WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Modding and Technical Issues

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
number-g
Vic 20 Newbie
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 3:31 pm
Location: UK

WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by number-g »

I've just bought a vic20 from ebay with a power supply but after plugging it in for a while it seems to have crapped out. Reading changing values of well under 0.1v when i hook it up to a multimeter so I'm assuming it's the PSU and not the computer.

Seems like they are quite hard to come by so I thought I'd ask here.

I found a site selling an adapter to use 9v DC here: http://coolnovelties.co.uk/coolnoveltie ... cable.html but from what I read, the vic20 needs AC. The guy on the page says "The Commodore Vic 20 will work happily on a DC power supply.", is this true?

Sorry if this is the wrong place to post a question at the same time; I'm excited to get up and running :)
User avatar
eslapion
ultimate expander
Posts: 5458
Joined: Fri Jun 23, 2006 7:50 pm
Location: Canada
Occupation: 8bit addict

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by eslapion »

A VIC-20 designed for a 2 prong PSU will work ok with 9Vdc but it will draw about 1.2A so be sure the source you use can feed more than that.

The AC is only required for devices using special internal voltages on the user port such as modems and the good old Promenade C1.

To mods: this should be moved to the hardware section.
Be normal.
Overdoc
Vic 20 Amateur
Posts: 41
Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 12:00 pm
Location: Austria

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by Overdoc »

I think the PSU should be able to provide at least 2A, maybe even more, to be able to attach cartridges to the VIC-20.
The original PSU has 3A. (afair?)
User avatar
srowe
Vic 20 Scientist
Posts: 1325
Joined: Mon Jun 16, 2014 3:19 pm

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by srowe »

One just come up on eBay, not cheap though

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Commodore-VIC ... Swax5Y09XO
User avatar
mrr19121970
Vic 20 Nerd
Posts: 873
Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:22 am
Location: Germany
Occupation: IT service manager

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by mrr19121970 »

Are you sure you are measuring correctly ? Your multimeter is set to A.C. and both probes directly in the psu ? You also checked the continuity on your fuse ? I find I hard to believe that your psu is broken.

If it really is broken then keep the cable and connector. This is the hard to come by part. You can get any 230vAC to 9vAC step down transformer and connect the cut off cable. I am sure Maplin will sell them. Also you can get them on Amazon too. Make sure you have at least 2amp (3 or more is better)

See https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00LLHKKZG/
norm8332
Vic 20 Nerd
Posts: 626
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2016 11:04 am
Location: USA

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by norm8332 »

In my experience with the two pronged Vic, you need to supply a minimum of 10V if using a DC supply to account for the voltage drop of the rectifiers in the Vic-20. 9V will barely be at the required 7.5V at the 5V regulator input. It may seem to work, but I have ran into freeze-ups and crashes when using only 9V DC. I made up some buck converter adapters that allow me to plug in any power supply with the required current between 12-30VDC and get the 10Vdc at the two prong plug. I dont even bother with the AC supplies because they are all too high voltage by the time it reaches the regulator, leading to a ton of heat generation in the Vic-20.
“In religion and politics people’s beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination... whose opinions about them were not worth a brass farthing.”

-Autobiography of Mark Twain
Boray
Musical Smurf
Posts: 4064
Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 10:47 am

Re: WTB - 2 prong power supply in the UK.

Post by Boray »

See here: http://sleepingelephant.com/ipw-web/bul ... =11&t=7995

9V DC 3A works well for me as long as you connect it well to the vic's power input. (Crocodile clamps are not enough). And I have a lot of pheripials connected to the vic-20.
PRG Starter - a VICE helper / Vic Software (Boray Gammon, SD2IEC music player, Vic Disk Menu, Tribbles, Mega Omega, How Many 8K etc.)
Post Reply