Help identifying this 15V DC Adapter connector.

[Traceless]

Hey everyone,

I need to replace a desintegrating powercord and plug on a 15V DC adapter. Does anyone know the name for this kind of connector?

[Neomys Sapiens]

Looks like it is derived from the IEC 60320 series of small AC connectors and might be made from one of them. (C1/C3/C7). I seem to remember that I have seen a variant with a notch on one side only a long time ago , but it is no more in the standard.  Also very close to the Macbook charger plug. But you need to do precise measurements of the distance,the pins and the exterior dimensions.
Please note that this does not comprise safety or standard compliance information!

[tooki]

Its the DC connector, and it’s much smaller than the C7 connector used on a MacBook.

It’s really similar in size to the C1 shaver, but smaller still. I’m pretty sure it’s a proprietary connector. Just buy a replacement charger (get a genuine Philips for safety, not no-name junk). You’ll spend more in time looking for an alternative than the cost of a new charger.

[PA0PBZ]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charger-Ancable-Replacement-Manscaped-Hatteker/dp/B09MT8CTK6



Throw the wrong one away.

[Traceless]

@PA0PBZ Thank you for the link.

Since I wasn't able to find the individual connects I followed tookis advice and bought a replacement charger.

I think the original Philips adapter was pretty cheap junk. The insulation started to excrete softeners (it was super sticky) became brittle and then just desintegrated. According to the label the original Philips charger was made in China. I wouldn't be surprised if it came out of the same factory as all the aftermarket ones just with Philips branding.

[tooki]

I wouldn't be surprised if it came out of the same factory as all the aftermarket ones just with Philips branding.

Philips is a huge company with deep pockets (=target of lawsuits) and a reputation to protect. There’s no way they’d ship unsafe junk like the no-name chargers on aliexpress and Amazon. Big companies like that don’t take chances on junk.

[Traceless]

There’s no way they’d ship unsafe junk

Look at the first picture I posted. The Philips adapter is the only DC adapter I have where the outer insulation and the plug fell apart by themselves and it is not even that old. So it is pretty evident that this adapter is cheap junk don't you think?

Philips is a huge company with deep pockets (=target of lawsuits) and a reputation to protect.

Huge company means they sell huge volumes so they are incentivized to shave of pennies to maximize their profit. Also as a big company they likely have their own legal department which they pay for anyways. So i wouldn't be surprised if wrt. lawsuits they make a risk assessment and if potential lawsuits are likely to cost less than they can save by the reduction of production costs they may just go ahead and take their chances. More so if they can pass responsibility for the lawsuit to their suppliers (which they likely can in case of the DC adapters). Since consumers are used to dispose devices after short usage periods and replace them with new ones, having shorter life spans is just gonna increase their sales and the hit to reputation is probably not that big because meanwhile people are used to stuff failing after 3 years or so anyways.

[Ian.M]

If that was a common problem it would be all over various forums.  e.g. Apple have issues: https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+cable+%22disintegrating%22 ...

If there was a bad batch of PVC used for the cable jacket, that wouldn't normally affect the plastic used to over-mould the plug and visa versa, so if both are going bad it probably points to environmental factors, (e.g. prolonged exposure to high temperatures, exposure to solvents, solvent vapours, oils, greases, soaps and some detergents, or even prolonged contact with unsuitable other plastics), though PVC degradation products *can* accelerate the degradation of nearby PVC objects.

[tooki]

There’s no way they’d ship unsafe junk

Look at the first picture I posted. The Philips adapter is the only DC adapter I have where the outer insulation and the plug fell apart by themselves and it is not even that old. So it is pretty evident that this adapter is cheap junk don't you think?

When I think about quality of a power supply, first and foremost, far above anything else (including longevity) is safety. Cheap adapters can be unsafe to use, to the point of literally being lethal (either by electrocuting you or setting your house on fire). This isn’t a joke, and it’s the reason I will not use el-cheapo power supplies, nor allow family or friends to do so.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the big, reputable companies take this really seriously. Back in 2008, a few Apple iPhone chargers came open, allowing contact with live AC. Nobody was injured, but Apple recalled millions of chargers and replaced them with an improved model where the case is insanely strongly sealed. https://support.apple.com/usbadapter/exchangeprogram
There were later recalls for the European charger, again merely because of the theoretical possibility of harm.

