In sci.electronics.repair, on Thu, 01 Dec 2016 04:02:02 -0600,
wrote:
I have an inexpensive pair of powered computer speakers. I didn't pay
much for them. but they have worked pretty well for the last year or so.
All of a sudden they became touchy and would not turn on, or would shut
themselves off.
Bending and twisting power cord makes it work (maybe), for a short time.
The power comes from a wall transformer labeled output 7.5V 350MA. The
plug on the cord end that plugs into one of the speakers looks like
this:
http://www.jameco.com/Jameco/content...apter-fig5.jpg
(probably not the same dimentions)
I put a meter on the plug, wiggled the cord and there is no loose
connection. I opened the speaker and found that if I wiggle the male
plug socket soldered onto the circuit board, I make and break the
connection. Using the ohm scale on my meter, it appears the outer shell
terminal is the one at fault. (Not the center pin). Pushing a thin
jewlers screwdriver under that plug seems to maintain a connection.
In brief, that male connector has a bad connection and needs to be
replaced.
I am aware these plugs come in many sizes, and finding the right one
could be a challenge. That eliminates shopping online. This leaves me
with only Radio Shack, meaning I'll have to take the transformer along
and see if anything fits.
My question is DO THEY MAKE INLINE MALE PLUGS FOR THESE KINDS OF PLUGS?
Im sure finding one that will fit on the circuit board will be near
impossible. But I could easily run 2 wires out the back and solder on a
male inline plug.
If all else fails, I will probably just cut the female plug off the cord
and solder the cord right into the speaker. I'm not willing to spend
much money or a lot of time on this project, but they work fine othewise
so I want to fix them.
By the way, is there a name for this type of plug?
At hamfests over the last 4 years, I think it's more than one person who
has been selling a little transparent bag of 7 power plugs, all
different, and I those 7 make up 99% of all the plugs used.
At hamfests one bag was only $2 so I bought 3 on the theory I'd need 3,
all the same size.
But that doesn't mean you'll be able to find this. You very often see
more than one vendor at more than one hamfest in more than one state
selling the same stuff, but how often that happens nationwide, or where
you and I are, I don't know. And a lot of hamfests are so small no one
is selling this.
This is no good because it's $30. FWIW the plugs are longer than my $2
set. :-)
https://www.amazon.com/Generic-Strai.../dp/B00DC1PCJ8
This is $6 plus shipping:
https://www.altex.com/6-Power-Cable-...0-P143451.aspx
A more likely bet and something always available online is that there
are also universal power adapters, that have a range of voltages from 3
or 4.5 up to 9 or 12, and they have SEVEN or so power plugs on the end
all attached at once. Make sure you get one with enough power for yoru
speakers because they come in 500ma and 1000mamp iirc. Even the big one
is no more than $10.
I have 3 or 4 universal ones of various ratings and I use them to
figure out the minimum voltage I need to make something work, if it's
not labeled, and to use temporarily until I find or make a one-size
adapter. But sometimes temporarily drags on for years, like for my
router. I used a universal temporarily until I found an exact
replacement on ebay. That worked for a year or two before it burned out
in the same way the first one did. Someone, maybe here, said they were
known to be unreliable. 5 minutes after the second one broke, I was
back to the universal, which was still lying on my desk behind the
monitor.
Make sure the voltage and amperage goes high enough.
$18 for 1300 ma but you can probably do better
https://www.amazon.com/PowerLine-903.../dp/B00CWR39TI
I hate to push walmart but this at least looks like the same thign, $13
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Original-...apter/16778839
Microcenter has more than one model, not especially cheap.
FINALLY THIS is what I meant $8.35
http://www.ebay.com/itm/AC-DC-Wall-P...AOSwv0tVLb2 D
Well I like the ones where they are all wired in at the same time,
including to replace a 9-volt battery, but maybe you don't care.