Power Supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system (AC 9084-BK02 compatible)

[HDTV1080P]

If one needs a replacement power supply for their Magnavox Odyssey 2 system, then the best 100% compatible power supply to get is the TRIAD WAU090-1200 that was engineered in the USA and made in China using high quality materials. The original Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply had a cord that is around 10 feet 7 inches long. This TRIAD WAU090-1200 Odyssey 2 compatible power supply has a cord that is 6 feet long according to the spec sheet (However my actual TRIAD had a real world length of 6 feet 7 inches).  

 

As of February 10^th 2016, all external power supplies manufactured for use in the United States and imported into the United States is required to have the energy efficiency level VI rating per the Department of Energy law. Dealers in the United State that have old stock of power supplies, are allowed under the law to sale their old stock of power supplies as long as those power supplies were manufactured and imported into the United States before Feb 10^th 2016.

 

In 2020 many AC to DC power supplies one purchases online are level VI complaint. However AC to AC power supplies are not in demand, since most modern consumer products in the 21^st Century use AC to DC power supplies, therefore there are some USA dealers that still have old stock of AC to AC power supplies that they imported into the United States before February 10^th 2016, that they are trying to get rid of at clearance prices. However, there are also many third-party companies producing both AC to AC and AC to DC external power supplies that are made in China, and violating the Department of Energy level VI compliant rules put in place back in February 10^th 2016.

 

*** I have done a massive amount of research and as far as I aware the TRIAD Magnetics company is the only company that makes AC to AC external power supplies that have the required energy efficiency level VI defined by the DOE Docket Number EERE-2008-BT-STD-0005-0219. ***

 

TRIAD engineers the power supplies in the United States and has the power supplies made in China using very high quality parts and material. While external AC to DC power supplies that are level VI complaint started appearing on the USA market in late 2015 or early 2016, the first TRIAD AC to AC level VI complaint power supplies started appearing on the USA market around January 24^th 2017.

 

Here is the detailed spec sheet for the TRIAD WAU090-1200 that is ideal for use with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. The cheapest price for the TRIAD WAU090-1200 is around $20-$25 when purchased online. This is a heavy transformer based power supply since light weight switching based consumer AC to AC power supplies have not been invented yet and might never be invented because of lack of demand for AC to AC power supplies. At the time of this post Newark sells the TRIAD WAU090-1200 for $19.63 each plus free shipping on orders over $150. Another dealer called Mouser Electronics has the TRIAD WAU090-1200 for $16.36 + $7.99 for shipping (total price around $24.35).  

 

*** Important info, some Odyssey 2 systems need a 3.5mm power plug ***

When Magnavox designed the Odyssey 2 system, there were two different variations of power jacks that were used on the systems. Most Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems use the 2.1mm x 5.5mm size connector that is a perfect fit when used with the TRIAD WAU090-1200 adapter. However, if one owns one of the Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems that require a 3.5mm size power connector, then this 5.5 x 2.1mm female to 3.5mm male adapter plug can be purchased on EBAY for a QTY of 2 for only $1.49 plus free shipping. I tested this power adapter plug and it works fine on the Odyssey 2 systems that need a 3.5mm plug.  

 

*** This is a top of the line power supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. This power supply has excellent build quality. ***

 

This high-end third party power supply is a direct replacement for the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply

 

·      100% compatible with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system (works with both the first generation and second generation Magnavox Odyssey 2). The Magnavox Odyssey 2 system has hardware variations and uses two different sizes of power jacks, and this high-end third party power supply is 100% compatible with all North America Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems since it supports both sizes of power jacks with the purchase of a optional adapter plug.  

 

This is a 100% compatible power supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. This is a high-end replacement power supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system.

 

·   This power supply is a high-quality consumer AC power supply that is designed for North America and has an input voltage of 120 volts AC at 60Hz. Rated output voltage is 9 volts AC at 1.2 amps. Since all consumer AC to AC power supplies on the market use unregulated voltage designs, there is a load curve from zero to full load. When this power supply is connected to the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system, it will output the proper voltage just like the original Odyssey 2 power supply. More information about this can be found in the Questions and Answers section.

