DIY Hacks & How To's: Convert a Battery-Powered Device to AC Power
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ต.ค. 2024
- Batteries are great for powering portable devices, but it you've got something that doesn't move much why not save the batteries (and money) and plug it into the wall? In this episode of DIY Hacks & How To's, Jason Poel Smith show you how to convert from DC to AC power. blog.makezine.c...
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Worth pointing out those switching regulators can get hot so take that into account when deciding where to place it and consider the load (current consumption) of the item you're powering.
A great video for teaching other electricians, everyone else gets lost or worried after 60 seconds
I think you're right. Non-techies would fare better with the UNIVERSAL battery adapter from thebatsub.com.
@@johnhuynh7252 but those are about $30 each + s/h.
So I think I'll learn how to configure this so I can make several and save the $$.
Yeah, you are right. I was about to go all DIY, until I watched like 30 seconds in hahaha
Amazing! I remember when I was a child my ankle doing a similar trick for my toys that require batteries. And I was very happy. Now it's the time to learn to do it for my self and others.i am not an electrician but I am very interested in these stuff!
Awesome video and info. Super clean and easy to follow. I have basic multimeter / electronics knowledge but too often circuits get too complicated. This is easy to follow and looks very doable! Thanks.
Where was this video 6 years ago? My youngest is 7 now, and I remember looking for this exact "project" on several occasions.
Seriously, this is an excellent tutorial.
How about an even slower explanation for those with no knowledge of electronics
Sprice Machines I concur on this one. Make one as if the viewer has no previous knowledge of electrical work.
mrdean3 If you have no knowledge of electrical equipment then you shouldn't even try. Educate yourself then you can attempt this. I've been an electrical engineer for over a decade now and you can't learn everything from one TH-cam video.
Shut up. It is a DIY video.
Are you saying only an electrical engineer can understand this?.
I think you want some recognition. So sad you're looking for it here.
RoomerJ ,why would you watch this video if you are a electrical engineer ? Are you checking up on the accuracy of DIY electrical video posts ?
electrical engineering basics: th-cam.com/video/X_KWJ_MinOU/w-d-xo.html
Been thinking about dummy batteries. This is the first time I have seen them. Nice video. Been doing this for a bit now and it is awesome.
Hi there, just a quick question. If the device I want to power up currently uses 6 x LR44 batteries in series (total 6x1.5V=9V), and I happen to have an old adaptor with 9V DC output, can I just wire the adaptor directly to my device without using any other components such as the voltage regulator? Does it matter if the adaptor output is 1A or 2A? And what if I plan on powering up 4 of the same 9V devices wired in parallel?
One device should be fine. A well designed circuit won’t draw more amperage than they need, so it should be fine. What is the current draw of the devices in question? As long as they’re in parallel the voltage should be fine.
Just what I was looking for. Excellent!
I've just started getting into electronics a couple of months ago and bought an adjustable ac to dc adapter like this. I learned the hard way just how unregulated the voltage coming out of these things is. When set to "off" it would still have 0.5v across it, but when set to 9v, the open voltage would be a very unreasonable 18v. I get that the voltage drops when you connect it to a load, but I couldn't for the life of me get it anywhere near 9v. Meanwhile I blew the 250ma fuse in my multimeter because I got twice the voltage I was expecting.
Do you use long wires to connect each batteries? Additional info, make sure that the total average of battery use is equivalent to the voltage of adaptor to avoid overheating or exploding.
Love these videos. I second the motion on AMP draw on the power supply. Most devices with 4 batteries will not draw much but a motor like the swing could draw up to 1 amp depending on configuration. Use a volt/amp meter and take some measurements or look in the tech section of the owners manual. Google might even provide a direct conversion for the number of batteries and size to max amp availability.
Check with multimeter, some cheap LED, computer fan, etc. Generally though in the US the wire with writing is the positive one. But always good to check.
So Awesome. I had the idea when we were given a Graco swing, and I found this video. lol. I didn't think the Graco swing would be an example in this video. I plan on doing this soon!
