Thread: 9 volt battery amperage (mAh)?

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Ok, this is driving me nuts....I am in need of a "9 volt battery eliminator/adapter" to power a set of LED eyes controlled by a color changing / fading circuit...here's my dilemma - When the unit is powered by a 9 Volt battery, it works fine...BUT, when I try different 9 volt adapters (i.e. each having a different milliamp / amp rating), I get nothing, not even a flicker....so my question is, obviously this circuit requires exactly a 9 Volt battery to power itself (and must have some protection as to not get overpowered or underpowered), therefore, can anyone tell me what the mAH / amp rating is of a standard alkaline 9 Volt battery, so I can size an AC/DC adapter to use in its place? It sucks to all "royal hehaw" to have to keep replacing batteries for something so trivial....Ahhhgg....

Battery Capacity

500 Mah

That seems too weird. Battery output fades over time, and it wouldn't make sense to have to replace the battery when it gets down to like 8.5 volts. I know you've already checked, but do you have the polarity correct on the wall adapter? Even if the adapter isn't an exact match for a battery, you should be getting some response.

Thanks Spinman....got it....

Otaku, the polarity was correct, even tried reversing just in case...I agree with you though...I went through 9 volt DC adapters everywhere from 200mA through 1.5 mA, with no response whatsoever...as soon as I put a 9 Volt battery on it, the unit came on...LOL...hilarious....some explanation of the unit - it was purchased from Denny at TerrorByDesign many years ago, and the circuit board is only 1 square inch, and is covered in some sort of water proof yellow gunk that prevents me from determining what components are on the board, except for a function push button which causes the unit to fade / change colors of the LEDs attached via wires to the board (2 of them)...Can't explain it...I will say that if I use a weak 9 volt battery, the unit doesn't come on either...must have to be a fresh new battery, and I was trying to avoid having to change batteries, as this unit needs to stay on for hours and hours.....thanks for suggestions...!

Possibly silly suggestion, but might help... is the adapter you're using attached directly to the nine volt battery connections, or does it use a socket in the circuit? Maybe a bad connection on the socket that is solid on the battery leads??

Just an ill informed thought...

Bilbo, not a silly question - the socket is soldered directly onto the board and the solder connections are covered with that yellow muck....I've tried connecting the bare-wires from the adapters directly to the socket (using alligator clips), and I've attached a 9volt connector from the adapters's bare wires to the socket also...reversed polarity, cleaned contacts, tried everything....it's like a spoiled rotten kid - will only do what it's told if it's given what it wants..and what it wants is a 9Volt battery.....LOL...

Craig, I found a number for TBD - you could try calling and ask what's up with the circuit. The number is 630-830-9561. I also found this email: sue@terrorbydesign.com, but don't know if either of these contacts are still valid.
The only other thing I can think of is that the battery puts out a pretty steady voltage, and if you're using a non-regulated supply it may make a difference.

Otaku, thanks but Terror By Design has been out of business for quite a few years, and the domain / company name has been purchased by DCProps who does not sell those units....The original Terror By Design was one of the first companies in the Haunt Industry to provide simple, yet powerful controllers for props, such as the Puppet Master, Puppet Master 3x and several PIC-based timers and audio solutions (very inexpensively)...I have personally purchased tons of their merchandise in the past, and Denny (the owner) had even offered to repair all of my timers I purchased from him that were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina....unfortunately, due to health reasons, he had to close his doors, and did not pass his designs onto anyone else....

Ahhh, but holy cow - Otaku, I think you may have nailed it, my friend - NONE of the power supplies were regulated!!!! That may be it (i.e. they were not delivering the steady voltage)!!!

THANKS to everyone - I'll try a regulated one and let you know how it goes!!!



Craig

Actually, I called Sue (Denny's wife) once to see if I could get a copy of the instructions for my UDT II IR controller, and she kindly faxed me a copy. I think they're still trying to support their customers in whatever way they can. If you really get stuck, you could try calling and see if they can offer some advice.

I didn't realize (that) Sue was Denny's wife...I will try and call...

Thanks a bunch...

Craig