so, with all that said, here are the handful of things you need to know when you ’ re shopping for an AC adapter. The specifications don ’ t have to match precisely, but you have to know when you can cheat and when you can ’ metric ton .
AC or DC?
Alternating current reverses mutual opposition 50 to 60 times per second base, depending on where you are in the world. direct current doesn ’ t. In rare instances you can substitute one for the other. To stay safe, always assume you can not .
Polarity
Since mutual opposition stays constant in DC, you have to pay attention to it. Most “ cosmopolitan ” adapters let you change mutual opposition ; with less expensive adapters, the polarity is fixed to either convinced or negative. Polarity is indicated by the symbols shown to the right. Incorrect mutual opposition is the most common causal agent of damage when substituting adapters. Always assume you have to match polarity .
Voltage
think of voltage as the speed of the electrical current. electric devices are designed to tolerate little deviations in electric potential, but you should match electric potential vitamin a closely as possible. Too little voltage causes things to not work ; besides much voltage causes excess estrus at best, and at worst, blows stuff up. Stay within 10 percentage of the original .
Amperage
think of amperage as the amount of electric stream that ’ mho flowing. Think of a light bulb. A 20-watt bulb uses .18 amps. A bright 100-watt medulla oblongata uses .91 amps. If you use an AC arranger with excessively little amperage, you run the risk of damaging the arranger. excessively much amperage is absolutely very well, because your device will only draw the measure of amperage it needs. The pillow sits unused. If I offer 2 amps to both the 20-watt bulb and the 90-watt light bulb, they ’ ll happily precisely pull .18 and .91 amps. There is a caution. If your device tie far besides few amps, some cheaper, ill regulated adapters start delivering more voltage. Replacing an AC adapter with one that has double the amperage is very well. Replacing one with 20x the amperage is riskier .
Wattage
electrical power is volt x amps, or the full amount of power available. Often if an arranger tells you amperage, it will omit electrical power, or vice versa. You can use one to figure out the other. Divide the number of watt by the number of volts to get amperage. again, think of light bulbs. A 100-watt bulb shines a fortune brighter than a 20-watt bulb, because it uses five times the energy. just comparable amperage, besides much electrical power is absolutely oklahoma, within rationality, because your device will lone draw the amount it needs. The rest sits unused. Replacing an AC adapter with one that has double the electrical power is fine. Replacing one with 20x the electrical power is riskier .
Tip size
No, tip sizes generally aren ’ triiodothyronine standard. measure with a caliper or ruler before you go shopping, because if the arranger doesn ’ t equip, none of the other spectacles matter .
Price range
Expect to pay $ 10- $ 25 for an arranger for a belittled device like a phone, speakers, substitution, or router. An adapter for a laptop or an liquid crystal display monitor can cost up to $ 40 or $ 50. You ’ ll normally pay more for a “ universal ” model with multiple tips and voltages than you will for a exemplar with one hardwired tap and a sterilize electric potential and mutual opposition. The versatility costs you, but if it means you can use one arranger to might or agitate more than one device, it can be worth it. ( Note the adapter will lone work with one device at a meter. ) It ’ s a good mind to note the tap, polarity, and voltage for each device you plan to use, and either write it on a label and stick it on the adapter, or write it on the adapter with a fine-tipped permanent wave marker or paint pen.
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