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5200 Power Supply Voltage


Grover Torbel

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After checking multiple sources and searching the forums, I need to ask what DC voltage is typical on an original Atari-branded 5200 power supply. Yes, I know it is either 9.3 or 11.5 VDC, but have measured several different power supplies labelled 9.3 and 11.5 VDC and am seeing slightly over 14 VDC on every Atari 5200 PS I test, even the ones labelled 9.3 VDC. I've checked the multimeter and it reads properly on other DC power supplies. Some sources say not to worry too much about the voltage on the power supply since the voltage regulation will take it down to the proper level. Other sources say to not exceed 12-13 volts. My concern is that plugging one of these supplies into a 5200 that is currently working fine on a non-Atari 12 VDC power supply will fry something. I'd like to use the actual Atari-branded 5200 supplies if possible, but don't want to kill the 5200 I just brought back from the dead. Any thoughts?

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but have measured several different power supplies labelled 9.3 and 11.5 VDC and am seeing slightly over 14 VDC on every Atari 5200 PS I test

That's what it should be without a load. If you test the voltage on an unregulated PSU like these without connecting it to anything, you're going to get a slightly higher voltage than what's labeled on the PSU.
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i believe the earlier 4 port units has the 11.5 v listed models and the 2 ports the 9v. My guess was it had to do with the expansion port on the back left of the 5200 that was never used. Maybe they thought the extra voltage would be needed for some external peripheral that never was?

 

I think I have one of each, i should check and see if their output voltages are the same without a load, and then check the voltage on the VR inputs to see what that reads between them as well. I do know that I use the 11.5v version on my 4 port as it is the original power supply that came with it. The 11.5 v versions can also be easily taken apart to replace the fuse inside when needed.

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  • 2 years later...
On 8/17/2017 at 6:20 PM, DrVenkman said:

Thanks! I've been using the 9.3V with my 4-port model (which does have that expansion port), but the 11.5V works too.

WHY does this post not say Edited? I saw the edit is action just now. I quoted the post and IT CHANGED! Right in front of my eyes.

This is BULLSHIT! Nothing but Total Transparency will do here.

We are on to this!

Is this a Caste type system or what? Total BS. Prepare for The Storm.

 

Edit: WHY does mine say Edited?

 

Dr V. is simply trying to cover his ass for a mistake I caught him on.

 

I was not trying to be derogatory at all until I saw him CHEATING by changing OLD posts FROM AC to DC, then to just V.

 

BUSTED!

 

Edited by Kyle22
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1 minute ago, Kyle22 said:

WHY does this post not say Edited? I saw the edit is action just now. I quoted the post and IT CHANGED! Right in front of my eyes.

This is BULLSHIT! Nothing but Total Transparency will do here.

We are on to this!

Is this a Caste type system or not?

 

What are you talking about? You're in the 5200 section, not the 8-bit section. I haven't seen this post in like 2 years.

 

(And the edits in the 8-bit forum don't show as "Edited" because I've paid for an AA subscription to help @Albert keep the lights on and the hamsters running in the servers. It's one of the benefits of the subscription. :) Chill, man. )

 

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37 minutes ago, Kyle22 said:

You deceptively edited without making it known to the general public.

 

Just in the interest of accuracy and truth, I most certainly did *not* edit a post in this thread, since I do not have Mod, Admin or special permission to edit posts that old. I *did* edit posts in an 8-bit forum post to fix mistakes (on my part!), which you were busy quoting as I realized them myself and was in the process of trying to correct.

 

No deception intended. I'm sorry if you cannot accept or understand that. 

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5 minutes ago, Kyle22 said:

Explain WHY I saw 9.3 VAC change to 9.3 VDC, then just 9.3V?

 

I have no idea. I can't edit a post that old - so far as I know only a moderator like @Albert, @CPUWIZ or someone with those powers can do so. Before you accused me of doing so here, I have not seen this thread in 2 years. 

