Hardware (#4) - Repairing a broken AC adpter plug (#39) - Message List

Should the coaxial power plug on the ZipIt? end of the charger unit become damaged, it can be replaced with the following parts you should be able to find at Radio Shack. There may be a single component solution, but my local store didn't have it. I had to buy a generic socket (Enercell #273-350) for a tip adapter. It's a socket that accepts multiple 2 prong tip adapters (if you have ever bought a generic AC charger that comes with a selection of tips, you know what I mean. The appropriate tip is "Adaptaplug A" #273-1704, 2.3mm OD 0.7mm ID. If you examine your AC adapter, Part No. SYS1196-0605 carefully, you will observe that one wire is solid black (positive) while the other alternates gray and black on one side (negative). Attach the solid black lead to the white wire with black text printed on it on socket #273-350, and the dashed gray lead to the blank white wire. If you examine your newly attached socket, you will see the label "Tip" on one side. When you plug in tip #273-1704, orient it so that the plus sign "+" (on the side facing towards the coax tip) is aligned with the "Tip" label on the socket. This will make the inner contact positive (5.1v, 2.0A according to my multimeter) and the outer contact negative. Of course, verify the above with your own multimeter before cutting anything, as the consequences of reversing the polarities might be disastrous. [errata: You might read in the IRC log of 2010-02-12 where I stated the parts from Radio Shack did not work. I actually had corruption on my SD card that coincidentally kept me from booting, power was fine, and I corrected myself later in the day.]