Next thing you know, the kid is caught in the overhead fan!
A question for you, if I may? I bought scores of AAA powered fake candles and wanted to make them all AC as they cost a ton in batteries...I want to daisy chain them with a power source so no more batteries. Please let me know how if you have any suggestions. I saw a video for one candle, in which he added a 6volt power supply as it was four AA batteries 1.5/3/4.5/6 but was wondering if you know if I need a converter for 'each' candle, or can I run them all on one ac adaptor? Is it depending on how many candles? I have 15 and they each take three AAA batteries. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated. And GREAT VIDEO! ***(I do not mind damaging the candle's back face and would not bother making fake batteries for my needs)
Brilliant, mate. Well done
This is awesome. I love TH-cam !
But what if you have like a old cellphone or old Bluetooth speaker were they charge the battery up too. Replace that with a power supply would it mess it up if trying to sent power to charge it?
Would it still work if instead of the dummy batteries you just wire the terminals? Thanks in advance.
I came here because i wanted to convert my childs battery powered swing to ac ..!!! Thanks very much !!
Video summary:
'I wanted to save batteries by converting my baby's swing to AC Power, so I did.'
The End
I did this and my baby rocker started flying around like a helicopter untill smoke came out of my wall wart and my breaker tripped.
I was wanting the exact opposite.
How would you go from AC to battery?
Play the video backwards.
duh
Can this also be done to an 18v cordless power drill by using the same voltage regulator shown in this video? If not is there something else I can use in replace of it? Thx 👍
The lm317 regulates voltage from a higher input to a lower output you would need a power adapter that can supply more than 18v at least 20 to be sure, also a drill uses a lot of current and the lm317 will heat up a lot, you could use a transformer to step down mains voltage to 24, then use a bridge diode to make it dc and connect the lm317 to that arrangement. amount of heat generated is current*(voltageinput-voltageoutput) in watts
NOW THAT I UNDERSTAND. NOT!
Use 3 cheap 6volt lead acid batteries.They cost much less than the drill battery and I get 4 times the amperage.
PJ Like just for the Pearl Jam profile pic
This video is missing some essential information that can lead to some big safety concerns. The LM317 is a linear voltage regulator for DC power. The video should clearly state that the power supply you pick must be a HIGHER VOLTAGE and HIGHER CURRENT RATING than the device you are going to use it on. The LM317 can only lower the voltage of your power supply, not raise it! If you also use a DC power supply with a lower current (A) rating than the device you plan to run, you risk burning it up!
What if I want to keep the batteries for when the power goes out but I want them to be constantly charged as long as power remains? I have a smartlock that doesn't warn me when the battery level is low. Could I just run a wire from the normal battery charger to one of the batteries in the lock? If I do that would the charger still be able to avoid overcharging the batteries?
8 years ago and 4 C batteries! That’s a blast from the past.
Hello, thanks for the video. Would you be able to do another video like this for something more powerful like an electric winch, which is normally hooked up to a car battery? Ideally it would be good to make one for dummies like me :)
....nice idea, but only about 2.5 minute video is not enough. You didn't completely explain how to do this!
if you didnt understand it by this video DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME!
But he absolutely did explain completely how to do this...if you're an experienced electrical engineer or electrician. Otherwise, everyone else...we're all fucked.
Is it possible to write this directly to a 12v light terminals? Looking to wire a hanging fan in an RV to the ceiling light.
I just came on here looking to change battery to ac on my sons swing chair and this is the one I watched and coincidentally it’s a video about converting a swing chair as well 🤣
Same here. The ridiculous thing is that Our grace swing has an AC connect on it already... but it runs a separate function for the swing. Don’t know why the engineers opted for multiple power sources?
this is pretty sweet. Simple but sweet.
Wouldn't the amperage output of the power adapter be an issue though? E.g. I've got a bouncer that takes 3 x C size batteries, which output 1.5v each, but how to figure out how many amps I should be providing it?
