A1200 PSU Several questions

[Megaball]

I have heard tell that the A1200's PSU is underpowered, so much in fact that it frags out under too much stress from too many add-ons. A suitable solution would be to use the A500's psu. I have neither, but a website I happened to find informed me that the Commodore 128 PSU and the A500 psu are one in the same. Is this true? I'll be posting pics of my commodore psu later, but for right now here are the stats-

Input  117V~60Hz 70VA
Output   5W (three dashes with a solid line over it) 4.3A 9V~1A

Also, I intend to buy an NTSC A1200 from Amigakit.com, would I run into trouble using the c128's psu on a system like that?

[rkauer]

Megaball wrote:
I have heard tell that the A1200's PSU is underpowered, so much in fact that it frags out under too much stress from too many add-ons. A suitable solution would be to use the A500's psu. I have neither, but a website I happened to find informed me that the Commodore 128 PSU and the A500 psu are one in the same. Is this true? I'll be posting pics of my commodore psu later, but for right now here are the stats-

Input  117V~60Hz 70VA
Output   5W (three dashes with a solid line over it) 4.3A 9V~1A

Also, I intend to buy an NTSC A1200 from Amigakit.com, would I run into trouble using the c128's psu on a system like that?

 Never do that!

 C128's PSU are incompatible with Amiga ones.
 
 If you mind the expense of buying a replacement original PSU, you could make a replacement from a PC one!

 Things to do:
 Buy/borrow/steal/rent an original power cable;
 Buy/etc an AT or ATX peecee PSU.

 Hack the two above together.

 Don't know how?

 Is dirty simple:


 Don't you agree?

[rkauer]

 Don't know how to put the PSU with the Amiga cable together?

 Look at Ian Stedman's page.  :rtfm:

[Megaball]

Well, then thank the Good Lord I have an old burnt out C128 psu. I'm only saying use the 128 because the power connectors  are identical...

Did I mention this is an U.K. model?

-edit-

I have the old 128 Amiga-side connector, and I have a PSU from a Compaq Presario 5BW284, 5000 series. Will this work?

Like I said, this is a Untied Kingdom version, I don't want to have a nice and pretty PSU all lined up for my miggy, only to have detonate on activation. I would weep furiously after that.

The guy suggested a multimeter, I'm guessing for making sure which wire is going where. I say just chop up an old pair of headphones, grab a CD player and the plug end, and go nuts. Speaking of psu hacking, brb.

[Megaball]

Ok, seriously, I'm confused.

I have never done anything like this before, and I have never had a soldering job last more than a month. By the way, this guy looks like his psu is EUROPEAN. I need a guide for an AMERICAN system.

Not to sound stupid or anything, but it looks to me like most Amiga fans live in the U.K. and I'm stuck out here in the middle of the U.S. with a broken down A1000 and being surrounded by PC's. Things are starting to get to me.

Like I said, the Amiga I'm getting is European, I'm in America, and I don't want to buy a voltage converter.

will an american psu work for a foreign system?

[RobertB]

Megaball wrote

...but a website I happened to find informed me that the Commodore 128 PSU and the A500 psu are one in the same. Is this true?

Wow, that is very wrong.  What website is that?  The C128 p.s. puts out 5 volts DC and 9 volts AC.  An A500 p.s. puts out 5 and 12 volts.  As you can see, incompatible.

Also, I intend to buy an NTSC A1200 from Amigakit.com, would I run into trouble using the c128's psu on a system like that?

Yup, trouble there.  You need a p.s. at 5 and 12 volts.

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/

[rkauer]

 Not only +5 (at least with 5A of capacity) and +12V (at least 3A).

 Amigas need -5 and -12V too (for audio and serial port and other minor functionalities).

 Any (I said any) AT or ATX PSU can do do the trick. I don't know how is the shape of the C128 conector (is identical of the Amiga? Interesting...).

 But I think an Amiga power cable is much more cheaper than a whole power supply.

 Of course, if you don't have electronic skills, give the PSU (AT or ATX) and the cable, plus the schematics to an expertized  guy/gal.

 BTW: I live in Brazil, but I'm pretty sure you'll find some Amigan living near you. Hopefully with the know-how to help you.

[Hodgkinson]

Im looking for a power cable for my A1200, so if anyone’s in the UK with one spare or a duff PSU then im interested!

(Firstly so I can check the current consumption with all the add-ons, secondly so I have a suitable cable to make a *Linear* Amiga PSU one day, if I ever get around to it).

Hodgkinson.

[steve30]

Doesn't matter whether the ATX PSU is American or English.

ATX will supply the voltages that the amiga needs and more.

Just chop a power cable off an Amiga PSU.

Then get an ATX PSU and chop off the big ATX connector.

Then connect the wires like this:

ATX colour------Amiga colour
Black------Black
Black------Black
Blue------White
Red------Red
Yellow------Brown

Then to get the newly converted ATX supply to switch on, connect the green wire to any of the black wires.

If you are in America then you will just need to make sure that you get an American ATX supply. The Amiga's nationality makes no difference.

Here's mine, which I use with my A1200. The drive connectors are used for powering the IDE CDROM drive, and there are other wires for providing supplies to other devices. http://www.emaculation.com/steve/atxamiga.jpg

[Hodgkinson]

:-) Just make sure that none of the ends of the unused wires can touch each other or the PSU case (Which is usually grounded).

[_caddy_]

http://www.advantech.com/products/Cable-W-ATXATPower-CONN-45cm-for-PCA-6175/mod_1-239WIQ.aspx

Buy one of those, and do the At mod, that way if the psu breaks for some reason, you shgould just be able to unplug it, and use another, without any extra soldering.
Its also cheaper than doing any of the pcb making.

[MickTheLip]

@ Hodgkinson
If you mean the power cable from the power pack to the Amiga with the square end I've got one going begging

[Megaball]

So, even if the Amiga was made in Europe, the Amiga will still work with an American PSU?

And yes, the C128's plug is the square kind, 4 on the edges, 1 in the middle, crazy notch on the top.

[Zac67]

Megaball wrote:
So, even if the Amiga was made in Europe, the Amiga will still work with an American PSU?

Yes. In the US you need a 110V PSU, in (most of) Europe a 230V, the TV output standard of the Amiga doesn't matter a bit.

[RobertB]

Megaball wrote:

So, even if the Amiga was made in Europe, the Amiga will still work with an American PSU?

My British Amiga 1200 powers up perfectly with a North American A500 p.s..

Truly,
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group
http://videocam.net.au/fcug
The Other Group of Amigoids
http://www.calweb.com/~rabel1/