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Thread: 12VDC power supply for the controller itself alone CANNOT power up the controller?

  1. #1
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    12VDC power supply for the controller itself alone CANNOT power up the controller?

    Just for clarification, the 12VDC power supply for the controller itself alone CANNOT power up the controller when no EB8 is connected to the controller, right?
    The 12VDC power supply is there just to tell the controller (powered by EB8) if there is a power outage (when the it doesn't see the 12V), right?

    I was trying to test my classic controller without a EB8 and it does not power up with my 12VDC power supply.

  2. #2
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    A 12vdc adapter plugged into the base unit should power up the base unit. If it does not, then something is wrong with the 12v power supply or the base unit. Or the 12v power supply does not have AC power.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  3. #3
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    Are you using a Neptune 12v adapter or some other one?
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

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    Some other - it is 12VDC 2.5A 5.5mm 2.1mm pin with inside positive. The controller is working fine when powered by my EB8. The 12V adapter is tested good. Pin is straight.... Hmmm. I will figure it out.

  5. #5
    Master Control Freak RussM's Avatar
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    The Neptune one is rated for 700ma (0.7 Amps). Bigger is not always better. Some AC adapters output a higher than labeled voltage when there is no load or a very small load which is insufficient for the voltage regulation to work properly. That 2.5A unit may be like that - did you measure the output with a multimeter? I recently ran into one that was rated 3A, and it output almost 18v instead of the labeled 12v, and that caused the Apex to not operate properly.
    Please do not send me PMs with technical questions or requesting assistance - use the forums for Apex help. PM me ONLY if the matter is of a private or personal nature. Thanks.

  6. #6
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    It is 12.26V and it is a UL listed adapter.
    I found the problem. The connector barrel is one of those springy kind that fits 2.1mm and 2.5mm. It might not have good contact to the base unit inside pin. I found another adapter (that is straightly 2.1mm) and it works.

    Thanks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by derekc View Post
    It is 12.26V and it is a UL listed adapter.
    I found the problem. The connector barrel is one of those springy kind that fits 2.1mm and 2.5mm. It might not have good contact to the base unit inside pin. I found another adapter (that is straightly 2.1mm) and it works.

    Thanks.
    Just be careful of using unregulated power supplies. ie... your typical wall wart that has no smarts about it. You are better of using a regulated power supply like the ones used on laptops and such. The main difference being is if there is a brown out or overvoltage condition, the power supply will always do its best to stay at the specified voltage; where an unregulated power supply will vary it's output based on what is being feed to it by your power company. An unregulated power supply is no meant to power electronics that can not filter these conditions out. So your 12V unregulated wall wart can be bouncing up and down anywhere between 9 to 16 Volts any given moment. They are also set to provide voltage at a given load, so it that load is not present or at its specified draw it will send more voltage than it needs too.

    --Cheers

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