AC/DC converters?

[Brian]

I brought over a few electronic doodads that came with 110v only DC adapters. I hoped I would be able to find used adapters with the correct ratings at thrift shops, as I would have been able to in the US, but I haven't seen such a thing here. Generic adapters I've seen in stores are really expensive.

Any ideas? I need a 5.25v, a 5v, and another one I forget at the moment.

[canajanz]

I brought over a few electronic doodads that came with 110v only DC adapters. I hoped I would be able to find used adapters with the correct ratings at thrift shops, as I would have been able to in the US, but I haven't seen such a thing here. Generic adapters I've seen in stores are really expensive.

Any ideas? I need a 5.25v, a 5v, and another one I forget at the moment.

Been there and done that
you need to differentiate between adaptors and transformers

An adaptor will give you a great foreworks show!! It is an adaptor as per the label to adapt the plug on your razor or toothbrush to the wall plug here. It will not account for the doubling of the voltage.

You need to buy a transformer to reduce the 220 to 110 and they are not cheap or small. The small ones have very light load ratings (radio etc), teh big ones cost heaps weigh a tome and <SIGH> it is not worth it.

When the transformer finally does give up it goes suddenly, fires 220V thru the appliance and KABOOM

[Brian]

Yes, thanks - I do know the difference. I think I was unclear about what I'm trying to do. I was thinking more of simply replacing the AC adapter completely - instead of using my existing 110vAC -> 5vDC 110mA converter, I'd find a 220vA -> 5vDC 110mA (or higher) converter off some broken or obsolete bit of electronics and use that instead. That way there's no extra step involved and I'm saving something from the landfill.

My favorite thrift store back home had a wall full of old adapters for people to rummage through but I haven't seen that here yet.

[IanW99]

Yes, thanks - I do know the difference. I think I was unclear about what I'm trying to do. I was thinking more of simply replacing the AC adapter completely - instead of using my existing 110vAC -> 5vDC 110mA converter, I'd find a 220vA -> 5vDC 110mA (or higher) converter off some broken or obsolete bit of electronics and use that instead. That way there's no extra step involved and I'm saving something from the landfill.

My favorite thrift store back home had a wall full of old adapters for people to rummage through but I haven't seen that here yet.

Have you tried Cost Convertors, they seem to have a shelf full of discarded transformers. You may be able to buy a suitable transformer but without the correct connector, then go to somewhere like DSE and buy the connector.

If you do this, one little tip (if you don't know) is to pay attention to which part of the connector is positive and which part is negative they are NOT all the same.

Ian

[mackstann]

You could try going to a cell phone store or some other place that sells the (non-universal) wall warts by themselves for lots of different devices, find one with suitable output voltage and current rating, and then use the small plug from your old adapter and splice the wires together yourself. A little inelegant but it'd work fine.