32 replies to this topic

[Ataritard]

I want to do this. I figure if the plug 'n plays are plugged into the front of my tv it might as well be plugged into the power outlet and not eat all my batteries.
If four batteries at 1.5 volts add up to 6 volts and I put the positive and negative wires from a 6 volt power adapter in the right spots of the battery compartment, it should work, right? Well I've already fried one of my plug 'n plays so I'm doing more research before I fry them all.

[GroovyBee]

It depends if the power supply is 6 volts under load. What is the power supply from?

[Ataritard]

GroovyBee, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:18 PM, said:

It depends if the power supply is 6 volts under load. What is the power supply from?

I have a number of power supplies and I couldn't say where they came from or what they go to.
Is there a specific power supply that will provide 6 volts under load?

[GroovyBee]

The only way to test it is with a multimeter and a resistor before you connect it to any of your battery powered gadgets.

[Ataritard]

GroovyBee, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 3:18 PM, said:

The only way to test it is with a multimeter and a resistor before you connect it to any of your battery powered gadgets.

Ok, I've got that kind of stuff. I'll go see what I come up with.

[GroovyBee]

You want to be drawing some 10s of mA to be sure.

[Keatah]

6 vac or vdc?

[Ataritard]

Keatah, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 5:49 PM, said:

6 vac or vdc?

6 vdc.

[nathanallan]

Test the power supply and see if it puts out 6vdc all by its self or slightly more; you are looking for it to put out slightly more, not MUCH more but 7.x vdc or something. I have done this in the past, what you are thinking of, and it works. +to+ and -to- wired to the battery contacts.

[Ataritard]

nathanallan, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 6:29 PM, said:

Test the power supply and see if it puts out 6vdc all by its self or slightly more; you are looking for it to put out slightly more, not MUCH more but 7.x vdc or something. I have done this in the past, what you are thinking of, and it works. +to+ and -to- wired to the battery contacts.

Ok, I tested my 6 and 9 volt power supplies with no load and they gave me 10 and 13 volts respectively. I'll try to find one smaller.

[GroovyBee]

Even 7.x would be too high. Alkaline batteries will typically be 1.6v with no load. So that give an upper limit of 6.4v in your case. Under load the terminal voltage may drop to 1v (when exhausted) so you might be able to get away with a 5v supply too.

[Ataritard]

GroovyBee, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 7:11 PM, said:

Even 7.x would be too high. Alkaline batteries will typically be 1.6v with no load. So that give an upper limit of 6.4v in your case. Under load the terminal voltage may drop to 1v (when exhausted) so you might be able to get away with a 5v supply too.

The closest I've got is an old cell phone charger that puts out 5.2 vdc with no load. I think I'll try it... I like my chances. Unless some one says NO! real fast.

[Ataritard]

Just so I'm clear... I'm a little confused. I strip the single wire coming out of the 5vdc adapter and get a red and a black wire inside. If I put my multimeter on 20vdc I put red to red and black to black and get -5.2vdc. It doesn't seem to me that it should be negative.

[Keatah]

It doesn't, that's right. But, who knows how a 3rd-rate cheap phone charger is wired?? I would trust the meter over the wire colors any day.

Be sure the meter leads are plugged in correctly and that your meter is working correctly, and that you know how to use it.

A test: connect your meter to a battery, like a AA or AAA or C or D cell. RED(+) to the top(+), and BLACK(-) to the bottom(-).
You should read about 1.5V or +1.5V depending on how your meter indicates polarity.

[Ataritard]

Keatah, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 8:21 PM, said:

It doesn't, that's right. But, who knows how a 3rd-rate cheap phone charger is wired?? I would trust the meter over the wire colors any day.

Be sure the meter leads are plugged in correctly and that your meter is working correctly, and that you know how to use it.

