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Alternative A/C adapter for HP Photosmart camera

D

David Turrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?
 
B

Bob Salomon

Jan 1, 1970
0
I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

See:

http://www.ansmann.de/en/index.htm?view=list&pr2id=13
 
K

Ken Weitzel

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi...

Respectfully, no it sure won't...

The original puts out 2.5 amps; whereas the rs version
delivers only half an amp. That's a world of difference.

Ken
 
M

Michael A. Covington

Jan 1, 1970
0
David Turrell said:
I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

I'm guessing the reason the voltage is higher than the battery voltage is
that there's a protective diode or something. But 3 volts may well work.

2500 mA is a *lot* of current!!!! Does this camera really draw 2500 mA?
If so, it must run down its batteries almost instantaneously.

Does this camera have a flash built in? If so, I'll bet the heavy current
drain is only for charging the flash, and that without flash, you could get
by with a considerably lower-current power supply.
 
W

Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\

Jan 1, 1970
0
David Turrell said:
I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

Thinking about it, the 0.7V diff might be the drop across a rectifier
diode, so maybe all the camera needs is 3VDC.
A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.
Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

You might try using a 3A rectifier diode to drop the 4.5V down to 3.8 or
so volts.
 
J

Jamie

Jan 1, 1970
0
the 3 volt level should be ok since its most likely is putting out more
than 3 volts to start with.
 
R

Rich Grise

Jan 1, 1970
0
the 3 volt level should be ok since its most likely is putting out more
than 3 volts to start with.
Yabbut, not a 500 mA wart, when the device needs 2500.

Cheers!
Rich
 
W

Watson A.Name - \Watt Sun, the Dark Remover\

Jan 1, 1970
0
Michael A. Covington said:
I'm guessing the reason the voltage is higher than the battery voltage is
that there's a protective diode or something. But 3 volts may well work.

2500 mA is a *lot* of current!!!! Does this camera really draw 2500
mA?

And a few hundred uF at 330VDC is a lotta capacitor to charge up in a
few seconds. And that takes a lotta current, maybe not forever, but for
quite a few seconds.
If so, it must run down its batteries almost instantaneously.

No, they're 2000 mAh which means they should last for the better part of
an hour. But a camera isn't on very long.
Does this camera have a flash built in? If so, I'll bet the heavy current
drain is only for charging the flash, and that without flash, you could get
by with a considerably lower-current power supply.

The LCD and backlight demand a lot of current, too. A lot.
 
G

Graham W

Jan 1, 1970
0
Watson said:
And a few hundred uF at 330VDC is a lotta capacitor to charge up in a
few seconds. And that takes a lotta current, maybe not forever, but
for quite a few seconds.


No, they're 2000 mAh which means they should last for the better part
of an hour. But a camera isn't on very long.


The LCD and backlight demand a lot of current, too. A lot.

Another factor not yet mentioned is that the supply *may* be able
to recharge the cells while supplying power for taking more photos.
 
A

Al Bundy

Jan 1, 1970
0
[email protected] (David Turrell) wrote in message news: said:
I recently purchased an HP Photosmart 435 digital camera. I'm
looking for an A/C adapter that is less expensive than that made
by HP, which costs ~$50 (the camera itself was only ~$100, and I'm
not necessarily going to get another HP camera).

The power requirements for the camera, via A/C adapter, are listed
as 3.3 to 3.7V and 2500mA. I haven't been able to find a generic
adapter that matches those specs.

The closest that Radio Shack seems to have, of their standard,
non-adjustable adapters, is 3V and 500mA. This adapter system has
the advantage of a wide array of tips, the smallest of which (female,
0.7mm interior diameter) would seem to fit the HP camera.

While 3V seems too low, I wonder how the camera is able to make do
with two 1.5V batteries as a power supply!

A Radio Shack universal adapter, which I didn't see, would, based
on the one I have for a radio, have 3, 4.5, 6, etc. volts, which
seems not close enough; and it probably wouldn't give the correct
amperage.

Digi-Key's catalog has a wider range of voltage and amperage choices,
but only matching the voltage, not the amperage. Also, I don't
see a standard tip for them that is small enough for the camera.
A custom-made tip, which they offer, would possibly bring the cost
to where I might as well buy HP's version.

There's always the possibility of a jury-rigged device, but I'm
trying to avoid something that messy.

What substitutions are possible under the circumstances?

I've been fooling with my 435 power supply because the battery grain
is so high on these. The NiMH cells only have 1.2V nominal and fully
charged they run the camera fairly well, but within a couple days they
are in the low battery mode. So I searched for a jack to use on the
AC/3.3V input and found one at an electronics store for $1.99. It's
the same size as slot car power supply jacks and Radio Shack sells
them for $4.95. I am sure you can use a 3.6V cell phone charger on
that jack with no harm. At least it worked for me. However, the
charger will try to charge any batteries in the camera. I did not want
that happening. What I was really after is to put a DC source into
that jack so I could furnish more total power to the device. So that
idea flunked my testing.

What I ended up doing was working from the battery compartment. I took
an old AA cell and cut it in half. I cleaned out the inside. Then I
ran a wire to the plus and minus ends. I replaced the missing half of
each cell with a wood dowel with a hole drilled in the center. In
essence I made these fake batteries to put into the battery
compartment and run a cable out the door, with a slot cut in the door.
I took a 3.6V cell phone battery (removed from the case) and cabled it
to that compartment. Fully charged the battery puts out 4.2V. I
estimate the dam thing will take 200 pictures on a charge, but I
recharge at 3.7V. I took the chance of over powering the camera
because I was fed up and got to the point that I considered it
expendable. I was stupid lucky this time. I have the power supply
problems absolutely solved. I've taken 600 pictures with no problem
from a power standpoint. I often get dark pictures and always have,
but that's an unrelated issue. The white balance and E/V adjustments
don't fix that consistently.

That's what I did anyway.
 
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