 

• Power supply has UL listed safety certification for the United States market and CUL safety certification for the Canadian markets (UL safety certificate number E341931).      
• Efficiency Level VI certified by the Department of Energy (DOE): Consuming up to 25% less power than previous 60 Hertz AC power supplies, this line of AC power supplies was among the first to meet the U.S. Department of Energy’s Level VI efficiency standard. This is slightly larger than similar products of lesser efficiency, as higher-grade core materials are needed to meet the Level VI requirements.
• RoHS Complaint power supply
• Engineered in the United States and made in China using high quality materials. 
• Output cord is 6 feet long.
• 10 year warranty offered directly by the manufacture of the power supply. 

 

Questions and Answers

 

Question: What Magnavox Odyssey 2 products is this power supply compatible with?

 

Answer: This third-party power supply is a direct replacement for the original Odyssey 2 power supply. This high-end third party power supply is 100% compatible with both the first generation and second generation Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. The Magnavox Odyssey 2 system has hardware variations and uses two different sizes of power jacks, and this high-end third party power supply is 100% compatible with all North America Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems since it supports both sizes of power jacks (an optional power adapter plug needs to be purchased to support Odyssey 2 systems that need the special adapter plug). This third party power supply is also 100% compatible with the Voice speech and sound effects module that was made for the North America Magnavox Odyssey 2 system.    

 

Question: How does the quality of this third-party AC to AC power supply compare to my original Odyssey 2 system power supply?

 

Answer: This power supply is slightly better quality when compared to the original Odyssey 2 power supply. There have been major improvements in the design of AC to DC power supplies over the last 40+ years, however in the last 40+ years there has only been minor improvements when it comes to AC to AC power supplies. In fact, finding an AC to AC power supply on the market is rare since many companies have decided to only make DC power supplies. This AC to AC power supply is UL listed which is a safety certification for the USA market. In addition, this power supply has the Canadian CUL safety certification. This power supply has the required Energy Efficiency Level VI certification by the Department of Energy (DOE). This power supply is RoHS complaint too. Currently this is the only level VI approved AC power supply on the North America market that will work with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. 

 

Question: One of my original Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supplies that was made in Taiwan has a model number of AC 9084-BK02 and the label says it outputs 12 volts AC at 0.83 amps (plus it offers two different sizes of power plugs at the end of the y cable). Then a second style of Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply that I own has a model number of AJ9046 and the label says it outputs 11 volts AC at 0.9 amps (but only contains one style of power plug at the end of the cable instead of two). Then a third Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply I own that was assembled in Mexico has a model number of AC 9063-BKOS and the label says it outputs 11.5 volts AC at 0.4 amps (but only contains one style of power plug at the end of the cable instead of two). Does this third party power supply support all hardware variations and power plug sizes for the North America Magnavox Odyssey 2 system?

 

Answer: You mentioned 3 different official models of the Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply that were made by Magnavox, but in fact there are many more models of official power supplies made for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. 100% of all Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems designed for North America all have the exact same voltage and current draw requirements, however there is some small differences in the voltage level outputs and current capacity of the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supplies that were made. One of the reasons why there is so many different styles of original Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supplies on the market is because Magnavox for some unknown reason made the decision to use two different styles of power jacks on the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system (In the ideal world Magnavox should have made all the Odyssey 2 systems with the same size power jack). Some Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems have a 3.5mm female power jack on the back of the console that requires a power supply with a 3.5mm male end at the end of the cable. While other Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems have a 2.1mm x 5.5mm female power jack on the back of the console that requires a power supply with a 2.1mm x 5.5mm male end at the end of the cable. Many of the variations in the Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply is because some models use one size of power plug at the end of the cable while others use another size of power plug at the end of the cable. These two different sizes of power jacks on the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system has caused confusion when consumers needed to replace a power supply for their system. The latest and best original power supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 is model number: AC 9084-BK02 that was made in Taiwan and has a label that says it outputs 12 volts AC at 0.83 amps. The original AC 9084-BK02 power supply offers more than double the current capacity when compared to the AC 9063-BKOS, in addition the main advantage of the AC 9084-BK02 is that it has two different sizes of power plugs at the end of the y cable so that it supports 100% of all Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems in North America. This high-end third party power supply is also 100% compatible with all North America Odyssey 2 systems since one can purchase a optional power adapter plug that converts the default 2.1mm x 5.5mm male size plug to a 3.5mm male size plug. It should be mentioned that most Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems do not need this adapter plug with a 3.5mm male end since most Odyssey 2 systems require the default 2.1mm x 5.5mm male connector size at the end of the cable. However the optional power adapter plug offers 100% compatibility with all Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems.