The circuit draws as many amps as it needs so I would suggest 1 amp at your voltage that you need for the electronics
Worth mentioning that you need to understand what power your AC adapter can provide and what the load requires. That's a linear regulator which can get quite how if you don't do the waste heat calculations.
Nice video. I wish I had watched it 48 hours ago.. But its all good. Thanks for the video...
**Can you do this but with VR Controllers?** I've been having a rough time trying to find any examples of any attempts of using Dummy/Fake Batteries for them.
Sure it's simpler just having rechargeable ones, but if your VR Headset is wired anyways, and won't die unlike your controllers, i'd personally want to hook up my controllers up with cables anyways especially for seated gaming.
Can I find an item like this somewhere? I tried it on ebay with no luck, but I could use it for my infra clock.
These square and big old power devices are so inconvenient, hard to stick many of them at the same size in a multiple port place, would be nice to know how to mod them to a stringed output with a smaller and more convenient tip.
I can only describe 0:47 in the language of screams.
+KarlaRei you should go to the video:
"Collin's Lab: Schematics"
it helps it seem little less scary.
+InglitzRavenStar I tried to watch those videos but I ended up not being able to see the diagrams through the waterfall of my ignorant tears.
easier to just go to goodwill or salvation army and buy old power bricks. it's actually not hard to find one with the right voltage.
Go to a used store like goodwill or value village and buy an adapter with the same voltage. For most electronics matching the milliamps within 1000mah works some are more sensitive. I saved $50 on a "garbage" laptop power supply this way. It's always somewhat risky take time and research several videos. I don't particularly like the idea behind this circuit as a quick fix.
@@holden_tld don't forget to match the milliamps
was thinking of the same thing, but using a variable adapter... thx for the tip. ironically im thinking of powering up a baby swing, pretty similar to yours! ;)
Any video ideas for doing this for an Arlo camera system?? Shopping list for exact parts would be necessary for me the cave man.. Thanks, exactly what I'm trying to do.
Thank you so much! But can I use this method to step down 6v battery to 3.7 volts?
Thank You, very useful!
are all 4 batteries connected some how? i see the wires on the dummy batteries but not sure the pattern of connection.
Hi, I want to convert a 3.6v cordless drill (I removed some shitty 600 mAh NiCd batterys) and use the charger that came with the drill.. but the charger it has a 5v output... can I use it anyway or it will eventually wearout the electric motor 'cause the higher volt??
I have to agree with most of the other post, you totally skipped over which terminals to connect your hot and cold wires to and why you need dummy batteries at al?
PLEASE HELP ME;
I have a 12 volt cigarette socket powered vacuum cleaner but it no longer had the adapter, now I want to make it work from the mains, is this difficult?
I have plenty of electrical bits spares so I may have what is needed for this project. Any help appreciated :-)
There is nothing like putting baby in for a peaceful swing, and then having those wooden dowels, short out and catch fire! Then have baby, slowly roasting, under a swinging fire pit! Nice job....
First check how much current the mini compressor needs (look at label for a number with "A") and buy or get a 120VAC to 12VDC converter that can handle that or more current (more than 2A, maybe 5A). Cable polarity not to be missed and have converter in a cool place as it will get hot.
instead of the adapter being permanently connected to the device, can it b modded so that u can plug the adapter into the device?
You don't need to hack an AC adapter. There are plenty of off-the-shelf 6V DC adapters (typically used for cordless phones). Most people would probably have some old ones laying around from old cordless phones. There's also no need to make dummy batteries. Those can be purchased for around $1 a piece.
The lm317 is not needed and will cause problems with motors and cook over 1 amp w/o heatsink. Just pick the proper voltage and more than 1000Mah and watch polarity + - .
Do those two screws touch each other inside the dummy batteries?
Useful video on caught after 7 years
i want to take my plug in candle warmer and turn it into a battery operated candle warmer...do you have a vid for that☺
Anyone have any thoughts on converting a battery charging base into an adapter for power wheels? I have a 24v power wheel jeep. I’d like to use drill batteries and adapters are available but not for the 22v Hilti batteries. I was thinking that it might be possible to tear apart a charging base (that is normally plugged into the wall) and have IT become the adapter.
