Never Replace Batteries Again! Convert Battery Device To Wall Adapter!

[@Flecha57]

Man, that was awesome. Right to the point. No mumbo jumbo or annoying background music. Thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad you liked it!

[@poplive4ever]

YES!!!!

[@druiz607]

I was gonna say that. Learned how to do this in 5 minutes.

[@Cyallaire]

Can I put two 10 light strands that require 2 AA each in parallel so they then require 6 volts from an adapter (since it’s hard to find one that puts out 3 volts)?

[@Totalballa41]

I love mumbo jumbo, back off

[@Cassandra_Loveday]

Thank you for sharing. My dad recently passed away and he did all these things for me to do with replacing battery with power supply. I never understood how he did it. Miss him so much. Thank you for sharing. I’ve learned a lot from this video and I’m going to endeavour to try it.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[@shawnweaver8520]

Did a search and this is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I have 3 pre-lit fairy light Christmas wreaths that hang outdoors on a fence and they eat through batteries fast! I will do exactly how your video explains as I have the same set up. Now I just have to figure out how to get all 3 to an outlet. I will use extension cords of course, unless you have a better suggestion? Also, I followed your tutorial on adding LED lights to a snow blower powered by a Dewalt battery. PERFECT! I got it to work and thanks to your video, the install looks factory! Now we just need some snow so I can use them! Thanks again for your time making these excellent videos!

[@AmplifyDIY]

I'm so glad that you were able to add lights to your blower - that's awesome! As for your wreath lights - an extension cord is about all I can suggest... though I do recommend protecting the power adapter from the elements in a waterproof junction box or something similar. Good luck!

[@ninjaguysith]

I did this for my automatic trashcan, which normally needs 6 D -size batteries. The DC power supply cost less than a pack of 6 D-size batteries. So worth it for things that don't need to be moved around often.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Heya Ninja Guy - that's a perfect place to use something like this. Nice job!

[@ChrisCarver01]

I'm here watching this video because of this same exact thing... I'm replacing those batteries in my trashcan at least every 2-3 months. Such a waste.

[@wholesome94282]

I just threw a adapter in the trash, after seeing this went and dug it out and going to use it to convert my tree just like yours. Thanks for the simple instructions.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Nice!!

[@TinLe120]

One of the best DIY channels on youtube. Simple and useful.

[@maeonmars9357]

I am a complete novice, but this was AWESOME. Really clear instructions and use of tools!I especially appreciate the re-use of cords from the thrift store! ( although I probably have a whole box of appropriate abandoned cords in my house already😁)

[@AmplifyDIY]

Awesome, thank you!

[@jayjarrett732]

Solid advice and is one of those life hacks that seems to have been forgotten. I have been reusing old "wall wart" sty,e adapets for years and as long as you keep the voltages correct it works like a charm.

[@MikeyBLial]

Had the exact same problem with my seasonal decorations. Just had it all converted within minutes thanks to your video. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge…you rock!🤘🏻

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great to hear!

[@saeklin]

I'm doing this research to power a motion-sensing outdoor light that for some reason is powered by batteries and doesn't offer an adapter option. Notes to people attempting such a mod, battery compartments could be in series or parallel or a combination. Like, 4 AA batteries could output 1.5v in parallel or 6v in series or something in between. Also, consider the resistor you need to replicate the batteries' resistances. I think a AA battery has about 0.1 ohms. I suppose the adapter may account for that, but for delicate electronics I would want to cover all my bases. Its one thing to convert an outlet-powered device to using batteries, its a whole other to do the opposite. Don't burn your house down.

[@yadercalero1951]

Hello. We're you able to convert your light to power? I have one that I want to do just the same and the label says is 4.5V. Is a pain in the behind changing batteries every 2 weeks. Please let me know.

[@TechnaDesign]

Good tutorial! 👍 A small tweak to take the finished result up a notch would be to use a small rubber grommet in the hole that was drilled in the base that has the same inner diameter as the wall adapter's wire. I did that for another project and it looked good and also helped hold the wire in place.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great idea!

