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[Rick Powell]

Tonight my son Ian was providing sound and lights for a local band and I helped load in and set up. When we went to turn on the lighting board (a first-generation Elation Sound Designer), nothing. We wiggled the connection a little bit to no avail. I thought, there's 2 possibilities, the power supply and an internal fuse. The power supply is a garden variety 9v wall wart, but as everyone knows there are about 6 types of connectors that are used, and the odds of finding one with the right voltage and the right connector are slim. With few options but to try to replace the wall wart and/or pop the case to see if anything is blown, I thought finding the right wall wart was a slim chance but there was a Wal Mart about 5 blocks away, so I thought we wouldn't lose too much time if the search came up empty. We do have a backup cheap-o light board, but it would involve resetting all the addresses on the LEDs and forget about movers.

So I was able to locate a variable-voltage wall wart with multiple interchangeable connectors at the store, get back to the gig, all taking less than 15 minutes...Ian plugged it in and viola! everything sprung into action. Here is the part, just in case you're interested. And it has a USB charger, too.

Universal Wall Wart

[Mike Christy]

I love stories like this! Thanks for the heads-up Rick. I need to get one of these and put it in my bag of tricks (just for things like this)

I never was a boy scout, only a Webelo, but still try to stay prepared....

Mike

[Mike Monte]

Tonight my son Ian was providing sound and lights for a local band and I helped load in and set up. When we went to turn on the lighting board (a first-generation Elation Sound Designer), nothing. We wiggled the connection a little bit to no avail. I thought, there's 2 possibilities, the power supply and an internal fuse. The power supply is a garden variety 9v wall wart, but as everyone knows there are about 6 types of connectors that are used, and the odds of finding one with the right voltage and the right connector are slim. With few options but to try to replace the wall wart and/or pop the case to see if anything is blown, I thought finding the right wall wart was a slim chance but there was a Wal Mart about 5 blocks away, so I thought we wouldn't lose too much time if the search came up empty. We do have a backup cheap-o light board, but it would involve resetting all the addresses on the LEDs and forget about movers.

So I was able to locate a variable-voltage wall wart with multiple interchangeable connectors at the store, get back to the gig, all taking less than 15 minutes...Ian plugged it in and viola! everything sprung into action. Here is the part, just in case you're interested. And it has a USB charger, too.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/3v-4-5v-5v-6v-7-5v-9v-12v-AC-DC-Power-Adapter-1a-Universal-Transformer-USB-Port/474040740?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=11795&adid=22222222227085364221&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=c&wl3=200794252006&wl4=pla-325489906774&wl5=9021607&wl6=&wl7=&wl8=&wl9=pla&wl10=117027764&wl11=online&wl12=474040740&wl13=&veh=sem

good idea...just ordered one...
just in case my light board has an issue or someone's keyboard-wart goes down...

[Ray Aberle]

Just being helpful... Fortunately, your URL as pasted wrapped well, but if it doesn't wrap well (forcing the page to require a bunch of scrolling) you can make it a "clickable link" with these easy steps!

When you are ready to paste the URL, format it like this:
[url=www.your link.com]Your Desired Text[/url]


By doing so, using code like:
[url=www.kelcema.com]Kelcema Audio[/url]

will yield this result:
Kelcema Audio

Shortens your post up, and again, looks better.

-Ray

[Rick Powell]

Just being helpful... Fortunately, your URL as pasted wrapped well, but if it doesn't wrap well (forcing the page to require a bunch of scrolling) you can make it a "clickable link" with these easy steps!

When you are ready to paste the URL, format it like this:
[url=www.your link.com]Your Desired Text[/url]


By doing so, using code like:
[url=www.kelcema.com]Kelcema Audio[/url]

will yield this result:
Kelcema Audio

Shortens your post up, and again, looks better.

-Ray

OK, fixed above! Thanks.

[Rick Powell]

To address the question on the "other" wall wart thread, the unit I got at Wal Mart has the ability to reverse polarity from center-positive to center-negative, simply by reversing the adapter plug where it mates with the output cord from the adapter unit. When using this universal adapter, always make sure that the polarity you are sending is what the device calls for, as some devices like guitar pedals usually use center-negative, while most electronic devices like rack mount units use center-positive.

Debbie Dunkley had a link to a less expensive version of the DC universal adapter on the "other" thread from Amazon.com.

Amazon wall wart

[Gordon Brinton]

A similar thing happened to my old Elation light controller. One of the DC leads broke right where it comes out of the transformer. The break was too close to the transformer to slice and make a solder repair. Apparently it had flexed a bit too much over the years.

[duane massey]

I carry 1 12vdc 3a power supply in my car (with my self-built adaptor kit) and 2 more spares in my 2 different gig cases. Both of my keyboards use 12vdc, but each one has a different connector and different polarity, so I carry adaptors for the oddball. I also carry a 9vac wall wart as well, as some guitar pedals and drum machines use 9vac.
I have had to use my spares several times over the past year, mostly for other musicians who don't carry spares.
I really don't understand why every person in the business doesn't carry spares. You can buy virtually anything you need from Parts Express cheaply.

[Tim McCulloch]

I carry 1 12vdc 3a power supply in my car (with my self-built adaptor kit) and 2 more spares in my 2 different gig cases. Both of my keyboards use 12vdc, but each one has a different connector and different polarity, so I carry adaptors for the oddball. I also carry a 9vac wall wart as well, as some guitar pedals and drum machines use 9vac.
I have had to use my spares several times over the past year, mostly for other musicians who don't carry spares.
I really don't understand why every person in the business doesn't carry spares. You can buy virtually anything you need from Parts Express cheaply.

It requires both forethought and money.  Seldom do they occur simultaneously...

[brian maddox]

It requires both forethought and money.  Seldom do they occur simultaneously...

Anyone with forethought AND money isn’t IN this business.