Does flipping a switch on and off rapidly damage electrical equipment? [more inside]
posted by antgly on Mar 24, 2012 - 12 answers

I'm about to teach a soldering class to kids, and it occurs to me that I may blow a fuse in the room that I'm doing the event in if I plug too many in at once... Any idea of how to gauge how many I can plug in simultaneously? This is the soldering iron I have. http://www.elexp.com/sdr_5258.htm Ideally, I'll plug in 12 at once... thank
posted by davidvan on Nov 29, 2011 - 6 answers

I'm trying to identify a +- 10 V cable for an electromagnet power supply I recently purchased. The manual calls it a "BR2" cable but I can't seem to find it anywhere... [more inside]
posted by Aanidaani on Aug 30, 2011 - 1 answer

Does leaving my phone's car charger plugged in to the car at all times significantly drain my car's battery? [more inside]
posted by Vorteks on May 20, 2010 - 22 answers

I'm overwhelmed by the wealth of conflicting opinions I've found by google-searching. Anyone have strong feelings about what brand/type of camera and power devices I should buy before traveling to Vietnam? [more inside]
posted by pieliza on Jan 4, 2010 - 8 answers

In order to fix a malfunctioning printer we have been told to unplug it and hold down the power button for one minute to release static. Are we being punked? [more inside]
posted by Tallguy on Aug 18, 2009 - 7 answers

what are the fat round things sometimes found inline on various types of electronic cords? [more inside]
posted by karl88 on Feb 19, 2009 - 10 answers

Just returned from fabulous 2 week holiday in New York. I Brought back Epson Artisan 800 All-in-One Printer from Staples costing $230. Unfortunately, I cannot use it in U.K., unless I plug voltage converter/transformer products. Has anyone else bought this set over there with more success? Any advice \ information appreciated. Please specify me What exact voltage converter product to buy & where to buy it from USA online store. Thanks. [more inside]
posted by omaralarifi on Jan 28, 2009 - 4 answers

How do I prevent lightning strikes on my old Singaporean building from killing my electronics? [more inside]
posted by jimdanger on Jan 18, 2009 - 9 answers

Anyone know a simple and cheap solar panel setup to run a small boombox about 9-12V DC? [more inside]
posted by Bengston on Dec 4, 2007 - 3 answers

Is it possible that I've permanently destroyed my record player by accidentally hooking up to a 15 volt power adapter, instead of a 12? [more inside]
posted by matkline on Mar 17, 2007 - 12 answers

Where can I buy that special connector plug (just the plug itself not the entire adapter) for an IBM/Lenovo t60 laptop? [more inside]
posted by postergeist on Mar 16, 2007 - 5 answers

Electronics filter: What can I do to make a 24v PSU turn into a 18-19v PSU? It's 0.5A power supply which as far as I can tell is important to know when using, say a resistor to lower voltage. But how resistant should the resistor be? I've found information on how to tell a resistor's value, but not how it will actually effect a line's voltage or how to calculate it. Are there any good sites with this information? Also what will happen to the amount of amps the PSU supplies when I do change it to 18/19v?? Also, what can be done to increase the amperage of a power supply? What inside the circutry is actually dictating the amperage?
posted by Napierzaza on Dec 3, 2006 - 25 answers

Instead of powering a device with 2 AA batteries, I'm interested in creating something that would allow it to draw power via USB. Is this possible? [more inside]
posted by Diskeater on Nov 30, 2006 - 17 answers

I got into a debate the other day with my boss, who is absolutely anal-retentive about everything power related (to the point where he scolds me for leaving fluorescent lights turned on if I'm not using the room). [more inside]
posted by melorama on Nov 11, 2006 - 17 answers

Can I safely use a 5V 2.1A power adapter for a device (Linksys WET11 Wireless Ethernet Bridge) that expects 5V 2.0A? [more inside]
posted by SomePerlGeek on Oct 21, 2006 - 3 answers

What DC to AC power inverter can I buy for use in a car that won't contribute hum to an audio signal from devices it powers? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Nov 15, 2005 - 11 answers

Amtrak question: I'm going to be travelling from NYC to Richmond (and back) on the Palmetto line and need to know if there are any outlets in the coach class seats.
posted by parttimesaint on Oct 25, 2005 - 12 answers