[@pamkyrk]

I have the same little tree and it's the reason I went looking. Grateful viewer!!! Thank you!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ginnykilpatrick]

GREAT VIDEO! Straight to the point, no unnecessary superfluous yadda yadda. I like to decorate with those inexpensive small lights which run off batteries. You’re right, it’s annoying (and expensive!) to keep having to remember to turn them off and replace AAs constantly. I have enough electrical knowledge to be comfortable trying this! 👍🏻

[@ygstuff4898]

Great tutorial. I've done this a handful of times for battery-powered wall clocks--I liked the clock, but hated changing batteries. For a desk toy, I added a switch to the live wire, so I could turn it off/on.

[@dafalzonAUS]

Wall clocks 👍

[@spectroman71]

Fantastic. I have dozens of holiday decorations that would benefit from this treatment! Now, to actually apply myself...

[@AmplifyDIY]

Getting started for me is 75% of the battle. :) You can do it!

[@ИлияИлиев-ц6ш]

I am very novice at messing with electronics and i found this so easy to follow and helpful. Great video.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@monamitchell5067]

Thanks!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Mona - THANK YOU! You are amazing!

[@captcardwell3398]

The start was gold, didn't expect such professionalism after relating so much to backtalking to devices haha

[@RoxyReid1]

Awesome explanation of what needs to be done! I didn't have a clue how to convert my holiday snowman who runs on batteries to a plug in - so much better! Haven't done it but will be doing it soon. Love the explanation of how to calculate what is necessary.

[@jmward1984]

Thank you for this! I have two keepsake Christmas decorations that have long lost the dc plug. They work better than ever now!

[@AmplifyDIY]

That's awesome, Jennifer!

[@larryv4249]

I recently discovered your channel.......and am I glad that I did. Thank you, keep up the good job. Disclaimer: Accept this compliment at your own risk, I am not responsible for any happiness on your behalf that may result from reading this.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I gladly accept all risk of happiness that results from your comment. Thanks for watching!

[@jrokwl]

thank you for this. So tired of forgetting to turn off my holiday decorations and only getting a day out of the batteries!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad I could help!

[@Chaos_God_of_Fate]

Great video- straight to the point! I like that and it explains things very simply. I'd have wrapped the wires before soldering but I'm just OCDing. Very nice tutorial- I might have just soldered directly to the battery terminals as well, that way I can still power it with batteries- just Don't plug it in with batteries in it! The next step would be to build something to protect the batteries so that it can have batteries and still be plugged in, but that's getting a little complex for most folks.

[@moonbunny24]

Neat! I have some string lights that I was going to put across my window and realized they won't last long since they're battery operated. I might look into getting the supplies to do this since I've soldered lights exactly like these before to repair them and it doesn't seem any harder than that. It might look a little funny comparatively, but it'll be worth it so I can actually enjoy them!

[@CrashCraftLabs]

ty sir thats what i figured but i wanted to make sure i was right, the findding out the power requirement helped for sure.

[@reyrainer6332]

This is great and so appreciated. I've been looking for something like this for a long time. Thanks.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad you found it helpful, Rey! I'm happy to answer any questions that pop up for you when you do a similar conversion. Good luck!

[@chandramurugesan6517]

Great, I converted my elliptical curve with this simple trick.. I used to change 4 batteries every month.. felt good my fix is working good. Thanks for detailed video

[@AmplifyDIY]

Nice work!

[@moralesh]

I like the alligator clips holding the wires for you as you solder. Might have to get me a set.

[@AmplifyDIY]

They make life much easier!

[@rbrantley86]

love your video. I wish that everything would switch over to USB-C and that the Voltage would be dictated by the device.

[@panicmosem5969]

Do you have to solder or can you twist the wires then add a heat shrink connector??

[@AmplifyDIY]

Solder really is best. Twisting is not secure, and will eventually fail over time.

