Charging unit question
Submitted: Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 19:48
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Teamredheads
I've just returned from Anaconda, having picked up a nice LED lantern - only to find that the Wall plug charger which came with it has the European style round twin prongs and therefore udderly useless.
In my bag of leftovers, I have a charger for a now obsolete GMC drill... which will fit the lantern. Question I have is, will the GMC charger which pumps out 15V at 300mA damage the lantern, which came with a charger pumping out only 12V at 500mA?
I'd usually take it back, but we're heading off in the morning for a bit of a jaunt across the countryside!
Reply By: Notso - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:01
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:01
A nominal 12 Volt charger usually puts out around 14 or 15 volts anyhow so it can properly charge the 12 volt battery.
If the GMC charger unit was for a 15 volt battery it will probably overcook to battery If the GMC Drill only had a 12 volt battery the 15 volts is probably the maximum voltage the charger will attain, so I'd check whether the GMC Battery pack was 12 volts or not,
the 300mA means it will just take a bit longer to charge the battery providing the Voltage is correct.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Teamredheads - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:14
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:14
Thanks - that confirms my earlier suspicions. The GMC Charger is rated at 15V, so according to what you say it'll probably go up as high as 16 or even 17V.
I'll give it a miss and use the car charger that came in the box. At least cigarette lighters are the same around the world!
Cheers!
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Reply By: Member - Fred B (NT) - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:15
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:15
Check the box, it should have come with an adaptor. If they sell it in Aus, then by law it is supposed to have the appropiate plug or adaptor to suit. In any case, an adaptor isn't that expensive to buy, then you would have the correct charger for the job.
AnswerID:
354176
Follow Up By: Teamredheads - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:31
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:31
Fred, I worked on the theory that "should have" means I don't need to check the box... ya kinda pick these things up and figure that by now, the staff would have cottoned on to a bad batch
Nevermind - the wrong plug was in there and the next Anaconda store is
Geelong.
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622349
Reply By: Andrew-rodeo - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:16
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:16
Was the lantern sold saying it came with a useless charger? or did anaconda forget to mention this?
If the input voltage is 240v you can just get a travel addaptor, maybe hit anaconda up for one of these.
Hope this can help.
Cheers Andrew
AnswerID:
354177
Follow Up By: Teamredheads - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:33
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 20:33
Andrew, spot on - the person responsible for that isle is probably 16, drives a lowered ford focus with extra DOOF as standard. Apart from that, mistakes happen - its just frustrating that it happened the night before a month long trip.
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 21:12
Sunday, Mar 15, 2009 at 21:12
Easy fix Go into a Dick Smith and get the correct adapter They sell all sorts of different ones.
AnswerID:
354190
Reply By: Member - Teege (NSW) - Monday, Mar 16, 2009 at 09:52
Monday, Mar 16, 2009 at 09:52
Have a good close look at the plug itself. I have bought a few things lately where the round european fitting slides off and leaves the Oz style one. They usually have an arrow imprinted somewhere to show the bit that slides off.
teege
AnswerID:
354271