A test: connect your meter to a battery, like a AA or AAA or C or D cell. RED(+) to the top(+), and BLACK(-) to the bottom(-).
You should read about 1.5V or +1.5V depending on how your meter indicates polarity.

That is what I just did and my meter does read backwards for some reason. But that doesn't matter...

IT WORKED! Very cool. I would like to thank GroovyBee, nathanallan, and Keatah for all your help. This was an easy mod and who doesn't have a plug 'n play and an old 5 volt dc cell phone charger... Thanks again.

[GroovyBee]

Ataritard, on Sat Dec 17, 2011 9:02 PM, said:

That is what I just did and my meter does read backwards for some reason. But that doesn't matter...

Seems a bit odd that your meter reads backwards. Did you double check the leads are plugged in correctly? If so, could you post a picture of your meter (just so people can avoid it ).

Quote

IT WORKED! Very cool. I would like to thank GroovyBee, nathanallan, and Keatah for all your help. This was an easy mod and who doesn't have a plug 'n play and an old 5 volt dc cell phone charger... Thanks again.

Glad it worked out for ya.

[Lincoln]

I was considering this for the digital postal scale I just bought that only runs on 3 batteries. Should I be concerned about output amps, or am I ok with any output over a certain level?

[Ataritard]

I would say if you've got an adapter that outputs real close to 4.5 volts dc under no load you should be in good shape.

[Oge]

Lincoln, on Sat Dec 24, 2011 12:02 AM, said:

I was considering this for the digital postal scale I just bought that only runs on 3 batteries. Should I be concerned about output amps, or am I ok with any output over a certain level?

Yes. A cellphone charger usually has very low amperage (<300mA) and we don't know how much current this thing requires.

I would do 5,4V@500mA (regulated) to be sure.

[thegamezmaster]

I'm interested in trying this too but not sure where to clip the wires to on a plug and play that uses more than one battery. New to trying this and don't want to fry anything. Can anyone help me? Pics? Thanks.

[Ataritard]

thegamezmaster, on Mon Mar 5, 2012 1:51 PM, said:

I'm interested in trying this too but not sure where to clip the wires to on a plug and play that uses more than one battery. New to trying this and don't want to fry anything. Can anyone help me? Pics? Thanks.

If you look close at the battery compartment you will see where the positive and negative "ends" are. I drew a picture of what it looks like and a simplified version. Hope it helps.

Attached Thumbnails

• 
• 

[thegamezmaster]

Ataritard, on Wed Mar 7, 2012 8:31 PM, said:

thegamezmaster, on Mon Mar 5, 2012 1:51 PM, said:

I'm interested in trying this too but not sure where to clip the wires to on a plug and play that uses more than one battery. New to trying this and don't want to fry anything. Can anyone help me? Pics? Thanks.

If you look close at the battery compartment you will see where the positive and negative "ends" are. I drew a picture of what it looks like and a simplified version. Hope it helps.

Thanks for the help and diagram. Hope it proves helpful, will check it out and try, thanks again.

[Ataritard]

You're welcome. Hope it works out for you.

I have a new question. I'd like to do this with a table top arcade game that uses 4 C batteries. Seems to me that I can use the same adapter that outputs just over 5 volts DC, but I don't know for sure.

[bigbee99]

I do this quit often with old toys like Speak n Spells, vTech stuff, ect. I just open them up and hard solder a power supply that is close to what is needed. A fellow AA introduced me to circut bending a few months back and I find myself torturing a toy from time to time. I can't say I've fried one hooking up the PS, but I fried a few probing for bends. Works great.

B

[thegamezmaster]

Ataritard, on Sat Mar 10, 2012 10:10 AM, said:

You're welcome. Hope it works out for you.

I have a new question. I'd like to do this with a table top arcade game that uses 4 C batteries. Seems to me that I can use the same adapter that outputs just over 5 volts DC, but I don't know for sure.

What kind of adapter? Will a Sony 4.5 that puts out 6 volts cd no load? Or what can be used?