[@darkerstill55]

@@AmplifyDIY That heat shrink you use is meant to replace soldering, as it has solder built-in and does the soldering job when you shrink it.

[@S87yt]

Great video. We got a kaleidoscope projector light thingy that shines on the ceiling for 99 cents. Creates a nice effect but I didn't want to eat up AAAs with it. I saw that adapter kits with dummy batteries are $15. I chopped the end off an old USB cable and dug out the soldering iron. Working great. Thanks.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Very cool!

[@CherryChauParis]

Brilliant!! Thank you very much for passing this knowledge 🎉🎉🎉

[@d1btd3265]

Great video. Straight to the point and very clear.

[@elsomnoliento]

No need to cut the wires connected to the battery holders! Keep it so you still have the option to power the device using AA batteries. Just make sure the battery holders are empty while using the wall adapter to power the tree,

[@BlaBla-om3xm]

Even better: Since mostly On/On switches are used like in this video, just connect the wall adapter to the remaining switch pin and the middle pin. Switch it one way for battery use, the other way for adapter use.

[@sabofx]

You can connect the power adapter to a smart socket and remotely control the ON/OFF switch from your phone or smart home.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great idea!

[@terlinguaDrift]

Great video. Goodwills are a great way to source the adapters. Batteries are way too expensive to keep replacing them for these sort of things. One thing to note is how many milliamps the power supply outputs too. A 1000mA unit is ideal for anything that has a larger load. Some phone chargers only output .1mA and sometimes that isn’t enough current to run certain items.

[@AmplifyDIY]

This is a good point. Make sure you read the label on the power supply carefully!

[@nsptyty9617]

Thank you for this info very useful calm and soothing presentation.

[@AmplifyDIY]

You're very welcome!

[@whothou9154]

Awesome! I've just recently got into soldering and circuts so this is definitely a project I'd love to try!

[@AmplifyDIY]

It's a quick and easy one that is perfect for a beginner. Good luck!

[@chaesfreak]

thanks a lot, i did that to my guitar amplifier that only ran from battaries, it works like a dream

[@joyfool1225]

Awesome 😃❤ I will do the same to my automatic chicken door. Thanks alot ❤

[@knowlegehub82]

great! video 😊 i tried it on one of the toy that is being frequently used and it worked😅 thanks for the information it really helped

[@AmplifyDIY]

You're welcome 😊

[@agogley]

This is great. They also sell adapters on Amazon that have dummy batteries and an adapter.

[@sabofx]

That sounds excellent! I'll be looking into those!

[@CarsSimplified]

Nice! I can't wait to do this to my RC car! Kidding, but definitely something I've considered doing with various battery-powered items around the house. That decoration is quite the perfect use for this modification! Congrats on reaching 100K subscribers!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thanks Cars Simplified!

[@CovertRadio]

@Cars Simplified - Don't laugh, I use to have an RC Car with wires connecting to the hand-held power supply and steering. It was the 80's, times were simpler. As a young lad, I wasn't aware that RC actually meant Radio Control. And even if I did,... I still wouldn't know what it actually meant. However, I do remember my first OFFICIAL 'Radio Control' vehicle. Except, Christmas day was RUINED that year! Because my brother and I got the EXACT SAME RC Truck from Radio Shack. And they BOTH had identical frequencies. So, we could only use one at a time.

[@AmplifyDIY]

@@CovertRadio You've brought up some memories for me as well! My first RC car was the "Lobo II", sold at Sears. I begged and begged for it for my birthday, and managed to break it during the first drive. Jumped it over the curb in front of my house, and it broke one of the axles. 😂 Good times.

[@nathanderthal3790]

just what I was looking for! ... no annoying droning on about some unrelated drama... lol .... gotta luv a guy that knows how to get to it with good info. (signed, mrs. nathanderthal)

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thank you Mrs. N!