You think some cheap Chinese power supply maker does things like that? Absolutely not.

A low-current, low-voltage DC cord fraying is undoubtedly an inconvenience, but it’s not a safety hazard.

Yes, companies cost-cut. But reputable ones don’t do it on anything involving mains, because their liability (both direct financial or criminal liability, but also risk to their brand reputation) would be enormous.

[tooki]

If that was a common problem it would be all over various forums.  e.g. Apple have issues: https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+cable+%22disintegrating%22 ...

If there was a bad batch if PVC used for the cable jacket, that wouldn't normally affect the plastic used to over-mould the plug and visa versa, so if both are going bad it probably points to environmental factors, (e.g. prolonged exposure to high temperatures, exposure to solvents, solvent vapours, oils, greases, soaps and some detergents, or even prolonged contact with unsuitable other plastics), though PVC degradation products *can* accelerate the degradation of nearby PVC objects.

I know they’re not what you were talking about, but FYI, the worst Apple cords were, ironically, the ones using their first-generation PVC-free insulation. No idea what it is but it was awful. They switched to something else, and more recent cords (past 5-8 years maybe?) have been far, far better.

[Traceless]

When I think about quality of a power supply, first and foremost, far above anything else (including longevity) is safety.

Okay fair enough, but since the big brands charge a premium for their spare parts I not only expect safety but also quality.

Cheap adapters can be unsafe to use, to the point of literally being lethal (either by electrocuting you or setting your house on fire).

True, but so can hardware of big name brands here are a few recent examples: melting nVidia power cables, exploding Gigabyte ATX power supplies (link below), and since Ian mentioned Apple power cord problems just yesterday I saw a case about an iMac which was missing ground.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the big, reputable companies take this really seriously. Back in 2008, a few Apple iPhone chargers came open, allowing contact with live AC. Nobody was injured, but Apple recalled millions of chargers and replaced them with an improved model where the case is insanely strongly sealed. https://support.apple.com/usbadapter/exchangeprogram
There were later recalls for the European charger, again merely because of the theoretical possibility of harm.

Did they do that before or after they got negative press coverage?

You think some cheap Chinese power supply maker does things like that? Absolutely not.

Apple power supplies for instance are made in China and you can bet Apple is not paying the manufacturer a lot for them. Not every low cost product from China is of bad quality.

A low-current, low-voltage DC cord fraying is undoubtedly an inconvenience, but it’s not a safety hazard.

True, Mrs. Traceless got fuzzed about the cable so I'm replacing it.

Yes, companies cost-cut. But reputable ones don’t do it on anything involving mains, because their liability (both direct financial or criminal liability, but also risk to their brand reputation) would be enormous.

@bedunham7 in the forum here recently pointed me at a case where a big company did just that. If you think this is a singular event I encourage you to take a look at Joe Smith's review of the Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit Ultra DMM (a german made handheld DMM in the 1000€ price range, link below, the interesting part starts at minute 13.). THAT can get people killed. In the review series he also talks about how he reported the issue to Gossen and they didn't react at all.

But back to the Philips case. I think I'll just order a cheap aftermarket adapter in China and once that arrives I'll open it and post teardown pictures of both the original Philips supply with the broken cable and the no name one. Then we can discuss if the Philips design is different from/superior to the aftermarket one, what do you think? I'm genuinely curious about that.

[Traceless]

If that was a common problem it would be all over various forums.  e.g. Apple have issues: https://www.google.com/search?q=apple+cable+%22disintegrating%22 ...

TBH I think the device the power adapter belongs to is too cheap for people to make a fuzz about that - they just toss it in the bin and get a new one. Apple products are usually too expensive for that approach.

If there was a bad batch of PVC used for the cable jacket, that wouldn't normally affect the plastic used to over-mould the plug and visa versa, so if both are going bad it probably points to environmental factors, (e.g. prolonged exposure to high temperatures, exposure to solvents, solvent vapours, oils, greases, soaps and some detergents, or even prolonged contact with unsuitable other plastics), though PVC degradation products *can* accelerate the degradation of nearby PVC objects.

