Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: dmish82 on October 08, 2004, 01:08:27 pm
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I'm about ready to wire my coin door lights up but i saw one post where it says that the lights may draw more current than the keyboard port on the PC can handle? I was wondering if anyone has their lights hooked up to the IPAC and if it works fine and what voltage bulb are you using? If not to the IPAC, how did you wire them to the power supply?
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Unless you replace the lights with led's you should not hook them to the ipac. Usually they are 12volts so just hook them to the yellow (and a black) wire on one of the power supply connectors. Make sure your power supply can handle it as a couple of incandescent bulbs can draw 1-2 extra amps. It is still a good idea IMHO to switch to LED's...they draw much less power and don't give off heat like incandescent.
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To power your coin door lights, note the voltage and amperage of the light bulbs used. If you see only a bulb number, go to www.donsbulbs.com and search for that bulb, and it will usually tell you the voltage and amperage.
Then, you need to find a supply suitable for that voltage and delivers sufficent current (amperage). If you are using Incadesent light bulbs, it does not matter if the voltage is AC or DC.
Some ideas to get power:
1) Run from a PC supply. If the lamp uses 5-6V or 12-14V, you can use your PCs supply to run it, by connecting to a unused disk drive power connector.
2) You can buy AC adapters at Radio Shack, Walmart, Fry's Electronics, Circuit City, and other stores that output between 1.5V and 24V, with 1.5V, 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 7.5V, 9V, 12V, 15V, 18V, and 24V being the most common, at various current levels. Check the adaptor for a suitable voltage and current rating.
3) You can also search your junk pile for used AC adapters from devices you no longer use such as Toys, Answering Machines, and the like. Again, check the voltage and amperage rating
4) You can buy a transformer and hard wire it