[@grantguy8933]

Well done. I feel I can do anything 👍

[@tharcustharcus3517]

Thank you 🙏

[@gordon_velupillai]

That's awesome, I was thinking of doing the same with the touchless trash dispenser because it uses 6 AA batteries

[@phoenixwithin]

Wow, I found this video thoroughly enjoyable. I have a battery lamp in the shape of an “R” that I want to convert, and no… don’t worry. I won’t hold you accountable! 😂⚡️💥🤯

[@haizi7179]

Nice! Been wondering how to do this for a while

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad I could help!

[@thesavo]

Godspeed MR LG chocolate charger. I hope you enjoy your new life powering a household decoration.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Haha - that's one way to look at it!

[@FaceWarp]

Thank you Les! You made this so easy that I converted all of my small tree ornaments to DC! Now my only problem is that I'm running low on outlets.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad it worked out for you!

[@albavel]

Hi! I have Christmas ornaments and led lights too. But they all have 2 batteries only (3V in total) and I have 5V phone chargers and I can’t find 3V ones. Do you think there could be issues ? They do shine a little brighter but other than that they seem fine. Than’ you for your help

[@jimbosander]

Yes, thanks Les, now, along those lines... if I had a series of packs (each of the same input requirement), could I power multiple units from a single supply, or would I need a converter for each unit.

[@nathanielhill8156]

@@albavel consiter using a zener diode to lower the voltage to your 3v target. This way you are not overdriving the lights. I learned to use a 0.3v variance per AA(A) battery as a rule of thumb.

[@nathanielhill8156]

@@jimbosander if the converter's amperage is high enough to support it, then runing the different packs in parallel should not cause any issues.

[@ezabreeza3223]

Excellent video!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@Sylvan_dB]

Nice job, and well worth avoiding frequent battery changes! Maybe some ideas for future videos: Sometimes instead of an A.C. adapter, I'll use a battery holder for larger batteries. I.e. your 3x AA decoration will likely run for weeks on 3x D cells, which could get you thru the season without changing batteries. If 3 AA rechargeable don't work well, 4x might do better. Another option is a USB powerbank. 4.5v being "close enough" to the 5v put out by said USB powerbank, just wire it up like an adapter, but now you have a big battery. Final option if you know how to safely work with "raw" LiIon cells, 4.5v is "close enough" to use a single 4v LiIon cell with a simple single-cell BMS and TP4056 charger module (get one with "battery" and "load" terminals and wire the decoration as the "load" so the board can turn it off when the battery is depleted). I lied, there are more options but they get more complex. Such as using a LM2576 step down (or "buck") DC:DC converter connected to a power tool battery and adjusted to output the desired voltage for the gadget.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Fantastic ideas! Many of them are outside the reach of a typical homeowner, but for a hobbyist or advanced tinkerer these are great. Thank you!

[@Bigmandoloco]

👏🏽 👏🏽 thanks!!

[@AndrewBerenyi-i9i]

OK, I had the same idea with a dog training device. It makes a sound we can't hear and reduces the barking from 5 dachshunds next-door. It has a 9 volt battery. I connected the wall adapter 9 Volt and nothing works... Why?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Any chance you've swapped the polarity? Also, it's possible that the wall adapter cannot supply enough current ... it's rated to supply 9V, but at how many amps?

[@djamaraLA]

would you be able to connect this particular light into a 12v landscape wire hooked up to transformer?

[@AmplifyDIY]

The specific light I demonstrated in this video would NOT work on a 12v circuit. That's way too much voltage.

[@EmmysNana]

Awesome tutorial! I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m gonna try! (My brother in law said he would supervise… even at 47, I should be left alone with sharp objects or hot-touchie things… okay… I’ll be honest… I shouldn’t be left alone, unsupervised, EVER) LOL Anyway! Great video, and love the outtakes 🥰😂

[@AmplifyDIY]

You've got this, Jacqueline!

[@daqq]

Would have loved seeing this particular example converted to micro USB. 5V should be within tolerance.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Interesting idea, Dakota! That would make things only *slightly* more complex in that you'd have to install a micro usb receptacle in the housing of the device...and soldering something that small can be a bit fiddly. However, I have several other little devices kicking around that may be good candidates for such a conversion. Thanks for the suggestion, and thanks for watching!