 

Question: I have seen level VI energy efficient AC to AC power supplies on the market that have a label on it that says it outputs 12 volts AC at 1 amp, which would appear to be almost an exact match when compared to the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply that also has a label on it that says it outputs 12 volts AC. Why does this third party AC to AC power supply for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system have a label on it that says it outputs only 9 volts AC at 1.2 amps?    

     

Answer: Unregulated AC to AC power supplies are much more complicated when compared to regulated AC to DC power supplies that most people normally use. All consumer AC to AC power supplies on the market have unregulated designs, which means there is a load curve from zero load to full load. For example, the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 AJ9046 power supply label on it says 11 volts AC at 0.9 amps, and under real world conditions has a no-load voltage of around 12.65 volts AC. When the Magnavox Odyssey 2 AJ9046 power supply is under a load from the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system, it is outputting around 11.57 volts AC and around 10.76 volts AC when the voice synthesis module is connected.

 

The newest and best official Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply is the AC 9084-BK02. For example, the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply label on it says 12 volts AC at 0.83 amps, and under real world conditions has a no-load voltage of around 11.78 volts AC. When the Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply is under a load from the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system, it is outputting around 10.99 volts AC and around 10.26 volts AC when the voice synthesis module is connected. Therefore, there is around a 0.5 (1/2 volt) difference when one compares the official Magnavox Odyssey 2 AJ9046 power supply to the official Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply.

 

The reason I decided not to use a third party 12 volt AC 1 amp power supply on the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system is because the 9 volt AC 1.2 amp model is a much better match. For example, a top of the line third party 12 volt AC 1 amp power supply according to the spec sheet has a voltage rating of 15 volts AC when there is no load (zero current draw). Under real world conditions I measured around 14.92 volts AC when there is no load. However as soon as the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system is drawing a load, the third party 12 volt AC power supply model outputs around 13.64 volts AC and around 12.58 volts AC when the voice synthesis module is connected. Therefore, the reason I do not recommend a third party 12 volt AC 1 amp power supply is because when under a load the voltage is between 2.32 to 2.65 volts higher when compared to the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply. The following test results from a top of the line third party 9 volt AC 1.2 amp power supply is much closer to the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply.

 

This high-end top of the line 9 volt AC 1.2 amp power supply according to the spec sheet has a voltage rating of 11.6 volts AC when there is no load (zero current draw). Under real world conditions I measured around 11.09 volts AC when there is no load. However as soon as the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system is drawing a load, this third party 9 volt AC power supply outputs 10.38 volts AC and around 9.68 volts AC when the voice synthesis module is connected. Therefore, this third party 9 volt AC power supply when under a load has only between a 0.58 to 0.61 voltage difference when compared to the official Magnavox Odyssey 2 AC 9084-BK02 power supply. Even the different models of the original Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supplies have around a 0.5 volt (1/2 volt) difference when compared to each other. So overall because of the load curve data, this 9 volt AC 1.2 amp third party power supply is a ideal match for ones Magnavox Odyssey 2 system. For around a month I did 24 x 7 stress testing on two separate Magnavox Odyssey 2 systems with the voice module connected while using this 9 volt AC 1.2 amp third party power supply. This power supply is a perfect replacement for the Magnavox Odyssey 2.

 

Question: Why is the physical size of this third-party Magnavox Odyssey 2 power supply larger when compared to the smaller original power supplies that were offered by Magnavox?

 

Answer: The original around 40 year old AC to AC power supplies can be made smaller since there was no energy efficiency laws for external power supplies back in the 20^th Century. This modern third party AC to AC external power supply is level VI compliant.   As of February 10^th 2016, per the Department of Energy regulations, all external power supplies manufactured for the USA consumer market and imported into the United States are required by law to be certified by the DOE to level VI energy efficiency standards. Therefore, to be in compliance with this DOE mandate, level VI power supplies are slightly larger than similar products of lesser efficiency, as higher-grade core materials are needed to meet the Level VI requirements. This modern level VI power supply also consumes up to 25% less power than previous 60 Hertz AC power supplies   

 

Question: Can I use this power supply with other products that I own that need 9 volts AC and what would happen if the current draw on the device I connect to this power supply starts to draw more than 1.2 amps?

