Choose the Right AC Adapter - EVERYTHING You Need to Know
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- Опубликовано: 2 фев 2024
- Many small appliances and devices have their power supplied by an AC Adapter. But how do you know if you have the right adapter? DirtFarmerJay explains.
#acadapter #adapter #charger #acdcadapter
Not too long ago, we offered an episode on “How to Choose the Right AC Adapter.” It’s been very popular, and you can watch it here:
• How to Choose the Righ...
After reading through the many comments and questions we received, we realized that there is more information about AC adapters that will give more understanding of how to select or identify the right AC adapter for the device you want to power.
During the first episode, we explained that the polarity of both the power adapter and the device needs to match. If the polarity symbols match, it’s good. If not, you risk shorting out your device and it’s simply not worth the risk.
The next step is to see what the power requirements of the device are and see if the adaptor can supply the specified power.
Input power to the adapter is usually addressed in the country you are in by the plug configuration. In the U.S., a two-blade (“prong”) plug end is standard, with power from the outlet being 50/60HZ (hertz - “frequency”).
The output of the adaptor is key after making sure you have a polarity match. The adaptor will be labeled with two key pieces of information about output: volts and amps.
For instance, the adaptor may read, OUTPUT: DC9V, 1.6A. As you can guess, this means the adapter, when it is plugged into the correct outlet for which it is configured, will deliver 9 volts of DC power, up to 1.6 amps (amperes).
The question has come up more than once if both the voltage and the amperage need to match. Yes and no. Yes - the voltage needs to match. You can’t use a 12v adapter to supply a 9v device. If you do, you’ll ruin the device. Nor can you use a 9v adaptor to power a 12v device without risk of causing damage. The charging rate is too low.
However, you CAN use the same voltage adapter and device with the adapter being rated higher amperage than the device. That’s because the device will only use the amperage it needs and not more. Think of it like a receptacle circuit in your home. In the U.S.A., the circuit is likely supplied by a 15 or 20-amp circuit breaker. Yet, each device you plug into the receptacle doesn’t have to use all 15 or 20 amps to operate.
Another question that comes up is what is an AC Adapter adapting?
Three power characteristics are being adapted or converted from the power that is in the receptacle.
The first is if the receptacle power is AC (alternating current), the adapter converts it to DC (direct current), which almost all small converter-powered devices use. Many of these devices are also battery-powered or backed-up, and batteries deliver DC power.
The second is the voltage. In general, countries in North and Central America, as well as parts of South America and Asia, use 110-120V electricity. 220-240V electricity is used in most of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific. Whatever the receptacle voltage is, the adapter converts that to the lesser voltage needed for a small device.
The third is amperage. The converter generates less amperage than the parent circuit, and the device it is powering must not require more amperage than the adapter is rated for.
One last thing is that the power tip must be the right size as well, both in diameter and length to fit into the jack in the device being powered. Polarity is also determined by the configuration of the power tip, so if you have a set with varying outputs for the adapter, as well as tips, be diligent in using the right one.
We’ll not cover it in this episode, but if you want to know how volts, amps, ohms, and watts are related yet very different, check out our episode:
COMING SOON!
Just Do It Yourself! 
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Smart idea to label the Adapters! Never thought of doing that. Great info as always!
Thanks, DFJ! I have the same Brother label printer. I bought a DAddario PW-CT-9V to power mine. AT the time, it was less than half the cost of OEM.
Super happy to have found this channel. Thank you for all the useful info you are providing!
Happy to help!
You got it, Jay! You've provided very good direction on how to select and properly use an AC to DC adapter.👍👍👍 Depending on the application, you can definitely use a lower voltage adapter to power a device like a radio. I have a variable voltage device for testing radios; I've used it to power small radios at lower voltages than what the radios are rated. It doesn't work as well, but it does work in a pinch. If you have a device that needs full voltage to operate properly under load, then all bets are off. When you talk about how to calculate AC power, it will be necessary to think about that one a bit, since AC power calculations are different than DC power calculations. Thanks for this refresher/update and for your great tip about labeling the adapter. 😊
I love your videos and every one is a huge help to me
CURIOUS = in the background in your SHOP ...
can I use PEX Water Pipe for pneumatic Shop AIR Supply lines ?
Thanks
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Is AC adapter the same as AC DC adapter
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