[@ronlee1949]

I love your videos very informative. And I like your vice grip garage hat too.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Well, I'll be dipped!

[@stephannaro2113]

What if I can't get 4.5V (South Africa does not provide everything under the sun at our beck and call), but I have a 12V power supply? Even if I connect 2 sets of 4.5V lights in series, that leaves 3V spare, which might not be safe?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Don't use a 12V supply. Even wired in series, it will most likely damage things.

[@WhatInTheHeck-t9i]

This is AWESOME! Thank you!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad you like it!

[@j7ndominica051]

There used to be adjustable power supplies. Now everything seems to be converging on 5V or 12 V. How would you easily step the voltage down for something that takes 2 cells?

[@AmplifyDIY]

There still are adjustable power supplies readily available, or you can just buy a very cheap power supply at the exact voltage you need, if you don't already have one. Thrift stores can be handy for this as I showed in the video, but they are also pretty cheap online: Adjustable power supply: amzn.to/3rL0P6J 3v (2 cells) power supply: amzn.to/3Fbc37A

[@john62841]

Awesome! I wanted to do this also to my door bell (AAx3) device itself, I even found the same EXACT wall adapter that you used (LG 4.8v | 0.9A) multi meter shows 4.83v so it's good...but, once I did a test run...nothing happens, any ideas? FYI: Door bell one with 30 pre-programmed rings in it, button on device you click to go threw them all. With the batteries in, I quick click on the button and the door chimes just fine, but with wall-power, once I let go of the button it stops sounding...and ideas? I even tried a 5v|1A power wall adapter, same result ;(

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hmm... the only thing that comes to mind is that the doorbell may possibly be drawing more amps than the power supply can provide... but then it would eat batteries very very quickly - so I doubt that's the case. Still, I'd try finding a 5v 2A supply and see if that makes any difference. Also make sure you don't have any loose connections.... Good luck!

[@007DFWAngel]

L❤L ❤ the style and simplicity of your video

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thank you so much!!

[@brennanpurcell9182]

How important is the current draw? I have a device powered off of 6 D-cells that supply 9V at 15A, but when I measure the current while the device is turned on it there’s roughly 0.1A. Do I need to search for a power supply that can do 9V at 15A or 9V at 0.1A?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Your power supply only needs to be able to supply the current actually drawn. I tend to err on the side of making sure the power supply has some overhead though - around 2x the expected draw. So I'd look for something capable of 9V @ .2A - but it's much more likely you'll find something that is more like 9V @ 1A - which would be perfectly fine. Good luck!

[@Nebelum]

Would it be possible to safely connect the wires to the positive and negative terminals themselves so that the device can still be used with batteries if you want to remove the power adapter?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Sure, if you can get access in such a way that you can preserve the battery connections, then you can have a hybrid set up where you can plug it in if you want to or run it off a battery if you want to.

[@SteelheadTed]

Nice! I’ll be using this idea for sure

[@guillerivers4079]

Thx, just what I was looking for

[@kpleahy]

GREAT video!! thank you. If I have several pre-lit battery operated 9’ Christmas garlands. Would I need to do a separate AC adapter/cord for each one or can I somehow wire them together with one power adapter? Or even wire 2 of them together. How do i calculate the proper power supply if i combine? TIA 🙏🏻

[@AmplifyDIY]

You can certainly daisy-chain them all together. If they all run on the same voltage, just make sure you get a power supply that supplies that voltage at enough amps for the circuit. In round numbers as an example: Let's say you have 2 garlands that run on 3 AA batteries each. That means each garland needs between 4-5 volts to operate, and they probably only draw a few milliamps. For simplicity, let's say they each need 100 milliamps @ 5 volts. If you wire them in parallel so that you have a single power supply that runs to both, you'll need something that can supply 5 volts at 200 milliamps. It's better to get something that is rated higher though, so I'd recommend a 5v supply that can handle 500 milliamps. Key takeaways: Wire them in parallel so that each light/garland/tree/whatever gets the same voltage from the supply. Make sure the supply can handle the current draw in milliamps. Good luck!