 

Answer: Because of the load curve on all consumer unregulated AC power supplies, one needs to be careful with the products they use this power supply with. The load curve for this power supply under real word conditions is between 11.09 volts to 9 volts AC. This power supply will only output around 9 volts AC when the load is 1.2 amps. However, one should never use this power supply with a product that requires more than 1.2 amps, since the voltage would drop below 9 volts AC and destroy the power supply. Unregulated AC power supplies have a small safety margin where the fuse in the power supply will not open if there is a brief current draw that goes over the 1.2 amps for only a few seconds. AC to AC transformers are not designed for the user to exceed the output current. Given an overload condition, they will start to heat-up and internal built-in safety mechanisms (fuse) will open, permanently destroying the power supply. These power supplies are sealed at the factory and were not designed to be opened up for a user to replace the fuse, also the 10-year manufactory warranty would most likely not be honored if the consumer abused the power supply and went over the stated current of 1.2 amps.  

 

Question: Why is this power supply only offered in North America, what if I wanted to use this power supply on 220 volts at 50Hz?

 

Answer: This power supply would be permanently destroyed and the internal fuse would blow if connected to 220 volts at 50Hz.  All consumer AC to AC power supplies are made for either 120 volts AC at 60Hz or 220 volts AC at 50Hz. In the 21^st Century major technological advances have been made on worldwide regulated AC to DC power supplies that work between 100-240 volts AC at 50-60Hz. However, because of that lack of consumer demand for unregulated AC to AC power supplies being used in the 21^st Century, the research and development costs have not been spent to make AC to AC power supplies work worldwide between 100-240 volt AC at 50-60Hz. Therefore, all consumer AC to AC power supplies for the North America market are still designed to only work with 120 volts AC at 60Hz. There are power supply companies in Europe that do make AC to AC power supplies that work at only 220 volts at 50Hz, and one might be able to locate one that works with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system.

 

Edited November 13, 2020 by HDTV1080P

[HDTV1080P]

The other day while searching online I saw a couple of generic brand AC to AC external power supplies that claimed to be level VI complaint according to the specs. However, upon further investigation the detailed specs sheet only mentioned that the power supplies have passed level V efficiency tests, I even emailed the company and they could not provide any information on rather they sold any AC to AC power supplies with level VI feature. The TRIAD Magnetics company as far as I am aware is the only company that makes AC to AC external power supplies that are level VI certified per the DOE rules put in place back in Feb 10^th 2016. Also TRAID AC to AC power supplies are UL listed. While UL listed is a optional certification in the United States, many brands of AC to AC power supplies do not get the UL listed certification because of the $15,000 fee, and sometimes have fake UL listed symbols on the power supply.

 

If anyone is interested in measuring their computer system or videogame system under a load with a digital multimeter. Measuring a computer or videogame system motherboard voltage load can be done without needing to take the system apart as long as one has the proper cables and adapter plugs.

 

The following 2 Pack DC Power 1 Female to  2 Male Splitter adapter for $6.99 from Amazon works good for measuring no load and load voltages with a digital multi-meter on one end of the cable.   

 

Also this high-quality Chinese made 34 piece AC and DC adapter plug kit from EBAY for $12.88 with free shipping works great when one needs a different size plug to connect videogame and computer systems in order to measure the voltage under a load.  

 

This high-end TRIAD WAU090-1200 power supply is 100% compatible with the following systems

 

100% compatible with the Mattel Intellivision Computer Adapter (computer module).

100% compatible with the original NES-101 front loading model that was released in 1985.

100% compatible with the original NES-101 top loading model that was released in 1993.

100% compatible with the Magnavox Odyssey 2 system (a optional power adapter plug is needed to support Odyssey 2 systems that need the special 3.5mm plug).  

** Not compatible with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System **

[jimj]

Holy electrons batman!  There's a wealth of info in this post, thanks for sharing.  For a single power supply the Newark price comes out to $32 (shipped in the US with tax).

 

One more thing to note, I normally use the "Deflection (Dark)" theme (which you can select from the bottom left "Theme" drop down on any AtariAge page).  With the dark theme this thread is unreadable.  I haven't had this problem with any other posts.

[Omega-TI]

12 minutes ago, jimj said:

One more thing to note, I normally use the "Deflection (Dark)" theme (which you can select from the bottom left "Theme" drop down on any AtariAge page).  With the dark theme this thread is unreadable.  I haven't had this problem with any other posts.

 

I use Deflection Dark as well.  I've seen this in the past, it's only seems to happen when there is a lot of cut & paste.