Can I use a three double AA battery holder as an external supply for a radio?

[SparkyChem]

Hello. I want to know if is it safe to use a battery holder with their wires attached to a 2.1 mm barrel dc jack for a radio.

The unit is center negative and as far I can tell from the users manual would require a source of 200 mA and 4.5 dc V. There are some adapters here and there but judging from the reviews most of them don't really supply the rated voltage and aren't as much reliable and add noise, which it can be problematic for a device where signal can be very susceptible to that.

So in short, is it safe?. I have these at hand and maybe I could use 3 AA batteries to fill what it is needed. But since it is center negative. I'm thinking that the common or ground (black colored wire) would be in tied to the inner barrel and the red colored wire would be tied to the exterior or outher barrel or the sleeve?. Is this okay?.

This thing of center positive and center negative it is a bit confusing for me. Can someone post a pinout diagram for this connector?. I couldn't find one which does clear my doubts, thus I thought someone here could help me with that.

 

[dick_freebird]

I have seen both tip-negative and tip-positive used
for power adaptors although the 12V coaxial type
is almost always shield-negative, core-positive.

Alkaline batteries will not be bothered by a momentary
short.

Black would be negative and most likely connected
to the shaft, red to the tip. You can verify this by
looking inside the radio, which "band" of the adaptor
plug connects to the printed circuit "ground plane"
(the largest conductor region)? You could also
measure voltages with the internal batteries in place.

Older radios are probably pretty forgiving and a
5V USB wall wart with the right tip soldered on,
probably would be more than adequate if you
wanted AC power.

 

[KlausST]

Hi,

You ask "is it safe".
It depends what you mean?
* safe for a person not to get an electric shock: yes
* safe for the battery against short circuit: no
* ...

Klaus

 

[c_mitra]

This thing of center positive and center negative it is a bit confusing for me. Can someone post a pinout diagram for this connector?. I couldn't find one which does clear my doubts, thus I thought someone here could help me with that.
Hello. I want to know if is it safe to use a battery holder with their wires attached to a 2.1 mm barrel dc jack for a radio.



The unit is center negative and as far I can tell from the users manual would require a source of 200 mA and 4.5 dc V. There are some adapters here and there but judging from the reviews most of them don't really supply the rated voltage and aren't as much reliable and add noise, which it can be problematic for a device where signal can be very susceptible to that.



So in short, is it safe?. I have these at hand and maybe I could use 3 AA batteries to fill what it is needed. But since it is center negative. I'm thinking that the common or ground (black colored wire) would be in tied to the inner barrel and the red colored wire would be tied to the exterior or outher barrel or the sleeve?. Is this okay

While most are center positive, center negatives are also there.

Because the radio takes 200mA and you are planning to use external batteries, you may be better off using C or D cells (simply because of their larger capacity).

Common carbon-zinc batteries are 1.5V and go down to 1V before which you have to discard it. So I suggest that you use 4 cells (6V) in series so that you can get the max power out from each cell.