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On 8/17/2017 at 1:09 PM, Grover Torbel said:

After checking multiple sources and searching the forums, I need to ask what DC voltage is typical on an original Atari-branded 5200 power supply. Yes, I know it is either 9.3 or 11.5 VDC, but have measured several different power supplies labelled 9.3 and 11.5 VDC and am seeing slightly over 14 VDC on every Atari 5200 PS I test, even the ones labelled 9.3 VDC. I've checked the multimeter and it reads properly on other DC power supplies. Some sources say not to worry too much about the voltage on the power supply since the voltage regulation will take it down to the proper level. Other sources say to not exceed 12-13 volts. My concern is that plugging one of these supplies into a 5200 that is currently working fine on a non-Atari 12 VDC power supply will fry something. I'd like to use the actual Atari-branded 5200 supplies if possible, but don't want to kill the 5200 I just brought back from the dead. Any thoughts?

 

I don't know what the rest of this thread is all about :) But FWIW, I received my first ever 5200 power brick a couple weeks ago.

 

It came with a 4-port. It is labeled 9.3 vDC, but it measures 15.01 vDC unloaded. 

14v seems unlikely to kill your 5200, but it will make the 5200's internal regulator generate more heat in dropping the 14 down to a regulated what, 5v?

 

Come to think of it, that seems like a lot. Maybe I'll seek out a different power adapter before plugging this thing in.

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On 8/31/2019 at 10:49 AM, xefned said:

 

I don't know what the rest of this thread is all about :) But FWIW, I received my first ever 5200 power brick a couple weeks ago.

 

It came with a 4-port. It is labeled 9.3 vDC, but it measures 15.01 vDC unloaded. 

14v seems unlikely to kill your 5200, but it will make the 5200's internal regulator generate more heat in dropping the 14 down to a regulated what, 5v?

 

Come to think of it, that seems like a lot. Maybe I'll seek out a different power adapter before plugging this thing in.

Linear/unregulated power supplies always have higher voltage when unloaded. The voltage drops when a load is applied. They are designed to run at the specified voltage when the expected load is applied. Generally speaking, 9v linear supplies often run in the 14-16v range when unloaded. It's just how they work, and your 5200 will be just fine. 

 

Now if you had a switching/regulated supply rated for 9 and putting out 15, then you'd want to replace it.

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  • 2 years later...

I ended up building a 9v regulator which I run the original brick into first. I figured it could take some of the strain off the internal voltage regulator and generate less heat inside the 5200. It works great.

 

Of course, this is not necessary at all. I'm just sharing in case some of you might find my neurosis amusing. 

IMG_4071.JPG

(Hyper Hearse is from a discarded stompbox enclosure. Repurposed for frugality.)

 

Edited by xefned
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2 hours ago, xefned said:

I ended up building a 9v regulator which I run the original brick into first. I figured it could take some of the strain off the internal voltage regulator and generate less heat inside the 5200. It works great.

 

Of course, this is not necessary at all. I'm just sharing in case some of you might find my neurosis amusing. 

IMG_4071.JPG

(Hyper Hearse is from a discarded stompbox enclosure. Repurposed for frugality.)

 

I replaced both of the original 7805s in my personal 5200 with a pair of Traco 2450 DC-DC switching regulators instead. They don't even get warm to the touch so there isn't any heat to speak of in that section of my 5200 anymore. All the heat now comes from the main ICs at this point. Another cool aspect of doing this, is that the 5200 now requires about half of the current it originally needed when it had the 7805s in place.

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  • 3 weeks later...
1 hour ago, CMR said:

It should, and it's 3000 mA (milliamps) which is basically 3 Amps.

5200 was 2a right?  So more amps would not hurt?  It will just draw what it needs?  And 5200 has voltage regulators.  Also would it be 9 or 12v?  My official adapter is 11.5v.  This has either 9 or 12 option.  So will the extra .5 volt fry the 5200?

Edited by 0078265317
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10 hours ago, 0078265317 said:

5200 was 2a right?  So more amps would not hurt?  It will just draw what it needs?  And 5200 has voltage regulators.  Also would it be 9 or 12v?  My official adapter is 11.5v.  This has either 9 or 12 option.  So will the extra .5 volt fry the 5200?

While I cannot be sure, my guess is that is a switching type PSU so you would want to stick with the 9v output version in this case. Although again, the 12v isn't going to hurt anything because I've measured that much on the input side of the 210 transistors on many 5200s using stock PSUs. So again, more voltage will just equate to more heat inside the console, but nothing they weren't designed to handle anyway in this case. 

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