The device was stored in its original cardboard box in a bath-room closet. The cable only came in contact with cardboard most of the time. There were never any detergents or soaps spilled on the device or the power adapter the cable just became sticky after some time and then started to fall apart.

[tooki]

Cheap adapters can be unsafe to use, to the point of literally being lethal (either by electrocuting you or setting your house on fire).

True, but so can hardware of big name brands here are a few recent examples: melting nVidia power cables, exploding Gigabyte ATX power supplies (link below), and since Ian mentioned Apple power cord problems just yesterday I saw a case about an iMac which was missing ground.

One case is not an indicator of a systemic problem.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the big, reputable companies take this really seriously. Back in 2008, a few Apple iPhone chargers came open, allowing contact with live AC. Nobody was injured, but Apple recalled millions of chargers and replaced them with an improved model where the case is insanely strongly sealed. https://support.apple.com/usbadapter/exchangeprogram
There were later recalls for the European charger, again merely because of the theoretical possibility of harm.

Did they do that before or after they got negative press coverage?

Before, in all of those cases.

You think some cheap Chinese power supply maker does things like that? Absolutely not.

Apple power supplies for instance are made in China and you can bet Apple is not paying the manufacturer a lot for them.

If you’ve ever seen a teardown of an Apple power supply, you’d know that theirs are spare-no-expense designs. The 5W USB chargers, for example, probably cost $3-5 to manufacture, many times more than the cents of an el-cheapo charger. (In retail, name-brand electronics accessories typically wholesale for about 40% of the sales price. Since an Apple 5W charger sells for $20, that means a wholesale price of around $8, which has to include packaging, shipping, warranty fulfillment, and other costs, so manufacturing cost of around $4 is reasonable.)

Throughout its entire history, Apple has only ever used power supplies (both internal and external) manufactured by top-tier, A-list power supply manufacturers.

Not every low cost product from China is of bad quality.

I know that, and it is correct. But if you’d please reread what I actually wrote, I said “cheap Chinese power supply maker”. Top-quality manufacturers aren’t cheap, even in China.

Yes, companies cost-cut. But reputable ones don’t do it on anything involving mains, because their liability (both direct financial or criminal liability, but also risk to their brand reputation) would be enormous.

@bedunham7 in the forum here recently pointed me at a case where a big company did just that. If you think this is a singular event I encourage you to take a look at Joe Smith's review of the Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit Ultra DMM (a german made handheld DMM in the 1000€ price range, link below, the interesting part starts at minute 13.). THAT can get people killed. In the review series he also talks about how he reported the issue to Gossen and they didn't react at all.

That’s… not good. :/

With that said, it’s not a consumer product, and liability on consumer products is generally higher, plus the bigger the company, the more money they can be sued for. Hence why I wouldn’t expect Philips to use anything bad.

But back to the Philips case. I think I'll just order a cheap aftermarket adapter in China and once that arrives I'll open it and post teardown pictures of both the original Philips supply with the broken cable and the no name one. Then we can discuss if the Philips design is different from/superior to the aftermarket one, what do you think? I'm genuinely curious about that.

Unfortunately, a full inspection is destructive, since you have to unwind the transformer to see how it’s wound and insulated, and what wire was used. Check out the YouTuber “diodegonewild” for lots of cheap power supply autopsies, most of which end with the verdict of “dodgy” or “super dodgy”.

But you can check other things, like clearances, presence of circuit protection and EMC compliance parts, etc.

[Traceless]

Cheap adapters can be unsafe to use, to the point of literally being lethal (either by electrocuting you or setting your house on fire).

True, but so can hardware of big name brands here are a few recent examples: melting nVidia power cables, exploding Gigabyte ATX power supplies (link below), and since Ian mentioned Apple power cord problems just yesterday I saw a case about an iMac which was missing ground.

One case is not an indicator of a systemic problem.

Neither the nVidia power cable problem, nor the exploding Gigabyte PSUs were singular problems.