[@kpleahy]

@@AmplifyDIY you’re the best! That’s exactly what I needed to know. So helpful and clear. Appreciate you!

[@michaelbrown507]

Beautiful. Thank you. Merry Christmas!!!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Merry Christmas to you as well, Michael!

[@ep411]

Making it look easy! Great vid

[@ssgwright7419]

So dope. Blessings From Texas 🤠

[@AmplifyDIY]

Howdy, SSG Wright - and thanks for watching!

[@4ndroid55]

i have a decorative statue that has a total of 5 little LED lights and runs on two AAA batteries... what ya reckon ac adapter i need..

[@AmplifyDIY]

Heya Android:55 - AAA batteries provide around 1.5v each, so with 2 you'll need a power supply that can put out 3 volts. Here is an Amazon affiliate link for one that would work well: amzn.to/3LZ28ni - though you may also be able to find one at your local thrift store, if you have the patience to do some digging. Good luck!

[@Adam_StefaniakSaltea_Moonspell]

Hi, great guide! quick question: Can I exclude the entire box and keep my led strip directly connected to ac power? I noticed there is a resistor connected to the switch but I dont really need it as I will have it plugged to smart plug?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Adam - No, a resistor will not convert the mains AC power to the lower voltage DC power that a typical LED strip needs. You *must* have a DC power supply that matches the voltage requirements of the LED strip. Good luck, and thanks for watching!

[@Adam_StefaniakSaltea_Moonspell]

@@AmplifyDIY Thanks for the feedback. I connected 5V to a strip that was powered by two AA bat - works fine. Thank you again, and be well.

[@mikeferretti7422]

Do you have to use a 110 adapter? Can I just take a junk extension cord and cut the male end off and connect the lights to the ext cord?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Mike. Definitely DO NOT just connect an extension cord to a small string of lights that expects to run on a low-voltage DC circuit. If you have a thing that runs on a couple of small batteries, and you connect it directly to mains power, you'll let the magic smoke out of the thing for sure... and possibly risk starting an electrical fire. YES: You need an adapter. Good luck!

[@TheMajortom75]

Great video! When does the device voltage differential to the adaptor become a problem. I have a similar 4.5v item and an old cell charger at 5.1v. Is that too much?

[@AmplifyDIY]

4.5 to 5.1 is not a huge difference, and likely would be find. I try to keep things within a 10-15% or so margin. I would not go over 5.5v on something that is rated for only 4.5, for example.

[@johnnydash4603]

Exactly what I needed! Thank you!! 😊

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad it was helpful!

[@peb6]

I have a 5 volt adapter and a 9 volt adapter. In an automatic handsoap dispenser that holds 4 c type batteries, Can any of these work?

[@AmplifyDIY]

A type C battery is rated to provide 1.5 volts. 4 of them wired in series would provide 4 * 1.5, or 6 volts. The hand soap dispenser may work fine on 5 volts (slightly lower than 4 fully charged C batteries) but I would not try the 9 volt adapter. That may damage the dispenser. Good luck!

[@dianed4190]

I'm a great big chicken so would never do this myself, but I have to thank you for your very clear instructions and those fabulous bloopers included at the end! I love bloopers! 😆

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thanks for watching, Diane!

[@adriantoth7016]

Is it possible to power supply multiple of these example tree decorations ? How would you do it, if you have 3 trees instead of one (as in the video) ? You just buy a 15 V power supply ? How to decide the value of amps for the power supply ?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Adrian - If you have 3 trees that each take 5V, you don't put them on a 15V circuit - rather, you put them on a 5V circuit that is able to handle the combined amperage draw of each of the 3 devices. Power supplies supply Volts. Devices (loads) pull Amps. So, get an appropriately sized power supply (5V, 3x the amperage of 1 device) and wire them in series. As for how to calculate how many amps you need - it's a little tricky, but there are some convenient rules of thumb: it's unlikely that anything powered by 3 AA batteries draws more than a few hundred milliamps at most. If you had 3 such devices, a 5V power supply rated at 2 or more amps should be *plenty*. Good luck!

