Voltage reducer

[Guest User]

Can anyone offer advice please, on the best option for an off-the-shelf voltage reducer that'll take 12v down to a regulated 5v (to power a Netgear router, 1 amp max current) ?

 

Thanks

 

Graham

[Bones]

Can anyone offer advice please, on the best option for an off-the-shelf voltage reducer that'll take 12v down to a regulated 5v (to power a Netgear router, 1 amp max current) ?

 

Thanks

 

Graham

 

Have you tried Maplins?

[Guest User]

Yes, tried them, they don't have a "plug-and-play" item that I could connect from my 12v supply to give a 5v output

[Bones]

Yes, tried them, they don't have a "plug-and-play" item that I could connect from my 12v supply to give a 5v output

 

 

not even this? http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=37423 I am electrically stupid so I apologise if you have seen it already and it isn't right

[Gibbo]

Yes, tried them, they don't have a "plug-and-play" item that I could connect from my 12v supply to give a 5v output

 

http://www.jdr.com/pdf/Catalogs/Catalog_112/Cat112_PS.pdf

 

Page 68, bottom right?

 

Gibbo

[Guest User]

Ahhhhhhh ... thanks both

 

The fog clears ... the descriptions for both items specify a range of voltage outputs, which include 4.5 then 6 volts, but not 5v (I'm not electronically literate and didn't want to use anything other than the specified 5v for the device) ... buuuuuuut looking at the enlarged photo of the Maplin's item there's also a sneaky little 5v setting ... should do the trick, thanks again, I'll go see what I can blow up with it !

Edited May 27, 2009 by Graham!

[Tom6]

Hi, this is my first post in this forum so it might be wonky.

 

Inside a normal desktop computer (not a laptop or netbook afaik) there are a lot of carefully regulated 5Volt lines with ample supply for a device like this. If you take the side off the case then you might find that by re-arranging which is plugged into what lines you end up with a line that can be poked out of the back of the case down by the expansion slots for pci cards and graphics cards and stuff. I tend to try to keep optical drives (dvd/cd drives) on one line and hard-drives on a different line, if i can.

 

Alternatively it might well be possible to get an old (ie free or at least cheap) computer power supply from somewhere to convert your 240Volts into properly smoothed and potentially fairly high load (350Watt was fairly standard for Pentium 2's) 12Volt and 5Volt lines, some might also give you a (-5)Volt line which could be interesting.

http://www.wikihow.com/Convert-a-Computer-...ab-Power-Supply

This seems a bit odd to me as we usually start with '12'Volt batteries (not smoothed and seldom even vaguely close to 12) and then each time we step it up or down we introduce inefficiencies.

 

Usb2.0 has a power output that is often used to power devices nowadays but i'm not sure about the voltage level or power drain (load that can be drawn). There are all kinds of adapters around although getting hold of some might be tricky. Usb1.0 and most hubs and usb extension cables don't supply power and it's not easy to tell the difference between usb2.0 powered leads and all the rest. I think there are other differences with a usb2.0 lead so if someone tells you a lead is usb2.0 that doesn't guarantee that it delivers the electrickery, it's usually just a superior data lead. Yes i have been caught out a few times.

 

I haven't seen the full thread of this so i guess someone else has given a good '12'Volt to smoothed 5Volt answer but my first 2 answers might be good if you're starting with 240Volt somewhere

 

Good luck and regards from

Tom

[alan_fincher]

As the Maplin product that Bones has posted seems to do exactly what is required for £12 (ish), I'm struggling to see why you would muck around with any other method, unless particularly strapped for cash.

 

I'm a cheapskate, but if a reasonably priced ready made solution is available off the peg, I'll not jump through hoops to reinvent the wheel.

[Guest User]

I've just hooked up with the Maplins stuff and everything's working great .. no dramas, no little whisps of smoke ... almost disappointing really (they do a good price on a 4-way adapter for a 12v cig socket too) ... ooooh and now I can hear a cuckoo too, I don't think its the new regulators though

[Tom6]

Ah, i hadn't read that post. Nice one Graham and Bones I suppose that possible reason for trying something else might be lack of space, trying to make more use of what's currently already in place, curiosity, more electrickery used up, lack of wall sockets, "why not", joy of providing different answers and so on.