Charging Jack

[Rhinochugger]

Looking at the Thomas gets battered thread.......

I have a charger which plugs into a Tamiya charging socket.

I'm looking to go with a couple of battery projects, so what sort of chassis mounting socket do I need to match this jack? What's the spec?

 

[Doug]

Take it to Maplin if you can and see what fits.

 

[Rhinochugger]

They ain't got none :thumbdown:

But they did identify it as 3.5mm mono jack nphone:

They list 'em on their website, it's just that the Pompey store is pretty tiny :-

 

[johnsaintjim]

Ian a lot of people seem to use the 2.1 mm DC plugs and sockets. I have standardised on these, using centre positive. I use them for charging my battery locos and where possible for the Rx batteries on the steamies too.

Maplins have a lot of choice at

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search?criteria=2.1 X 5.5mm DC plugs&source=15

There are also 2.5 mm plugs and sockets with a similar range of chassis and hole mountings, inline sockets, etc. Not loads of money either. This one is £1.69. They have the advantage of having a switch in them too, so they "know" when a plug is present - hence the extra terminal. I don't use it but you could switch a circuit with it.

Edit oh just noticed the search result on the link has a lot of dross on it like 2.1 speaker systems. Ah well, you catch the drift I suspect.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Yes, whatever I do, I don't really want to have to put a new jack on the charger - although because it's an intelligent charger, it won't try and charge if the polarity is wrong.

I think I can buy 3.5 switched sockets from Maplins online.

The switch business , run it by me again Graham. Would that stop the problem I originally had with my first battery installation when the jack shorted when connecting to the socket?

(I now stick the jack in the socket when the on/off/charging switch is set to 'on' for the motor, and then switch it to 'charging', then turn the charger on - as there's no centre 'off' position. There will be on the next one though )

 

[johnsaintjim]

Ian, why not make up a special adaptor lead with a Tamiya (opposite gender from the one on the charger) on one end and your chosen plug (maybe a 2.1 x 5.5mm) on the other? That way, you can use both. It's what I do and it means you can have any combination you like.

I haven't had the issue of shorting using a 2.1 plug and socket but then I don't normally switch the charger on till the leads are connected.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Ian, why not make up a special adaptor lead with a Tamiya (opposite gender from the one on the charger) on one end and your chosen plug (maybe a 2.1 x 5.5mm) on the other?

Phwoar - sounds much too simple

Anyway - I got back from maplins empty handed this morning :wits:

 

[Rod Fearnley]

I have just bought a smart charger from Strikalite Batteries, info@strikalite.co.uk and it came with a short Tamiya to 2.5 male jack. I have settled on those sockets that JSJ is referring to. It might be worth while calling them, I found them very helpful and fast delivery.
Rod

 

[KleineDicke]

The switch built into the socket is usually used to disconnect the battery from the load when the charging jack is inserted. Sort of like the way plugging headphones into a stereo bypasses the speaker. You wire the negative lead from the battery to the unswitched negative terminal and feed a negative lead to the load from the switched terminal. Not entirely necessary, but some folks (such as I) like to do it that way.

The short you mention might have been due to the plug and socket you were using. Some are not designed for power sources and can short when the plug in inserted. You typical headphone jack is this way.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Haven't ordered the elctrical bits yet, even though the 'main body' of teh project has been delivered

 

[Rhinochugger]

You wire the negative lead from the battery to the unswitched negative terminal and feed a negative lead to the load from the switched terminal. Not entirely necessary, but some folks (such as I) like to do it that way.

OK, How do I know which is the switched, and which is the unswitched negative terminal on this little beasty?

OK, photo isn't very clear. There are three terminals and the switch contacts spaced at 90 degrees around the circumference.

If we take the Switch contacts as North. East is joined to the centre ring. South is connected to the inner switch contact, and West is connected to the outer switch contact.

