How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Weatherlawyer wrote:

How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

that part I dont know what youre talking about.

Surely googling for advice on where to stick something would turn up a
result, even if not very helpful.


What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

12v 0.35A, the wiggly line over dots means rectified ac, which passes
for dc for most appliances, but not all. So you can call it dc and its
normally good enough.

Something like that will run most 12v loads but not all.


NT

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:


12v 0.35A, the wiggly line over dots means rectified ac, which passes
for dc for most appliances, but not all. So you can call it dc and its
normally good enough.

Something like that will run most 12v loads but not all.


I think that needs qualifying a little!

Do you include starting a car engine as a 12v load? g

Even for devices which are designed to be run off mains adapters, many take
more than 350mA. For example, my ADSL router needs at least 1000mA.

When matching an adapter to a device, you need to take account of:
* Voltage
* Current required
* Polarity
* Plug/socket size
* Whether the device requires AC or DC
* Whether the device requires a stabilised supply [I have a feeling that the
central pin on the device's socket is fatter when a stabilised supply is
required to prevent an unstabilised supply from being used]
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On Dec 7, 11:38 am, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Google's obviously beyond you as well
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/polarity.htm

MBQ

On Dec 7, 12:05 pm, wrote:
Weatherlawyer wrote:
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.that part I dont know what youre talking about.

Surely googling for advice on where to stick something would turn up a
result, even if not very helpful.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

12v 0.35A, the wiggly line over dots means rectified ac

My understanding is that it simply means direct current, from whatever
source, e.g. could come from baterries.

MBQ

Roger Mills wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:

12v 0.35A, the wiggly line over dots means rectified ac, which passes
for dc for most appliances, but not all. So you can call it dc and its
normally good enough.

Something like that will run most 12v loads but not all.

I think that needs qualifying a little!

Do you include starting a car engine as a 12v load? g

If you want to get pedantic, a car starter is not a 12v load.


Even for devices which are designed to be run off mains adapters, many take
more than 350mA. For example, my ADSL router needs at least 1000mA.

When matching an adapter to a device, you need to take account of:
* Voltage
* Current required
* Polarity
* Plug/socket size
* Whether the device requires AC or DC
* Whether the device requires a stabilised supply [I have a feeling that the
central pin on the device's socket is fatter when a stabilised supply is
required to prevent an unstabilised supply from being used]

unfortuantely there are no real standards for these lv jacks.

The difference between dc and rectified ac also matters for a minority
of devices.

And finally, so does voltage source or curent source. while most lv
adaptors are voltage source, there are exceptions, and in those cases
subsittuting a regular voltage source adaptor can damage or break
equipment, or even possibly be a safety problem.


NT

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:


The difference between dc and rectified ac also matters for a minority
of devices.

And finally, so does voltage source or curent source. while most lv
adaptors are voltage source, there are exceptions, and in those cases
subsittuting a regular voltage source adaptor can damage or break
equipment, or even possibly be a safety problem.



You've lost me! Please explain what you mean by "voltage source".
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

wrote:
On Dec 7, 11:38 am, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Google's obviously beyond you as well
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/polarity.htm

Indubitably, you little prick:

The connection has timed out

The server at www.accesscomms.com.au is taking too long to respond.

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try
again in a few
moments.

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's
network
connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or
proxy, make sure
that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

Thanks to everyone else for such clear and concise explanations. No
doubt if I hang around here long enough, someone will comply with my
request and or supply a translation.

On Dec 7, 3:46 pm, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:
wrote:
On Dec 7, 11:38 am, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Google's obviously beyond you as well
http://www.accesscomms.com.au/reference/polarity.htm

Indubitably, you little prick:

The connection has timed out

The server atwww.accesscomms.com.auis taking too long to respond.

* The site could be temporarily unavailable or too busy. Try
again in a few
moments.

* If you are unable to load any pages, check your computer's
network
connection.

* If your computer or network is protected by a firewall or
proxy, make sure
that Firefox is permitted to access the Web.

It's working fine from here, **** face.

On Dec 7, 3:46 pm, "Roger Mills" wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,

wrote:

The difference between dc and rectified ac also matters for a minority
of devices.

And finally, so does voltage source or curent source. while most lv
adaptors are voltage source, there are exceptions, and in those cases
subsittuting a regular voltage source adaptor can damage or break
equipment, or even possibly be a safety problem.

You've lost me! Please explain what you mean by "voltage source".

A regular power supply would be an example of a voltage source,
something that supplies a known voltage.

A current source supplies a known current into a circuit.

MBQ

wrote:

On Dec 7, 3:46 pm, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:

It's working fine from here, **** face.


He's on AOL....

--
Adrian C

And finally, so does voltage source or curent source. while most lv
adaptors are voltage source, there are exceptions, and in those cases
subsittuting a regular voltage source adaptor can damage or break
equipment, or even possibly be a safety problem.