[@adriantoth7016]

@@AmplifyDIY thank you very much. Now im finaly in the picture how it works :-) Somewhere i red that AA / AAA baterys can deliver around max. 50 mA power. That should mean that one device can pull out max 150 mA (calculate 200 mA with reserve).

[@kristiclark7160]

Can you tell me how a cord going to a battery with like battery cable squeeze clips can be converted to an AC outlet, please.

[@AmplifyDIY]

I'm not sure I understand the device you are talking about. Can you send a link to a picture or product that uses it?

[@charmainedudley7747]

HAHAHA ... love your bloopers at the end ... awesome! Great video as well .... very helpful now with the holidays around the corner & its just lights, lights & more lights!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Glad the bloopers made you laugh! And thanks for watching!

[@davidcampbell5775]

I have 3 outdoor sets of mini string lights that go around my deck, each string runs on (2)AA batteries. Would I need to make three seperate 3V adapters or could I wire all the sets together and then use one 9v power adapter?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Great question, David! Each string needs 3V, so you'd only need a 3V adapter even to run all 3. The voltage does not need to go up with the adapter, but the ability to supply amps will need to increase, as each string will pull a certain number of amps. I'm guessing that each string pulls less than 500 milliamps @ 3V, so if you had a power supply capable of at least 1500 milliamps (or 1.5 amps) then you'd be just fine. You should have no problem finding a power supply that can handle 2+ amps at 3V. Good luck!

[@davidcampbell5775]

@@AmplifyDIY thank you much for your advice, and glad I found your great video!

[@nina31011987]

Love it! Simple and knowledgeable 😄

[@dustinsuydam]

Hey man, the structure and overall purpose of your video is great! I am definitely subscribed and will be sharing AmplifyDIY any chance I get. Thank you for not only showing safely how to achieve the desired conversion, but also emphasizing the importance of being educated and familiar with electricity before modifying or altering anything.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Thanks, Dustin!

[@tydingsctlights9167]

What if I wanted to string a few of those ornaments in series each with the same voltage requirement? Your example is 4.5 vdc...so three ornaments would require the same voltage but higher amperage?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Don't wire them in series - wire them in parallel. Then yes, 3 ornaments wired in parallel will just need a power supply capable of handling the amperage. Good luck!

[@Triguy04]

Great video. If I'm following this correctly, you were able to bypass the on/off switch? Correct? Will this work for a (3) AA battery operated toy light sabre? Thanks

[@AmplifyDIY]

Depending on the toy, you can probably bypass the switch, yes. Not sure I'd put this on a light saber that will be swung around a room... having a wire dangling from something like that does not seem like the best idea to me. But good luck!

[@Triguy04]

@@AmplifyDIY oh no. Its going on a Halloween prop Thanks

[@LoveandKindness_Z]

Thank you very much for making this video. I've been searching for a way to convert my little battery garlic blender to something like this. Just to confirm, at 4:08 when you were testing to see if the light will turn on, you plugged in the travel adapter at this moment right? is there anything to be cautious about at this step? Thank you.

[@SYMmike]

Great video! Right to the point. Question: I need a 3v power supply but can't find one. Can I go as high as 5v?

[@SYMmike]

Or can I even go 3.5?

[@AmplifyDIY]

If your device needs 3v, you could likely go down to 2.5 or up to 3.5, but I would not go up to 5v. There are lots of 3v supplies available: amzn.to/3YIqKd5 Good luck!

[@Tommygun1353]

Good tip. Can I use a 5 Volt adapter, For a Xmas Dec that is 4.5 V = 3 AA batteries?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Karen - yes, a 5V adapter should work fine for your situation. Good luck!