 

[Gizzy]

You wire the negative lead from the battery to the unswitched negative terminal and feed a negative lead to the load from the switched terminal. Not entirely necessary, but some folks (such as I) like to do it that way.

OK, How do I know which is the switched, and which is the unswitched negative terminal on this little beasty?

OK, photo isn't very clear. There are three terminals and the switch contacts spaced at 90 degrees around the circumference.

If we take the Switch contacts as North. East is joined to the centre ring. South is connected to the inner switch contact, and West is connected to the outer switch contact.

Can you not get hold of a multi meter matey? It will make the identifcation easier.

Or you could try google the part/ref number and see if there is a data sheet available....

 

[Rhinochugger]

I have a multi-meter of sorts; not too clever using it :-

 

[Gizzy]

I have a multi-meter of sorts; not too clever using it :-

If you need advice, just ask Chuggymate?

What I would do is plug the charger into the new socket and measure the voltages on the pins. Set meter to DC volts, measure across any 2 pins, record the results in a table, and PM me with the findings.

Just out of interest, on the Tamiya Charger plug, how many electrical contacts are on it?

2 or 3? I note that the new socket has 3....

 

[Rhinochugger]

I think I might have sussed it Gizzy. using your second option of looking for a data sheet, didn't get that, but found a couple of projects where people have used the same gizmo.

As bought, it operates as a switch between running and charging mode, which I do not want. but you can modify it, by bending one of the contacts, so that it makes contact only when the jack is inserted - that sounds attractive. Having worked that bit out, I think I understand which tag is which

I'll let you know when the smoke starts rising........................

 

[Rhinochugger]

Just out of interest, on the Tamiya Charger plug, how many electrical contacts are on it?

It's sealed :thumbdown:

 

[Tony Walsham]

Warning Will Robertson.

Do not use that type of jack for a charger port.
When you insert the plug it shorts out the battery contacts.
Much better to use a regular DC co-ax jack like those used for computer power supplies.


If the pic doesn't show click here: http://www.globalpc.co.nz/product_image?path=prodimages/P0622.gif
These come in various sizes. 2.1 mm pin or 2.5mm pin.
They are also an SPDT switch.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Warning Will Robertson.

Do not use that type of jack for a charger port.
When you insert the plug it shorts out the battery contacts.
Much better to use a regular DC co-ax jack like those used for computer power supplies.


If the pic doesn't show click here: http://www.globalpc.co.nz/product_image?path=prodimages/P0622.gif
These come in various sizes. 2.1 mm pin or 2.5mm pin.
They are also an SPDT switch.

Yes, Tony, thanks very much. This has come about because I did not understand the nature of the switch on the socket, and because it's the only one that Maplins supply.

I thought the switch would activate the socket, not work as a changeover between two circuits. That's because I've had problems with a short on an unswitched socket.

I've worked out how it can be used in plain mode, in conjunction with the SPDT switch which I had obtained for the circuit. There is a further mod which I've read about, whereby you can change this socket from fixed closed to fixed open, which is a possibility but still only using it as a simple socket, not to switch circuits.

Frying tonight nphone:

 

[Steveford666]

I haven't got that advanced to battery power yet, (I thought of 12 volt car batteries wired to the track instead of batteries in the loco) but, just a little thought. It may not work, but with battery power within the loco it will obviously have to be radio controlled, which means the forward / off / reverse has to be done within the loco and not at track level. Surely it would be possible to charge through the rail at certain points on the track? Standing at stations or something. One rail would have to be the positive as you all know and therefore a perhaps a diode should be inserted on the input lead to prevent the power flowing back. The negative rail would not matter. You could also have extra power for starting off. It is something I will be looking at for the future.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Steve

Battery technology has moved on so far, that it's easiest done with on board batteries.

However, there are plenty of experts on this forum where battery power is concerned - and I'm not one of the, I'm still dabbling. But the loco in my avatar is battery powered (12v sub-C pack for racing cars etc) and with the helpful advice from people on this forum, it is now a good performer