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Old 21st Oct 2017, 10:40 pm   #1
Biggles
Rest in Peace
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Hexham, Northumberland, UK.
Posts: 2,234
Default Barrel type power plugs and sockets.

Why oh why are there so many combinations of those DC power connectors commonly known as barrel plugs? Over the years I have grown accustomed to the general range of outside and inside diameters of these darned things but still always seem to have the wrong type of either plug or socket. For some bizarre reason the plug I am trying to plug in always has the different size internal "hole" to the pin on the socket. 2.1mm, 2.5mm, and now today I have a CCTV camera which requires 12VDC and is fitted with an in line socket on the cable supplied with it. I didn't buy the optional PSU, thinking that I would have a suitable one at home. I did. Or so I thought. The plug 2.5mm hole fitted to the psu would go in but was loose. Ah, I thought, it must be a 2.1mm type. Changed it. Still no power. So I tried a one I found with a smaller hole still. Too tight. On examining another camera PSU which was supplied with it as a kit, I discovered it cleverly had two flexible contacts in the centre hole, so making a good contact. Well I had nothing like that in my spares so tomorrow I will have to cut the plug and socket off and hard wire it. In fact I think I will make a 12V power distribution panel and power them all off a proper PSU. My dash cam has a similar problem, as the inner pin doesn't seem to mate properly with anything off the shelf. Bah humbug!
Alan.
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