheapo switching supplies are designed for the 230V that most
of the '240V 50Hz' world gets and flake out rapidly when used in the
'actually' 240V UK.

 

[JeffM]

JeffM wrote:
[...]if a *switcher*
power pack is available--there or elsewhere (can easily be distinguished
from a unit with an iron-core transformer by its heft), I would bet that
would hold a tight regulation --unlike the traditional brute-force wall
wart you have in mind.

...and with fewer manufacturers wanting to pay for the iron as well as
the extra charges to ship those heavier products, miniature switching
supplies are becoming ever more common.

PCPaul wrote:
Even so, things designed to run on 3xAA batteries or whatever will be
expecting to get from max 4.5V down to 3.6V or so, not 5V or more..

All she has to do is open the wall wart,

find the resistive divider that sets the output voltage,
and modify that for the desired spec. ;-)

and
these days they are designed so cheaply that that could be an issue.

A lot of El-Cheapo switching supplies are designed for the 230V that most
of the '240V 50Hz' world gets and flake out rapidly when used in the
'actually' 240V UK.

Point taken.

 

[PeterD]

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:42:48 -0800 (PST), JeffM <jeffm_@email.com>
wrote:

PCPaul wrote:
Even so, things designed to run on 3xAA batteries or whatever will be
expecting to get from max 4.5V down to 3.6V or so, not 5V or more..

All she has to do is open the wall wart,
find the resistive divider that sets the output voltage,
and modify that for the desired spec. ;-)

Uh, where would one find one of those magic resistive divider wall
warts? <g>

 

[Peter Hucker]

On Thu, 22 Jan 2009 11:40:24 -0000, PCPaul <urd3@bitrot.co.uk> wrote:

On Sun, 18 Jan 2009 12:14:05 -0800, JeffM wrote:

Jamie wrote:
[...an] AC adapter that you can get from radio shack. [...]wooden
dowels cut to the same size of the batteries [...]3 D cells, that would
be 3 x 1.5 volts = 4.5/ you can use a 5 Volt DC adapter at around 500
ma's or better.

Robert Baer wrote:
NO! You definitely DO NOT want to use a 5V adaptor! ALL non-regulated
adaptors output
a voltage *greater* than the rated value, even at full load!

Well, I'm not familiar with RS's current offerings, but if a *switcher*
power pack is available--there or elsewhere (can easily be distinguished
from a unit with an iron-core transformer by its heft), I would bet that
would hold a tight regulation --unlike the traditional brute-force wall
wart you have in mind.

...and with fewer manufacturers wanting to pay for the iron as well as
the extra charges to ship those heavier products, miniature switching
supplies are becoming ever more common.

Even so, things designed to run on 3xAA batteries or whatever will be
expecting to get from max 4.5V down to 3.6V or so, not 5V or more.. and
these days they are designed so cheaply that that could be an issue.

Rubbish. An open circuit alkaline battery will give ot 1.65 volts. Three will give out 4.95 volts.

A lot of El-Cheapo switching supplies are designed for the 230V that most
of the '240V 50Hz' world gets and flake out rapidly when used in the
'actually' 240V UK.

We are also now 230V. EU directive.

--
http://www.petersparrots.com http://www.insanevideoclips.com http://www.petersphotos.com

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