You've lost me! Please explain what you mean by "voltage source".



A voltage source attempts to maintain a constant voltage. As the load on it
varies, the voltage remains constant, but the current increases or
decreases. A battery is a reasonable example of a voltage source. It
appears to have a low internal impedance, meaning that as you draw more
current, the voltage remains constantish. The lower the internal
impedance, the better the voltage will hold up as the current demand
increases. Most ( but not all ) power supplies are voltage sources.

A current source is a rather stranger beast, less intuitive. It attempts
to drive a constant current through the load. It varies the voltage as
required to achieve this. It appears to have a very high internal
impedance.

--
Ron

Roger Mills wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:

The difference between dc and rectified ac also matters for a minority
of devices.

And finally, so does voltage source or curent source. while most lv
adaptors are voltage source, there are exceptions, and in those cases
subsittuting a regular voltage source adaptor can damage or break
equipment, or even possibly be a safety problem.

You've lost me! Please explain what you mean by "voltage source".

Most adaptors are voltage sources in that they deliver a specified
voltage, and as you vary the load current the v stays either the same
or at least nominaly nearish to the same. Some adaptors are designed to
control current output, eg for charging nicads. These may have a
relatively high secondary resistance, or less often active circuitry to
control the current more accurately.

If you use a voltage source adaptor in place of a current source one,
youre going to fry your batteries and the adaptor, as excess current
will flow. The good news is it only applies to battery charging
wallwarts, the rest are all the usual voltage source types.


NT

"Weatherlawyer" wrote in message
oups.com...
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.


It is a 12 v power supply.
The dash-above-3-dots indicates DC.
350mA is the maximum amount of current it can supply.

It will be able to supply pretty much any device that needs 12v and requires
anything up to 350mA.

Just how well regulated it is, who can say.
( ie, how close to 12v it remains under different loads ).

--
Ron

Weatherlawyer wrote:
wrote:
On Dec 7, 11:38 am, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:

How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Thanks to everyone else for such clear and concise explanations. No
doubt if I hang around here long enough, someone will comply with my
request and or supply a translation.

well you can consider the squiggle over dots as meaning dc, alhough
technically it doesnt. Thats'll be close enough for nearly all goods.


NT

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the
geekspik
mean?

well you can consider the squiggle over dots as meaning dc, alhough
technically it doesnt. Thats'll be close enough for nearly all goods.


NT


Squiggle?
A Hyphen is not a squiggle; it's a straight line.

He's clearly describing the symbol for DC:

Use Fixed Font

---
....


--
Ron

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:

Roger Mills wrote:

You've lost me! Please explain what you mean by "voltage source".

Most adaptors are voltage sources in that they deliver a specified
voltage, and as you vary the load current the v stays either the same
or at least nominaly nearish to the same. Some adaptors are designed
to control current output, eg for charging nicads. These may have a
relatively high secondary resistance, or less often active circuitry
to control the current more accurately.

If you use a voltage source adaptor in place of a current source one,
youre going to fry your batteries and the adaptor, as excess current
will flow. The good news is it only applies to battery charging
wallwarts, the rest are all the usual voltage source types.


Thanks - and also to the others who gave a similar explanation. I understand
perfectly what you mean - I just wasn't familiar with the particular
terminology.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Ron Lowe wrote:

It is a 12 v power supply.
The dash-above-3-dots indicates DC.
350mA is the maximum amount of current it can supply.

It will be able to supply pretty much any device that needs 12v and requires
anything up to 350mA.

Just how well regulated it is, who can say.
( ie, how close to 12v it remains under different loads ).

Thanks for that but what will the thing power? I have a load of these
things of varying whatsits. How do I find out which can go in the bin
and which I aught to keep for whatever?

Is there no site with a suitable list? Some weird nerd with a taste for
lists and an unfortunate and highly repulsive hobby?

In article .com,
Weatherlawyer wrote:
How can you tell which one is which. Or better still, if you have a box
full of the damn things and no idea where to stick them, is there a
site listing what to do with them?

E.G.

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the geekspik
mean?

******* electronics is the blackest satanic art of the filthy demon
electickeries.

Basically, they come in three types. AC, DC and regulated DC outputs. Most
electronic devices use DC output types, and you can use a DC one where the
original was AC, but not the other way round. So the most versatile is a
regulated DC type which could be substituted in the majority of cases for
the others. The voltage is fairly self explanatory, but will not be as
stated if you measure it off load - even with some regulated types. The mA
is simply the maximum current the device can supply - it will be happy
with less, but the output voltage may rise too high if the load is much
less than its capacity.

--
*Life is hard; then you nap

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Ron Lowe wrote:
Others wrote:

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the
geekspik
mean?

well you can consider the squiggle over dots as meaning dc, alhough
technically it doesnt. Thats'll be close enough for nearly all goods.

Squiggle?
A Hyphen is not a squiggle; it's a straight line.

