Need to buy a new charger. Detailed specs?

[lomaxx]

I need to buy a new charger for the OpenPandora and try to get a decent one for the German region. For that reason I browsed the forum a little for more details. In some other thread ED mentions that the Sony-PSP-adaptors works fine, but first of all I would prefer to buy one that does not come from Sony and second (of all) there are obviously also three different version of the charger like stated here.


So for a start I am searching for the exact, preferred specs of a convertor that should look for, especially the correct description of the plug/size that needs to fit into the Pandora. From above URLs it seems like an input-range of 100-240 Volt and an output of 2mA with 5V seems to be a correct. Anything else I need to take care of? Any recommendations that might increase system-stability in case i try to run the Pandora without battery just with the charger?


Input: 100-240V


Output: 2000mA (= 2A) / 5V


Plug: ???

 

[lomaxx]

I browsed the net a little more. Seems like the PSP needs a "DC-Hohlstecker" (the german description for the plug) with a size of 4,0 x 1,70 mm. Is this correct?

 

[WizardStan]

Yes, the Pandora uses the same style as the PSP. An old PSP charger is exactly what I use to charge mine.

 

[lomaxx]

Nice coincident: I found an old PSU from a unused Belkin-router, with the exact values mentioned in the first post. The plug fits solid and the charging LED of the Pandora turns on. So that should work nicely. Thanks for the help anyway, WizardStan.

 

[Nintendo]

Aww, no sony love?

 

[MWeston]

Nice coincident: I found an old PSU from a unused Belkin-router, with the exact values mentioned in the first post. The plug fits solid and the charging LED of the Pandora turns on. So that should work nicely. Thanks for the help anyway, WizardStan.

This is such a terrible idea. Did you check the output? You probably did but this just reads like "it fit and it didn't blow up so I'm going to use it". If it puts out more than 5.5V (perhaps 6V at the limit but your Pandora is going to get much hotter!) I would stop using it.


Just reading over your first post again and I see you know what the correct specs are. Hopefully it is a match and then you are all set. If the adapter has too much ripple or poor regulation, the red led will probably end up going on and off. Running without a battery would probably fail and cause the unit to reboot over and over.

 

[lomaxx]

The values are indeed correct as far as i can see:


Input: 100-240V ~ 0.4A 50-60Hz


Output: 5V 2A


Unfortunately I noticed right after posting, that the plug doesn't really fit as good as I thought at the beginning. From the feel of it it seems to be nice, but it needs to be stuck in right up to the end. As soon as i move the Pandora while charging and the plug only moves '0,0000001' nanometers the charging light goes out. Either i will get a new plug and solder it to the adapter or find myself a complete new adapter anyway.


@Sony: I love respect you. But I dislike all these companies like Apple, Windows, Sony etc. who try to squeeze the last cents out of their products although they are already far too big and still try to enslave the customers by the use of hardware-,software- and law-mechanisms without caring about what's best for the technical-evolution of mankind. But that's off-topic.

 

[Link]

I tried buying some from Ebay that had a PSP adapter and USB mini on one end, with USB on the other. Plugged it into the Pandora and it made the charging light flash, meaning not good. So if you find something, make sure you can return it for a full refund in case it doesn't work.


I have found Psyclone adapters of the identical type I found on Ebay that DO work and I like the fact that I can just use USB off my computer or solar charger to charge the Pandora. Initially I was exposed to Psyclone through a 2 x USB to PSP and travel adpater pack at Target, but I think the company folded.


I dislike having to carry around a full on wall plug, especially some of the huge ones that shipped with some early Pandoras that included a US adapter that fit onto what I'm assuming was the UK plug.