Suitable Replacement for TG CD AC Adapter

[Achika403]

Hi, a friend sent me over here and I'm hoping to answer a question so I can't start playing my TG & CD unit.


I've found this about the TG CD's AC adapter:

Model: HES-ACA-02
Input: 120V AC 60HZ 24W
Output: 11V DC 1.53A (1530 mA)
Center plug is negative, the outer is positive.

I've talked to the guys at TZD and they said they were totally out of this model and don't expect anymore in.  So I'm in persuit of a substitute.  He said the HES-ACA-01 (TG 16's PSU), but the mA isn't high enough.  

I looked at Radio Shack, and I can't find any 10.5's (naturally), or 11 v.  Can't find anything on eBay either.  The only thing I found was this from RS:

12v, 1500 mA.

Would this work or would it be too much?  If it won't work, is there anywhere someone can point me for a replacement that will work?

[NoxPT]

do not, I REPEAT DO NOT use that AC on a TG16, it will fry every circuit that is unprotected and possibly over heat your wall socket and cause a fire. you have been wanred

[kid_rondeau]

Eh, I think that adapter would be fine. Honestly. What's an extra volt?

[vestcoat]

Someone posted on here recently saying that the AC adapter for TG16 CD player had some incorrect specs printed on it.  Did anyone ever figure out the story behind this?

[FM-77]

Eh, I think that adapter would be fine. Honestly. What's an extra volt?

Why are you replying to a thread that's over four years old? How did you even FIND it?!

[kid_rondeau]

well, honestly I'm new to the forums here, which is ridiculous considering what a Turbo freak I am. Anyway, when I found this place I saw that there were 38 pages worth of threads I could look at! I had to look at them all, and I invariably found that one too. I figured it still deserved some input; AC adapters for the TG-CD are as rare now as ever, perhaps more so.

I have the TG-16+TG-CD+Super System Card 3.0 setup, so this discussion is of particular interest to me.

[nat]

Someone posted on here recently saying that the AC adapter for TG16 CD player had some incorrect specs printed on it.  Did anyone ever figure out the story behind this?

It was me. Here is a copy of the message I left regarding this in the other thread:


Following this are some quotes from old Turbo-list posts regarding what we found with the TG-CD adapter:

Hi all,
I posted about this earlier, and didn't get much agreement at the time,
but I feel I must speak out again.
I own the original TG-CD player, and I have a degree in Electronics, so
I felt justified in doing some experimenting. I was able to find out the
following:

-Although the AC Adapter SAYS the output is 11V, and max draw is 1.53A,
these numbers are not completely correct. Any voltmeter will tell you
that the unit actually puts out 15.3V.

Think about that...it SAYS 1.53A, it GIVES 15.3V.
I personally do not believe this is a coincidence. They're the same
numbers, with a different decimal point! I believe this was a
proprietary measure by NEC to prevent people from buying third party
adapters, although Steve from TZD gave me a pretty convincing argument
that it was unintentional even if true.

So, my point is, for those of you who are looking for an AC Adapter for
your TG-CD: go to Radio Shack and buy a 15V adapter, and match up the
plug(I think the one for this system is "M", but you should check for
yourself). And I wouldn't be overly concerned about the current...you
won't need a 1.53A max draw...1000mA or 1200mA should be fine,
especially when you consider that 1.53A is enough current to kill a
grown man 10 times over.

You won't fry a system from too much voltage...it doesn't work that way.
Electronic appliances have what are called Voltage Regulators where the
power meets the PC board(although sometimes on the adapters themselves).
What this means is if you WERE to put a 15V source on an 11V system, it
takes what it needs voltage-wise and converts the rest of the power to
heat.

Keep in mind these messages are several years old. Since then, I have done a bit more testing and can confidently say the TG-CD's actual power draw is closer to 12 volts despite the fact that the NEC adapter puts out 15.3. The Radio Shack adapter that has worked so well for me over the years is the 12V/1.5mA adapter. Part # 273-1779. The correct tip is actually "N" not "M".

It looks like Radio Shack still has the adapter on their web page:

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2049715&cp

Although it's worth noting it is "Out of stock". I don't know if this means they don't make it anymore or what. If you can't find this one anywhere, you would be OK with anything 12 to 15V and an amperage rating of 1000 (1mA) to 1.5mA. After all, the NEC adapter puts out 15.3V which is why it runs hotter than the Radio Shack replacement (unused energy=heat).