Author: Mike Byrne
Date: 16:44:47 03/16/05
Looking for a hard to find computer chess AC/DC adapter for that European version chess computer. First,, the best options is to buy the Adapter designed for the unit by the manufacturer if available. ICD carries many of the AD/DC adapters that are sold for the current corp of dedicated units now available. Buying the manuafacturer's unit will leave nothing to doubt and will protect your warranty in the event the unit malfucntions later. Using a 3rd party adpater may cause your warranty to be invalid. I strongly suggest checking with Steve S of ICD before going on your own to buy an adapater for a ches computer. But for companies, that are no longer around, you may not have a choice. You will need to obtain some critical information Volts Plug type Plug size Tip polarity Wall Mount/Desk Type Most chess computer units are either 6 volts or 9 volts, if you are not sure your best is to ask. Genrally speaking, if it uses 6 1.5V batteries, it would require 9 volts and if is uses 4 1.5 V batteries, it will use 6 volts. However, there are several exceptions to this rule, for example the Star Diamond uses 4 1.5 V batteries and a 9 volt ac/dc adapter. It is important that you do not use higher voltage than what is recommended. Using lower voltage will not damage anything, but the unit may not work correctly, The plug type is also critical and is usually self explantory. We have male and females p;ug types. Tasc R30/Star Diamond both use a female plug, many of the Fidelity models use a the male type. Obviously the plug size is critical too. This often not provided in the manual and often the best way is to determine only look, but to try differnt plug sizes on type when you know the size. Female plugs have two measurements, the outer diameter and the inner diameter. The Tasc r30 and Star Diamond both use a female type with the diminesions of 5.5MM/2.5MM, a very common female plug size (MM=millimeters). Tip polarity - very critical, your unit will not work with the incorrect polarty tip. It is either a positive tip or negative tip. Often there is a diagram with a plus sign (positive) or negative sign with a line point to the center of the plug - that tells you the tip polarity. If have the correct voltage and plug type/size you plug the incorrect polarity tip into the chess computer it will not work at all. Quickly remove the plug and try the opposite polarity tip, an incorrect polarity plug does not normally cause damage if removed right away. Example of diegrams here http://www.buycondor.com/catalog/table.cfm?subcat=30#polarity The Tasc R30 is postive tip, the Novag Star Diamond is negative tip - so although they would the same voltage and plug type (9V female 5.5/2.5MM), they require separate adpaters since they have opposite polarity tips. Lastly , do you want a wall mount or desktop. A wall mount is where the "brick"(transformer) has the outlet plus attached to it and it usaually takes up two outlets when in use. A desk type has two cords, one coming into the brick from the outlet and one leaving the brick to the chess unit. I prefer the desktype since it leaves all outlets available and since they come with two cords, they are usually longer in length. Example of the desktype unit. http://www.buycondor.com/catalog/detaildc.cfm?ID=93 Lastly, when you buy an adpater from the "adpater" people -- such as Condor above - you have an option that you generally do not have when you go the store. For example, for my new Tasc R30, I ordered with an extend corded (extra 3 feet). With the extension, one cord is 8 foot, andthe other cord is 6 fott, 14 foot cord in total. That may come in handy if you are in spot where the outlets are not convenient - perhaps in a hotel or even outside on the deck. In additon, for those really bad "outlet" spots, Condor is"throwing-in" a 12 foot extender - a special cord that connects to the plug coming out of the brick and has an identical plug on it's end. This will provide me with Tasc R30 usuability out on the deck during the warm warm months with using a separate extension cord. ( Ihave an outlet outside, but it's right nect to the house.) I have purchased many adpaters from Condor previously, in fact Steve B has the one I ordered especially for the Mephisto Genius . which I provided to him with the Mephisto Genius he purchased from me. This post was from 1997 and Condor has the same phone number today as they did back then. http://chessprogramming.org/cccsearch/ccc.php?art_id=10930 their main site http://www.buycondor.com/ Transformer Regards --- Michael
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