re-wiring US 410 to take UK style external power adaptor.

[Mulbin]

Hi all,

 

As many of you probably know the UK 410s weren't hard wired with a power cable like the US ones, they came with a socket for a 6v power adaptor. I'm in the UK and have a US 410 which obviously isn't compatible with out 220v outlets.

 

I could buy a step-down converter to provide it with 110v but they cost nearly as much as the drive! Can anyone tell me if it's possible to rewire it to take a 6v adaptor? Presumably this would mean bypassing a 110v-6v adaptor of some sort built in to the drive.

[+Nezgar]

How about something cheap like this? £1.54 - , you can cut the 2 cords, and solder them together. DC power supplies are easy to find, its the AC ones beyond 1A that are tricky. Maybe check out your local thrift shops too.

 

"1pcs Hot DC UK 6V 1A Universal External Switching Power Adapter Charger Supply"

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1pcs-Hot-DC-UK-6V-1A-Universal-External-Switching-Power-Adapter-Charger-Supply-/161483227479?hash=item2599268157:g:bZMAAOSw7PBTqNOD

Edited June 19, 2017 by Nezgar

[Mulbin]

Ive got plenty of 6v power supplies, my question is how do I convert a 110v mains wired US 410 to take a 6v power adaptor in the first place. Are you saying I can just put 6V into the existing 110v line and it will still work?

[+Nezgar]

Ah, no I'm Pretty sure there's no way to do that without a Stepdown transformer. They are pretty cheap on ebay too.. but I think that adds unnecessary complication.. and probably not worth trying to self make.

 

If you really want to keep it able to go back to the original power supply, you could use detachable connectors where you make the cable cut..

[Mulbin]

I think you've misunderstood my question. I have no interest in "going back to the original power supply". I simply want to know if you can convert a US 410 (which has no transformer, just a fixed cable with 110v plug) to a UK 410 (which has a round socket to attach a 6v DV transformer).

 

If I understand your original posts, are you saying that I can simply chop the US plug off the mains cable then attach a 6v adaptor directly to that same peice of cable?... surely it needs 110 volts? Not 6? I was imagining the solution to involve openening the case and soldering a new power supply somewhere to bypass all the circuitry that usually converts the 110v to 6V, but if as you say I can simply connect the mains wire to 6v and it will still work that's great... if that's the case.

[+Nezgar]

Yep my bad, don't know what I was thinking... mixing up the two types in my head or something

 

Do you have both a UK and NA 410 to compare? If you crack open the US one, you should be able to see where the 110v transformer output connects to - disconnect that and solder on a direct 6v DC connection or to a new external socket. I don't have a 410 so may be worth someone else confirming that is the correct internal voltage.

 

If you have a UK one to compare, you might be able to see where that 6v DC plug connects to the board, maybe the Same place.

[Rybags]

I never knew they did that.

Seems Jerzy Szobola didn't do schematics for the 410... my thought is that the US one probably has handy connection points where you could attach the + and - from a DC power supply and it could be a simple case of drill and add the required jack and wiring.

 

Supposedly most/all (?) older computers and peripherals that use the low-voltage AC power bricks use the same internal circuitry to further convert to their DC requirements so will work in the foreign country so long as an appropriate local power brick is used.