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Once again, Dauphin DTR-1 stuff, this time a power cord.

C

Compgeke

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Messages
780
Location
Fairfield, CA, USA
I read that the cord is a standard 12v DC, 2.1A cord, so I found a 12v DC, 2.2A cord and tried that, with the battery disconnected as usual to prevent any disasters. Flipped the switch on the Dauphin and...pop (and this is where you yell crap and pull the plug). The one I tested this on 1st is one that has a bad PS/2 keyboard port, wasn't willing to try it on the one that appears to be solid. Anyways, I took it apart and checked it. I think I've located the damage, but I want to be sure. I have some hi-res pics (makes life easier) that I took of where the damage appears to be, and the rest of the system. As far as I know 1.4 watts over isn't really enough to cause pop-smoke, but ya never know.

Here is where I think the damage is. I think it's those round things with the twisty metal wire inside (what the heck is the proper term for those anyways?), based on the fact that there appears to be some burn damage on the left one in the image.
http://img337.imageshack.us/img337/1311/dsc00831gq.jpg (not adding directly because those with slower connections would hate my 3264x2488 images).

Here is a picture of the top of the motherboard, with the kittyhawk drive removed.
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/2442/dsc00833lp.jpg

Here is a picture of the bottom of the motherboard:
http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1046/dsc00832pl.jpg

And finally, here is a picture of the specifications of the cord I used:
http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/9495/cordk.png
 
Was the pin/shell polarity reversed?
Also, the adapter does not say if that 12V is AC or DC. I have seen some pretty bad things happen when you fed a DC device nothing but AC.
Also, you should check your fuses. Theya re those green things that look like resistors near the power jack.
 
As far as I know, it's DC as my Linksys router hasn't caught fire yet. As for polarity, I'll have to borrow my neighbors multimeter to check as there aren't any markings as to whether center is positive.
 
Just checked the Dauphin Power unit and it has output 12v - - - (don't know what the dashes might indicate). 2.1 A . Pictograph of center-positive. Interestingly enough it also accepted a universal input of 115/230/240 V- ,60/50/50 hz at 60/30/30 A. I've never liked the adapter because it tended to get very hot, so I used a 12v 1000ma wall wart with no problem. I had also read in the Yahoo Dauphin group by one subscriber that he had blown up his DTR with the Dauphin adaptor and blamed it as the problem..
So a couple of years ago on a trip, when I had forgotten my wall-wart I picked up another 12v and sure-enough when I turned on the DTR, it went Poof, and "the magic smoke escaped". Usually when that happens it's a condensor which causes the smoke. Which does not mean that a coil couldn't have gone as well.

BTW the DTR adapter was made by EOS in camarillo, Cal. AC ADAPTER ZVC25-12-A.
 
When I have an older laptop that doesn't have the polarity marked on the case, I check for continuity to a ground point from the center pin and the shield of the power jack using an Ohmmeter on the 20K setting. Saved me from frying an old Zenith that I didn't have the original power adapter for. Turns out it was center pin ground, and shield positive. A good multimeter is a "must have" when working on old computers.
 
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