Can anyone help me find an alternate source for an ac adapter for my boombox?
Sony wants a pint of blood for a factory direct one.
Part #1477-69211
I googled, but I must’ve ran out of talent.
Thanks
We need more information. Specifically, we need the voltage and minimum current requirements that the adaptor must meet. This information may be printed on the boombox, either on the manufacturer’s information label, or near the power jack. If you are replacing an old, dead adaptor, this information will also usually be printed on it, as well. If none of this information is available, it’s possible to make an educated guess based on the number and size of batteries used.
I thought you can buy a multi-volt, multi-plug AC/DC adaptor at walmart/kmart/sears
Many Sony boomboxes use (deliberately IMO) a very unusual coaxial power plug size. It looks normal but the wall thickness of the socket will not allow most generic power plugs to work. Radio Shack has modular power adapter plug system that would probably work (you would bnned to bring the box in to confirm proper fit it) but even that is still pretty expensive @ about $ 20.00 or so with the plug and the adapter .
Just be careful. Some boom boxes use a fair amount of current, more than the typical adjustable wall wart can supply.
I found the link for Sony replacement parts:
http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/web/index.jsp
Enter the model number the OP gave into the search box, without the #, and select “Part or accessory number”
Here’s the specs:
147769211
AC-X3CP AC ADAPTOR
Rated Input: 120V, 60Hz, 13W
Rated Output: 9V, 0.9A
Dimensions (Approx.): 2 1/4 x 3 x 2 in.
Color: Black
So as far as electrical specs, this shouldn’t be too hard to find. Like Astro said, the connector might be a problem, though. If you have the old adaptor, you could cut off the connector and (carefully) solder it to a new power supply. If the output is DC, you’ll need to pay attention to polarity.
Thats the part, but $36?
Radio shack couldn’ help , by the way. Proprietary is right. I think the .9 watts was the clincher.
There is no way you can tell me $36 is anything but gouging. there is a special place in hell for the joker that came up with that policy.
Make a good product, convince a guy to pay hard earned money for it, and then screw him over for his kindness .
Thanks a lot Sony.( and the item was a flimsy piece of crap from jump street, I might add.)
I’m half tempted to pitch the whole thing on principle, but the competitors all play by the same rules , AND the damn thing was made in China!
Makes me mad.
I think you mean 0.9 amps. 
It should also be kept in mind that the Sony power supply might be regulated. If so, this might account for the higher cost. But still, I agree… $36 is a bit steep.
Mouser Electronics has a pretty good selection of wall-warts. Don’t worry about the plug; as suggested by jnglmassiv, you can just cut and splice the Sony plug onto the new power supply’s cable. Here are a couple 9 V / 15 W wall-warts sold by Mouser that should work:
Catalog page: 1356
Mouser Part #: 418-TR1509 (2.1 mm plug) or 418-TR1509-12 (2.5 mm plug)
Mfgr. Part #: TR1509-A-11A03 (2.1 mm plug) or TR1509-A-12A03 (2.5 mm plug)
Mfgr.: Cincon
Input Voltage: 90 ~ 264 VAC
Input Frequency: 47 to 63 Hz
Output Voltage: 9 VDC
Max. Output Current: 1.4 A
Short circuit protection: continuous (auto recovery)
Operating temperature: 0 ~ 40 °C
Dimensions: 2.83 x 2.05 x 1.38
Output plug: 2.1mm or 2.5mm, center positive
Price: $12.99
Catalog page: 1361
Mouser Part #: 552-PSC-15A-090S
Mfgr. Part #: PSC15A-090S
Mfgr.: Phihong
Input Voltage: 90 ~ 132 VAC
Input Frequency: 57 to 63 Hz
Output Voltage: 9 VDC
Max. Output Current: 1.6 A
Short circuit protection: yes
Dimensions: 2.24 x 1.75 x 0.98
Output plug: 2.1 x 5.5mm, center positive
Price: $14.25
Thrift store power adapters are usually (around here) about a dollar each regardless of power capacity. If you can get a 9V that is at or above the amperage specs you need, you can go to Radio Shack and buy a coax plug for a dollar or two and solder it to the wire (making sure polarity is correct). Your total investment should be less than $ 5.00.
You shouldn’t have to worry about the 0.9A part of the specification, outside of getting an adapter with greater than that number as the maximum. The important part to get exactly right is the voltage, with the correct voltage, the box will pull the correct amperage (less than 0.9A) even from a more robust source.
Trouble comes in when your new source has a maximum amperage lower than the original, you will overload the adapter.
Look on the boombox or existing adapter to see if you can tell if it’s “center positive” or not usually there is a little pictogram. The polarity is the second thing you need exactly right. Third, is, of course, the correct size of plug, and Sony does use strange sizes.
Thanks all, I’ll figure out what to do this weekend when I have the time.
Any cites for a pictogram of the center positive mumbo jumbo? I’m not sure what I’m looking for.
- -------C------- - is “tip neg” and
- --------C------- + is “tip pos”
NOTE: There should be a dot inside the “C” but I can’t type one in. Also, astro has the best answer. The Shack sells plugs to fit Sony, but you gotta narrow it down by trial and error. Look for yellow rings on the end.
Just curious. Typically, what does the tiny finely printed solid or dashed line on one of the wires represent?
I always assumed it was negative, am I right?
It seems in this case I need to get that right. The wires broke so close to the adapter itself I was afraid I might not be able to figure it out but I can just make it out on the nubs.
One more question. How does, what I assume is a transformer, convert AC to DC?
I understand how transformers work but AC to DC? No way, man. What kind of magic is this?
Thanks
The transformer modifies the phase component of the magnetic field’s vector force wave by quatitizing the tunneling action of an integral, reverse-biased flux capacitor operating in its breakdown region. This action converts AC to DC.
Actually, the transformer doesn’t convert AC to DC. That’s done after the transformer in something called the “rectifier circuit.” For single-phase applications, a rectifier circuit consists of an arrangement of one, two, or four diodes. A diode is a two-terminal device that allows current to flow in only one direction. (Not perfectly, but I don’t want to bog you down with details.) Nowadays almost all diodes are constructed of semiconductor materials.
By convention, the positive wire is the marked one. Marking may consist of a printed solid or broken line, or a set of ridges molded into the insulation. I’ve never encountered a situation that bucked convention, so you can be relatively confident that that’s the case here, as well.
You want to make sure you get the polarity right. And while the center conductor is probably positive, there’s no guarantee.
If the wall-wart is dead, you could try taking it apart. Look for an electrolytic capacitor… one lead will be labeled with a negative sign (-). This lead will be connected to the adapter cable’s outer or inner conductor. If it’s electrically connected to the adapter cable’s outer conductor, then the outer conductor is negative. If it’s electrically connected to the adapter cable’s inner conductor, then the inner conductor is negative.
But there might be a simpler way. Does the boom box also take batteries? If so, try this: Open/remove the battery access door and remove the cells. Grab a DVM or VOM and do a resistance check between the battery holder’s negative terminal (inside the radio’s battery compartment) and the adapter cable’s outer conductor. (Depending on how the cells are stacked & arranged, there may be multiple negative cell connections in the radio. Try them all.) If the DVM/VOM shows one of the negative cell connections to be a short circuit to the adapter cable’s outer conductor, then you know the center conductor is positive. If the meter shows one of the negative cell connections to be a short circuit to the adapter cable’s inner conductor, then you know the center conductor is negative.