Red Drive AC adapter...

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

I seem to have gotten some power adapters mixed up.

Is the AC adapter for the RED Drive's output 6v DC 300mA?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mark Pugh]

12V 1500mA

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

12V 1500mA

I've got three that I am confused about...

6V DC 300mA
12V DC 500mA
12V DC 1.5A

I don't think I lost it?

Is 1.5A the same as 1500mA?

Thanks.

 

[Steve Freebairn]

yes, those are the same, you can use anything 1500 mA or above that is 12v.

 

[Lewis-M Soucy]

Is 1.5A the same as 1500mA?

Yes Dylan, think liters and milliliters

Just teasing... THis is why why metric is SO great... Try this one in Imperial

 

[Paul Hazlett]

my PS has dashes on the cable, if that helps.

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

my PS has dashes on the cable, if that helps.

good cue. i think i've got it.

thanks guys.

 

[Peter Strietmann]

Hi Dylan,

This is what my Red Drive power supply looks like.

Best, Peter.

 

[Brent J. Craig]

Make SURE you use the right one. There is always a little symbol that shows which pin is positive and negative. In Peter's photo above, its on the right side, two thirds of the way down, and shows a positive center pin.

I mixed up AC adaptors recently and made smoke come out of an external drive that held (stupidly) the only copies of some of my pictures!

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

Hi Dylan,

This is what my Red Drive power supply looks like.

Best, Peter.

Hmmmmm. Mine looks different?

 

[reader1]

what on earth is the rate of the power?

 

[Peter Strietmann]

what on earth is the rate of the power?

The voltage is rated at between 100 and 240 vac. Both 50 and 60htz.

The amperage on mine appears to be 0.8.

Peter

 

[Paul Hazlett]

this used to happen to me all the time until i started marking them wih a silver sharpie

 

[Paul Leeming]

Dylan, there's a couple of different types of RedDrive AC adaptor. We have both the one shown in this thread and a larger, flatter one as well. Both work equally well so don't worry that you've got something less capable.

HTH

Paul

 

[Dylan Macleod CSC]

Dylan, there's a couple of different types of RedDrive AC adaptor. We have both the one shown in this thread and a larger, flatter one as well. Both work equally well so don't worry that you've got something less capable.

HTH

Paul

Just trying to make sure it isn't an old cell phone charger! :-(

 

[Lewis-M Soucy]

Does yours look like this? (of course mine's got the euro plug adapter on it...) It's tiny and really looks like a phone charger...

It says:

CUI Inc.
Model: 3A-181WP12
...
Input: 100-240V - 50-60Hz, 0,6A
Output: 12V --- 1.5A

By the way, I bought a 2nd HD used and it came naked, so I bought a transformer on the web for 12$, as long as it is 12V and 1.5A, you're good...

Hope this helps.

 

[David Cho]

Does yours look like this? (of course mine's got the euro plug adapter on it...) It's tiny and really looks like a phone charger...

It says:

CUI Inc.
Model: 3A-181WP12
...
Input: 100-240V - 50-60Hz, 0,6A
Output: 12V --- 1.5A

By the way, I bought a 2nd HD used and it came naked, so I bought a transformer on the web for 12$, as long as it is 12V and 1.5A, you're good...

Hope this helps.

So let me confirm. Anything 12V 1.5A and above works? So my nearby store has a 12V 1.8A. That should be fine?

 

[ericyoung]

So let me confirm. Anything 12V 1.5A and above works? So my nearby store has a 12V 1.8A. That should be fine?

Not quite. 12V 1.8A is OK, but ...

It has to to be the right polarity to avoid blowing your drive up. Centre pin positive in this case.

It has to have the right size connector (both internal and external diameter) otherwise you either won't be able to insert it or the inner pin will make an unreliable contact. I think it's 2.1mm / 5.5mm respectively.

And the power supply should be a "regulated" one (if it doesn't say so on the case or the description from the supplier - it probably isn't) otherwise it does not guarantee the voltage is stable - not good for hard drives.

 

[David Cho]

Not quite. 12V 1.8A is OK, but ...

It has to to be the right polarity to avoid blowing your drive up. Centre pin positive in this case.

It has to have the right size connector (both internal and external diameter) otherwise you either won't be able to insert it or the inner pin will make an unreliable contact. I think it's 2.1mm / 5.5mm respectively.

And the power supply should be a "regulated" one (if it doesn't say so on the case or the description from the supplier - it probably isn't) otherwise it does not guarantee the voltage is stable - not good for hard drives.

Thanks Eric,

I bought an ac adapter at the electronics store and it looks good. Just checked at it says regulated output, 12v. The pin connects pretty perfectly. I powered up the drive and connected to my iMac via FW 800 and it read and copied over the footage wonderfully.

But I do not want my drive fried anytime soon, so I want to be 100% sure that this AC adapter is the right one.

How I would I know that it is centre pin positive?

 

[ericyoung]

Well, your drive would already be dead if it wasn't!

Usually there is either a diagram on the adapter label which looks like a central dot surrounded by a semicircle, or it's molded into the plastic body somewhere. It may be very small. The dot will have a line going off to the side with either a plus or minus sign. In this case you want that sign to be a plus. If it doesn't appear on the adapter body, then it should be in the paperwork that came with it or maybe on the website of the company you bought it from.