TVOne 5V power connector

[richardash1981]

Does anyone know where to buy a DC power plug to fit TVOne OneTask devices which take a 5V DC 2A input? I'm looking at second hand units and most of them come without the original power supply. A 5V DC 2A supply isn't hard to arrange, but I need a plug to get into the box, and of course they try hard not to disclose the connector details. I'm not that bothered about it locking, given that the same box will have non-locking HDMI cables into it, and it's going on temporary rather than installed rigs.

 

From the photographs it looks like a standard 2.5mm pin DC input, but there are so many variants it could easily not be!

 

[sandall]

If you are buying 2nd-hand you could always open up the unit & solder a USB flying lead to the PCB. which would let you use any 2A phone-charger.

[Pete McCrea]

Would it not work to give TVOne a call and order a replacement?

[Andrew C]

Or one of these universal jobs? Come with a selection of tips.

[richardash1981]

My intention was to buy a plug to put on a spare 2A phone charger, I just wondered if anyone knew what the correct plug was. I have one of the multi-head sets like the Ansmann uses (with dimensions given), but I know some kit uses very weird sizes (I seem to remember that Trantec S4.4 receivers take an obscure size we could only get via Maplins ...). I'll just have to try all the plugs in the set when the kit turns up!

I'm expecting that a genuine TVOne replacement PSU will cost about as much as the HDMI splliter itself, which makes it a rather less attractive option (in other words, the splitter is cheap because replacement PSUs are expensive).

[sunray]

(I seem to remember that Trantec S4.4 receivers take an obscure size we could only get via Maplins ...)

Not in my experience, I've made up loads of leads to suit and sourced from CPC or Ebay or radio rallies.

[sandall]

(I seem to remember that Trantec S4.4 receivers take an obscure size we could only get via Maplins ...)

Not in my experience, I've made up loads of leads to suit and sourced from CPC or Ebay or radio rallies.

I have a large number of S1/1000, S2, S3/300 &S4/4000 Trantecs, & although the marked voltage & current vary between different PSU ranges they are all 2.1mm, centre +ve.

[richardash1981]

(I seem to remember that Trantec S4.4 receivers take an obscure size we could only get via Maplins ...)

Not in my experience, I've made up loads of leads to suit and sourced from CPC or Ebay or radio rallies.

I have a large number of S1/1000, S2, S3/300 &S4/4000 Trantecs, & although the marked voltage & current vary between different PSU ranges they are all 2.1mm, centre +ve.

 

I agree that the "classic" Trantec kit (up to S4000 / S3500 / S3.5 / S3.2 generation) all works with standard 2.1mm plugs. I made up a bunch of leads for an S2 antenna distro to S3500s like this recently. But if you put one of those leads, with a standard 2.1mm plug (no moving parts), into an S4.4 receiver (I would assume also S4.16, i.e. the following generation after the TOA takeover), although the plug will physically fit, you won't get reliable power. This is because the outside of the socket is a sufficiently snug fit as to hold the plug concentric about the centre pin, without actually making contact with the pin.

 

The genuine Trantec PSU uses a different plug with a spring contact for the central pin, which ensures reliable centre pin contact is made. It was these plugs (which are the same OD as standard 2.1mm plugs but with the different centre contact) which I ended up sourcing from Maplin.

[sandall]

I agree that the "classic" Trantec kit (up to S4000 / S3500 / S3.5 / S3.2 generation) all works with standard 2.1mm plugs. I made up a bunch of leads for an S2 antenna distro to S3500s like this recently. But if you put one of those leads, with a standard 2.1mm plug (no moving parts), into an S4.4 receiver (I would assume also S4.16, i.e. the following generation after the TOA takeover), although the plug will physically fit, you won't get reliable power. This is because the outside of the socket is a sufficiently snug fit as to hold the plug concentric about the centre pin, without actually making contact with the pin.

 

The genuine Trantec PSU uses a different plug with a spring contact for the central pin, which ensures reliable centre pin contact is made. It was these plugs (which are the same OD as standard 2.1mm plugs but with the different centre contact) which I ended up sourcing from Maplin.

Point taken. Have you found any other source of these since the demise of Maplin? My Sennheiser G1 & G2 receivers all use NT2-1 PSUs (2.1mm), but I seem to have acquired a collection of NT2-UK PSUs, which are 2.5mm, with a plastic collar at the end (presumably to make them even more difficult to pull out than the 2.1mm ones) & it would be useful to convert a couple to 2.1mm to keep as spares.

[richardash1981]

Point taken. Have you found any other source of these since the demise of Maplin?

I'm afraid I haven't had cause to - the 4-way power lead I made for the set of four S4.4 receivers continues to work fine!

[sunray]

But if you put one of those leads, with a standard 2.1mm plug (no moving parts), into an S4.4 receiver (I would assume also S4.16, i.e. the following generation after the TOA takeover), although the plug will physically fit, you won't get reliable power. This is because the outside of the socket is a sufficiently snug fit as to hold the plug concentric about the centre pin, without actually making contact with the pin. The genuine Trantec PSU uses a different plug with a spring contact for the central pin, which ensures reliable centre pin contact is made. It was these plugs (which are the same OD as standard 2.1mm plugs but with the different centre contact) which I ended up sourcing from Maplin.

So I read this a while back and didn't particularly recognise the statement, I've now had a look at my very varied stock of Trantec/TOA/Senny PSU's (five different styles with Trantec markings). I'd say they are 50/50 standard/sprung, the newest are nearly all non sprung. This prompted me to look at the box of 'faulty PSU's' and found the 6 intermittants (which I'd assumed were broken wire) were exclusively the sprung type which have now been repaired by fitting standard plugs.

[richardash1981]

To answer my own original question, the power inlet connections on 5V TV-ONE kit (or at least on the HDMI splitters in front of me) are 2.5mm pin DC barrel jacks (2.5 mm inner, 5.5mm outer plug fits). They have a fancy little bayonet which allows the genuine TV-One PSU to lock in, but standard plugs fit fine (and not loose) without locking.

[sunray]

But if you put one of those leads, with a standard 2.1mm plug (no moving parts), into an S4.4 receiver (I would assume also S4.16, i.e. the following generation after the TOA takeover), although the plug will physically fit, you won't get reliable power. This is because the outside of the socket is a sufficiently snug fit as to hold the plug concentric about the centre pin, without actually making contact with the pin. The genuine Trantec PSU uses a different plug with a spring contact for the central pin, which ensures reliable centre pin contact is made. It was these plugs (which are the same OD as standard 2.1mm plugs but with the different centre contact) which I ended up sourcing from Maplin.

 

 

Interestingly this weekend and leading up to it I have been involved with 7 events and approx 20 Trantec PSU's (4 of mine and the rest belonging to 4 other companies) total of 1 with sprung plug and the rest are 'standard'.