3D printing, people have made bases for Milwaukee, DeWalt, hilti. Look up the STL files
Isn't easier to open the box, and conect the cables directly to the battery slot cables, instead of making the dummy battery?
+Darryl Edington One advantage of dummy batteries is that he didn't have to solder or modify the battery compartment, although he did cut a slot in the battery cover for the cable.
I really like the dummy battery idea, because some devices are too small and intricate to tear apart.
hi i need to modify the Automatic Perfume Dispenser Sprayer which need 2 AA battery. can you tell me how to power up by usb cable ? thanks
Hi, what is the output of your AC/DC Adaptor? Or Any adaptor will do?
I would like to see how to convert a battery-powered string/edge trimmer to use AC Power. I hate to buy battery pack. It is way too expenses. EGO device is the best if you can since one EGO can handle different heads. Thanks
Anything with a powerful motor is more complicated. You could burn out the motor or not have enough amps.
My newborn just went up in flames because you showed me how to make a infant electric chair! I hope you have a good lawyer!
how do you know positive negative leads to attach it to? I tried to simply attach the negative to the spring side and the positive to the flat side...no go. I know I'm getting power. I hooked it up to multimeter.
Can you do this vise versa??? Like change the big power brick to a battery pack I'm kinda new to making circuits and such
+Evan Anderson
Absolutely, just check what voltage / amperage your power brick puts out and replace it with batteries that can match it.
I need to do this for my cats toy. But how do I know why type or voltage of power supply to pick. Here is my problem. Our cat gets these 3:30 am zoomies and he needs attention. Of course we're sleeping and I'm not about to switch to his schedule. He has this toy called Hot Pursuit which is battery operated by 3, AA batteries. I tried an Amazon battery converter but it said it was good for LEDs and didn't work on the toy.
The master plan is I get the toy to have a power supply, and the power supply is controlled by a smart plug so we cant have the toy distract the wild cat at a programmed time like 3:30 am
Can you use dead AA batteries instead of making dummy batteries out of wood (Drilling holes and running wires)? What about dead AA Rechargable NiMH batteries? Would the consistent DC voltage damage the unit or cause/damage the batteries to foam/explose?!
Thanks!
Do not use dead batteries. It's dangerous and will act as a resistor, which will alter how much current you need to supply.
I tried a laptop PSU as it had a couple of amps, but it cut out if you pressed the trigger normally, I had to squeeze it gently so the drill worked at a very slow speed.
However, the 18v drill worked great wired to a worn out 12v motorbike battery, just slower.
Doesnt it matter what size the batteries are and how many are used in the device ?
hello, need some help.
I have an outdoor motion light in my drive way. it's using 4 C battery’s, and would like to get a wall adapter. What voltage adapter should I get? I can get one that change from 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, or 12.
Thank you in advance.
-Anthony Mendonca
1.5V*4=6V
Hi, please could you kindly help me. I've been looking at your videos and you definitely know your electronics. I have some knowledge but would like your advice. I have a cordless mitre saw. The mitre saw currently runs off batteries, which are 24v, with ah ranging from 2.4ah to 3.0ah. The batteries run a motor that requires an output off 630watts.
I would like to run the mitre saw off mains supply (230v). I found a LED Driver power supply transformer AC 110v - 240v (input) - DC 24v (25ah at 600w). Would this transformer work, would it be dangerous or safe to use on my mitre saw. The mitre saw is a Dewalt DW017.
I would appreciate any help, advice or alternative idea. Kind regards
How can this be implemented on a digital multimeter to replace a 9v battery? A have a 9v-0.6A power adapter that I would like to use on it.
noise from the outlet could affect on measurements. I woyuld stick to batteries for this one.
I have a small digital camcorder that uses 3 AAA but they never last more than an hour. I'd like to convert it so that it uses 1 or 2 18650 26MaH rechargeable batteries if possible.
