Polarity of charger for digital camera

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mm - 04 Jan 2008 06:57 GMT

Polarity of charger for digital camera

Is it univeral, or even typical, for digital cameras to have a jack
with the center pin negative?

Before I had a digital camera, I bought 2 different wall warts,
adapters, with adjustable voltages, for when I get something but not
the adapter.

One is meant for digital cameras and I was looking at it today, and I
noticed that it was set up to have the center hole negative and the
outside of teh plug positive. And there was no way to reverse this.

It had four tips, for different size jacks, but where they plugged
into the cord was polarized, and couldn't be reversed.

Is it univeral, or even typical, for digital cameras to have a jack
with the center pin negative? It's unusual in other devices.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

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Joel - 04 Jan 2008 14:38 GMT

> Polarity of charger for digital camera
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> Is it univeral, or even typical, for digital cameras to have a jack
> with the center pin negative? It's unusual in other devices.

    YES, YES, NO and YES ...

YES - most (not all) AC adapters have the information right next to the
connector.

    <->-(o-<+> or <+>-(o-<->

YES - most if not all universal AC adapters usually have the SWITCH to
toggle between +/- option.

NO - you can't reserve the PIN on your camera (unless you open the camera
to require it) *but* YES you can get the AC adapter with Negative PIN

    All you need to do is READ the information, it not just give you the
information about the connector but also voltage and ampere etc..

> If you are inclined to email me
> for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

YES you can always wish but NO I won't email, and I wouldn't care to
response if I know you won't read. Yup! I have the felling you may not, but
I can take my chance <bg>

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Rob Morley - 04 Jan 2008 16:59 GMT

> YES you can always wish but NO I won't email, and I wouldn't care to
> response if I know you won't read. Yup! I have the felling you may not, but
> I can take my chance <bg>

Oh, the irony.

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mm - 23 Feb 2008 23:56 GMT

>> Polarity of charger for digital camera
>>
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>YES - most if not all universal AC adapters usually have the SWITCH to
>toggle between +/- option.

Definitely not all. The one I was looking at could have done it
easily if the two pins and two holes had been the same size. But they
are different sizes and only go together one way. There is a jack
there so I can use any of the 4 tips, and it would have been so easy
to make the polarity reversible.

>NO - you can't reserve the PIN on your camera (unless you open the camera
>to require it)

I didn't expect to do that. Hard enough with something bigger, let
alone a little camera which is so jam-packed. But I was actually
wanting to use this "universal" AC adapter for something not a camera,
a AM-FM-SW radio about 15 years old. I ended up buying another
one-voltage adapter at a swap meet and finding the right end to put on
it. There seems to be a problem in its jack after all, but when I
have the plug in just right and it's working, it works well. The
radio is big enough that I can take it apart and bend things if I have
to, but I"m going to try spraying in some more contact cleaner.

> *but* YES you can get the AC adapter with Negative PIN
>
> All you need to do is READ the information, it not just give you the
>information about the connector but also voltage and ampere etc..

I read the info. No joy.

>> If you are inclined to email me
>> for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)
>
> YES you can always wish but NO I won't email, and I wouldn't care to
>response if I know you won't read. Yup! I have the felling you may not, but
>I can take my chance <bg>

Better not to take chances. :)

But thanks for the info.

If you are inclined to email me
for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

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Terry D - 24 Feb 2008 04:52 GMT

>>> Polarity of charger for digital camera
>>>
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
> If you are inclined to email me
> for some reason, remove NOPSAM :-)

In my experience, manufacturers of computers, cameras and other appliances
using mains powered adaptors using plugs which are slightly different from
those found on universal adaptors, thus making it very difficult to use
anything other than their branded product. I recently experienced this with
my Toshiba notebook after it blew a mains plug 5A fuse for no apparent
reason. I tried a 'universal' adaptor, but the voltage wasn't high enough
(it requires 19V) and none of the plugs would fit. After replacing the fuse
in the mains plug, it has worked for several weeks without further problems,
although I uses a 13A fuse instead of the original 5A - must replace it
ASAP.

Terry D.

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