[@celsovilorioalvarez3691]

Is there a way to do it the otherway around? Convert wall plug to AA battery? I have a mini lamp id love to be battery powered.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Theorhetically, sure. Do you know the power requirements of the lamp? Do you have a battery enclosure you could repurpose for this project?

[@celsovilorioalvarez3691]

@AmplifyDIY yes im planning on using an old Cheap video Game battery enclosure, My Led Lamp is 5v1A

[@vicnevesvn]

I have wall charger that is 5v and my item requires 4.5v ....is this wall adapter ok to use being .5v more then what is required?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yes, a variance of .5v is likely not going to be any problem at all. Good luck!

[@the88thdarcstar]

Thanks my man.

[@maeguk1]

big thanks, going to do this on a christmas decoration

[@tribounty1392]

What about multiple items? My wife has a dozen candles that all take 2 AAA at 3v. Can i wire all of them in series with a plug like you would with wall plugs on a circuit or will the require a parallel circuit?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Tri - yes, you can wire them all in parallel (wiring in series would drop the voltage a little with each candle, in parallel, all candles run at the same voltage) - the only caveat is that you would need a power supply capable of a little higher amperage. However, bear in mind that each candle likely draws next to no current... I'll bet that a single candle runs for at least 24-48 hours before the batteries are depleted, right? Some quick back-of-the-napkin math: 1 AAA battery likely stores around 6-800 mAh of power. Let's be conservative and use 500 mAh as an estimate. For a single candle, you have 2 batteries, which combine for 1000 mAh of power. With this estimate, if the candles drew 1 full amp at 3V, the batteries would last right around an hour. But as I said above, I'm guessing they last for several days. Let's go with an estimate of 36 hours of runtime per candle with 2 fresh batteries. 1000 / 36 gives us an estimated current draw of around 27 milliamps (let's round up to 30, to make the math easier) per candle. If you have a dozen candles, running at 27 milliamps each, you'll need a power supply capable of 3V @ 360 milliamps. I'd err on the side of having a beefier supply, and get one capable of 500 milliamps or even 1 amp. Here's a 1 amp supply available on Amazon for less then the cost of a cheeseburger: amzn.to/3WRKLd9 TL; DR: I'm sure someone will come correct me if my math above is incorrect, but yes, you can wire them in parallel. Just get a strong enough power supply. Good Luck!

[@WrvrUgoThrUR]

Could you possibly connect to the battery terminals if the wiring isn't exposed? I have some battery operated candles that only let you get at the battery terminals. Amazon has these ready-made conversion kits, but at $15ea. per 3x AAA device, that can get expensive for what it's worth.

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yes, you can solder directly to the battery terminals if you can't get access to any other parts of the circuit. Good luck!

[@stephannaro2113]

USB provides 5V. Can I use that safely for 4.5V or would I have to somehow get rid of half a Volt, and if so, how?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Yes, you can likely power something that expects 4.5V with a USB-supplied 5V. Good luck!

[@stephannaro2113]

@@AmplifyDIY Thank you. For both answers.

[@eladreltuc]

I wanna do this with my hot wheels track launcher. It takes 4 D batteries. So I just need a 6 volt adaptor?

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hey Dale! A hot wheels track launcher would be a perfect match for something like this! Yes, a 6v adapter is what you are looking for. Something like this would likely be a good match: amzn.to/3vGSFe4 Good luck!

[@Chloky]

I’ve seen another video where they used a resistor for string lights, which is what I’m looking to convert. If you use a power supply that is exactly what I need do I still need the resistor? I didn’t see you use one here so I’m not sure if it’s necessary, thank you!

[@AmplifyDIY]

Hi Chloky - You've got the right idea: if you use a power supply that is matched to the voltage your batteries usually supply, there is no need to add a resistor. Amazon has lots of power supplies to choose from, in all kinds of voltages and amperages. You should be able to find something that matches exactly. Good luck!

[@rpatros]

Excellent demonstration