I’m not exaggerating when I say the big, reputable companies take this really seriously. Back in 2008, a few Apple iPhone chargers came open, allowing contact with live AC. Nobody was injured, but Apple recalled millions of chargers and replaced them with an improved model where the case is insanely strongly sealed. https://support.apple.com/usbadapter/exchangeprogram
There were later recalls for the European charger, again merely because of the theoretical possibility of harm.

Did they do that before or after they got negative press coverage?

Before, in all of those cases.

That seems to be really unusual these days. Both nVidia and Gigabyte didn't really react even after the issue had gotten them bad press and ultimately their reaction is to downplay the issue. At the end of last year a class action lawsuit was filed against nVidia because of the 12VHPWR adapters.

You think some cheap Chinese power supply maker does things like that? Absolutely not.

Apple power supplies for instance are made in China and you can bet Apple is not paying the manufacturer a lot for them.

If you’ve ever seen a teardown of an Apple power supply, you’d know that theirs are spare-no-expense designs. The 5W USB chargers, for example, probably cost $3-5 to manufacture, many times more than the cents of an el-cheapo charger. (In retail, name-brand electronics accessories typically wholesale for about 40% of the sales price. Since an Apple 5W charger sells for $20, that means a wholesale price of around $8, which has to include packaging, shipping, warranty fulfillment, and other costs, so manufacturing cost of around $4 is reasonable.)

Throughout its entire history, Apple has only ever used power supplies (both internal and external) manufactured by top-tier, A-list power supply manufacturers.

AFAIK many of the Apple supplies are made by Delta Electronics, at least the bigger ones. I'm not sure about the 5W chargers. I have very little interest in Apple products simply because I find their products (Phones, notebooks, tablets) to be very poorly designed and massively overpriced. Their PSUs may be decent - I've only seen footage of a few desktop Mac supplies.

Not every low cost product from China is of bad quality.

I know that, and it is correct. But if you’d please reread what I actually wrote, I said “cheap Chinese power supply maker”. Top-quality manufacturers aren’t cheap, even in China.

Fair enough, I guess that comes down to the interpretation of the word "cheap" I tend to use cheap as a synonym for "low priced but not necessarily of unacceptably low quality".

Yes, companies cost-cut. But reputable ones don’t do it on anything involving mains, because their liability (both direct financial or criminal liability, but also risk to their brand reputation) would be enormous.

@bedunham7 in the forum here recently pointed me at a case where a big company did just that. If you think this is a singular event I encourage you to take a look at Joe Smith's review of the Gossen Metrawatt Metrahit Ultra DMM (a german made handheld DMM in the 1000€ price range, link below, the interesting part starts at minute 13.). THAT can get people killed. In the review series he also talks about how he reported the issue to Gossen and they didn't react at all.

That’s… not good. :/

With that said, it’s not a consumer product, and liability on consumer products is generally higher, plus the bigger the company, the more money they can be sued for. Hence why I wouldn’t expect Philips to use anything bad.

Well Gigabyte's ATX power supplies are consumer products and so are nVidia's graphics cards. Both companies have deeper pockets than Philips and both doubled down even after reports of safety issues. Another similar case were NZXT PCIe Risers that could catch on fire (link below). Ultimately I see no reason to put more trust into Philips than into any of the aforementioned companies, or any other company whose primary focus is to serve their shareholders.

Unfortunately, a full inspection is destructive, since you have to unwind the transformer to see how it’s wound and insulated, and what wire was used. Check out the YouTuber “diodegonewild” for lots of cheap power supply autopsies, most of which end with the verdict of “dodgy” or “super dodgy”.

But you can check other things, like clearances, presence of circuit protection and EMC compliance parts, etc.

Yes, the tear down is expected to be destructive. The original Philips one is already falling apart and a 5$ aftermarket one is expendable I think. I'd probably not go as far as unwinding the transformer but as you said I can take a look at the board, see if there is protection present, what components are used etc.

[tooki]

Oops, when I wrote the “singular instance”, I had intended to crop the quote down to just the iMac, but forgot. In my head I was not responding to the graphics card thing at all.