He's clearly describing the symbol for DC:

Use Fixed Font

---
...

rectified ac is not dc. But its near enough for most purposes.


NT

On Dec 7, 10:10 pm, "Weatherlawyer" wrote:
Ron Lowe wrote:

It is a 12 v power supply.
The dash-above-3-dots indicates DC.
350mA is the maximum amount of current it can supply.

It will be able to supply pretty much any device that needs 12v and requires
anything up to 350mA.

Just how well regulated it is, who can say.
( ie, how close to 12v it remains under different loads ).

Thanks for that but what will the thing power? I have a load of these
things of varying whatsits. How do I find out which can go in the bin
and which I aught to keep for whatever?

Is there no site with a suitable list? Some weird nerd with a taste for
lists and an unfortunate and highly repulsive hobby?

Do you want us to wipe your arse as well?

*You* make your *own* lists of equipment that you own and power
supplies that you own. Then match up the voltage and current
requirements and the connector shape/size.

Maybe you should make one of the DIY dating sites, you know: 12V 350mA
battery charger seeks AC/DC adapter with large plug. GSOH essential.

MBQ

wrote in message
ups.com...
Ron Lowe wrote:
Others wrote:

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the
geekspik
mean?

well you can consider the squiggle over dots as meaning dc, alhough
technically it doesnt. Thats'll be close enough for nearly all goods.

Squiggle?
A Hyphen is not a squiggle; it's a straight line.

He's clearly describing the symbol for DC:

Use Fixed Font

---
...

rectified ac is not dc. But its near enough for most purposes.



I agree.

However, the symbol he described is that for DC.
A *straight* line above 3 dots.

That symbol does not mean 'rectified AC' to the best of my knowledge.
It means 'DC'.



--
Ron

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Weatherlawyer wrote:


Thanks for that but what will the thing power? I have a load of these
things of varying whatsits. How do I find out which can go in the bin
and which I aught to keep for whatever?

Is there no site with a suitable list? Some weird nerd with a taste
for lists and an unfortunate and highly repulsive hobby?

It's a bit late for that now! Why didn't you label each one when you first
got it, like all sensible people do?

Actually, there may be other clues. The makers of the devices to be powered
often put their name on the power supply. So, for example, if the power
supply says 'Nokia', it's probably for a mobile phone!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Roger Mills wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Weatherlawyer wrote:


Thanks for that but what will the thing power? I have a load of these
things of varying whatsits. How do I find out which can go in the bin
and which I aught to keep for whatever?

Is there no site with a suitable list? Some weird nerd with a taste
for lists and an unfortunate and highly repulsive hobby?

It's a bit late for that now! Why didn't you label each one when you first
got it, like all sensible people do?

It's a bit late for such a sensible suggestion too. Why can't the
damned makers put the effing labels on?

So I can rest easy knowing there is no site that enumerates the
possibilities of these things?

Kind of restores my faith in humanity.
Well, it goes a small way toward amelioration.

Weatherlawyer wrote:
Roger Mills wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Weatherlawyer wrote:

It's a bit late for such a sensible suggestion too. Why can't the
damned makers put the effing labels on?

So I can rest easy knowing there is no site that enumerates the
possibilities of these things?

There is no end to the possibilities, no standardisation, no chance of
matching them all, and no chance of salvation.

A minority do have makers labels on, but many will be sourced from
wherever, and will see use on various products. Hence not much device
labelling.


NT

Ron Lowe wrote:
wrote in message
ups.com...
Ron Lowe wrote:
Others wrote:

What does the adapter 12v (hyphen over 3 dots) 350mA feck the
geekspik
mean?

well you can consider the squiggle over dots as meaning dc, alhough
technically it doesnt. Thats'll be close enough for nearly all goods.

He's clearly describing the symbol for DC:

rectified ac is not dc. But its near enough for most purposes.

I agree.

However, the symbol he described is that for DC.
A *straight* line above 3 dots.

That symbol does not mean 'rectified AC' to the best of my knowledge.
It means 'DC'.

Perhaps we should sit here and keep repeating ourselves endlessly,
until someone looks it up.


NT

In article .com,
Weatherlawyer wrote:
It's a bit late for such a sensible suggestion too. Why can't the
damned makers put the effing labels on?

Every one I've seen is labelled with its output. You've been told what the
markings mean, so what's the problem?

--
*I don't know what your problem is, but I'll bet it's hard to pronounce

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

Every one I've seen is labeled with its output. You've been told what the
markings mean, so what's the problem?

Read the rest of the post, the clue is in the bit you snipped. If you
need help to fully understand -though why you should want it is beyond
me, you could try reading the post that I was replying to.

HTH.

wrote:

Perhaps we should sit here and keep repeating ourselves endlessly,
until someone looks it up.

AIUI:

___
---
Means DC of undefined purity.


^^^
---
Where the carets are actually half-sine waves, means raw rectified AC.

--
Andy