If possible which I'm sure it is, what would I need?
Some voltage regulators, maybe a capacitor?
Ido how ugly/bulky the camera ends up looking as long as it doesn't power using 3 AAA batteries. Can you maybe make a video about this please?
The device I’m trying to switch uses 8xAA so what’s voltage do I need? 1.5x8? And how do I get that voltage?
a light bar that goes on the front of a vehicle, can it be rewired to plug into a house outlet? ...and how?
If you using wooden dowels as dummy batteries, does it really matter which side is + or - ????
3 of the dummy batteries do not need + or - markers. The 4th battery has a linear voltage regulator connected to it, and current can only go through it in one direction, which is why it has markers.
loving this.
What if I use rechargeable batteries, want to leave them in the device and be able to charge them while using them in the device? How do we set that up?
Title is wrong, the battery powered device is still running on DC power, but just from an AD/DC adapter, where you regulate the voltage.
Why do batteries and AC adapters for the same gadget provide a different voltage?
Can a buck connector work for the adjustment of the voltage as well?
Yes, it will be less likely to overheat, but it might add more ripple.
Very nice!
can this be accomplished with a cordless tool such as a power-drill?
You know this video was pretty good. I'm critical of most TH-cam tutorials but I think this one was pretty good. You didn't show how to connect the everything perfectly except for in the diagram but I figure if someone can't read an electrical diagram maybe it'll teach them to learn how.
may i used a 6 volt adapter in a portable speaker with rechargeable battery which has 5 volts.
Yea, but you just need 1 component and boom, AC turns to DC :)
Besides, using a power supply is equivalent to using and external transformer with a rectifier. Back in the days when Switchmode power supplies weren't so popular, those brick-like power supplies had big clunky tansformers inside.
Or you could even make a power supply without a transformer, google a schematic, it can be done :)
Sprice Machines you took the words right out of my mouth. I was like huh? What about a flux capacitor can I use that instead and do you have the number for Scottie on the star trek enterprise?
I think it would be easier if you just bought the correct transformer which would be appropriate with your particular device? I think so at least...
I have a 3.7v battery & want to add charger adapter & add input plug to device, so battery runs device & I can plug in a charger,problems with input plug
I'm trying to do this to a device in a confined space. My concern is the heat given off by the 5v adaptor. Anyone encountered a similar issue ?
How much Wattage of resistor should you get? 1/4 1/2 etc?
What if you have a lithium cordless hand vacuum & you want to charge it with a usb Powerbank? But vacuum just has ac adapter cable- how do you convert ac adptr to usb?
i would say a correct power suply a transformer gives you AC power and you need DC to power those devices
Instead of making fake batteries, just drill two holes in the case, two screws and 3 nuts, just roll the psu cable around the screw and tighten the outer nut or butterfly nut, of course the screws have to be connected to the case terminals, as usual, mark everything up. It's faster to build, faster to attach and not a huge lump of wood hanging on the wire. Done this quite a few times, with tools at hand, takes less than 4 minutes to make.
Came here for this exact thing and oddly enough I for the same exact baby swing!
That's awesome. Did you get it working?
Is there any way so that I can use a powerbank instead of batteries
He's best !
dumb question but how did you figure out what to resisters to use
Cat008101. I am thinking it is a good question. I would think there would have to be a chart. It would depend on both the incoming voltage and the voltage you want. From there, the chart would have a match. At the match is a value of recommended resistor. Then check. Make sense?
nice trick with the dummy and the LM317
Yes, it would be great to dumb this down quite a bit. It would be very handy for the guys that don't know any better than to stand in the rain with a pan on there head... such as myself.
Really though a dummy version would be very nice.
This was super useful! Thanks o this I took a laser pointer and made it to where it was able to be hooked up to the wall so now to light will keep shining
Surely you need some sort of current limiting?
WHAT POWER SUPPLY WILL I NEED TO REPLACE 6AA BATTERIES? THANK YOU