In order to connect you need the right plug with the right polarity at the right volt and the right amp settings.
I do have drawers that are filled with Ac adapters that I have accumulated but seldom does one match a gadget I find. I am not sure how that can be, but that is my life.
Right now I have a bit of a different problem. I am trying to troubleshoot an audio mixer. One possibility is that the existing battery adapter is not working correctly.
Ideally I would reach into my collection, pull out a replacement and be good to go. Not one of the other ones I have match plug or power configuration.
This is bugging the hell out of me, and I know I am not the only person with this issue. I do have friend with their own drawer and their own collection of things that is of no use until you can turn then on.
Buying replacement ac adapters, when that is possible, is usually extremely expensive. Sometimes you can buy them real cheap on eBay, and usually those work for a while.
I do have multi voltage ad adapters that come with some tips. Usually they cannot be configured or tipped to what I need.
In my research I found “lab” power supplies like this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Switching-Regulated-Quick-Charge-Interface/dp/B08HYK2ZW3/ref=zg_bs_318022011_sccl_2/146-8484433-8823007?psc=1
This thing looks awesome. It can set to nearly all my required power configuration. Score.
Except.
How do I get that power into my gadgets? There is no option for buying a bag of 1000 tips.
The wires it comes with do not look at all helpful.
What is the solution to the plague of missing ac adapters? Someone must have figured this out?
If not, it might be something I can invest a lot of effort it into for the sake of all humanity.
Wires and the proper size plug tip.
> There is no option for buying a bag of 1000 tips.
Incorrect. You can buy the tips, but yes, buying 1000 different sized tips will be costly.
I.e., example:
https://www.amazon.com/Mintata2019-Universal-Female-Adapter-...
More digging can uncover even larger packs of "tips".
You just need to make sure the "tips" you obtain all match for the method you use for attaching to the power supply.
Also, be careful with polarity with this method, it will be very easy to get the 'tip' attached with reverse polarity using this method, and not all devices will be protected against reverse polarity.
Buying replacement ac adapters, when that is possible,
is usually extremely expensive.
What is the solution to the plague of missing ac adapters? Someone must have figured this out?
* devices in some domains have de-facto standardized, for instance 5.5x2.1mm barrel plugs for guitar pedals
* devices in other domains have switched to USB connectors, especially if they don't need more than the default 5V@500mA
* keep the devices and the adapters together, instead of splitting the adapters into a drawer
The number of times I have had to replace a broken charger/power-pack/wall-wart I could probably count on the fingers of one hand. But they are freely available when you need them. They even make multi-voltage, multi-connector 'universal' power-packs.
Periodically I go through the pile and anything marked with an obsolete, broken or discarded device gets tossed in the bin.
The solution, as far as I'm concerned has 2 parts:
* Stop making gadgets that take non-USB power, except for things that take 2.1mm and can handle at least the 9-15v range(Some applications you really want splitters and extensions so USB might not be ideal)
* Start making USB-PD trigger modules that can use PPS to get exact specific voltages. There's nothing expensive about that, the adapter does all the work.
Right now we are about halfway there. If your device can take 5, 9, 15, or 20v(Unfortunately, none of those voltages are that common), you can just buy a USB-PD trigger adapter, they are sold with all kinds of different tips.
If your device needs some other voltage, triggers seem to exist but are harder to find.
Old 6v things often will take 5v(Especially since 6v sometimes actually meant "The voltage of 4x AA batteries"), 24v audio stuff can sometimes run on 20v unless you turn up the volume (It will clip).
If you get a buck or buck boost regulator modules with screw terminals($4-$8) you can attach some barrel jack pigtails to it and make a "20v to your exact voltage" adapter.
Now you can power it with a 20v USB-PD trigger adapter, and it's way more convenient that a lab power supply (I get a lot of hate for it, but I always say lab supplies are kind of overrated for most DIYers).
Cover the whole thing in heat shrink or tape and you've got a pretty good adapter, and they're cheap enough and easy enough to make that you can have one for every gadget.
One of very few DIY electronics projects(If you can call it that) which I consider to be practical.
If you want to really invest a lot of effort for the sake of all humanity, I'd say get a bunch of PDC002 cables, preprogram them for different voltages with PPS, durably mark and color code them so nobody mixes them up, and sell them in combo packs along with a good PPS charger, maybe with some labels to put on devices to make it easier to help non-technical people match them.
TL;DR USB-C is amazing and solves so many problems.