Customer Reviews

Powerline By Original Power 0900-77A 1300-mA AC Adapter with USB Charging Port

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In response to some posted reviews:

"A. Wilson's" observations of the PowerLine adapter and other brand adapters are correct. Most universal adapters are "unregulated" meaning that the output voltage varies depending upon the load put on the adapter. On these type of adapters, an output may be rated 6V at 500ma, but at a load of only 100ma, it might output 9V or more. PowerLine universal adapters are "regulated" meaning that they output the same rated voltage no matter what load is put on them. This is far superior and safer for the connected electronic equipment.

"Steven Daugherty's" review is also correct regarding damage to another reviewer's digital camera. The most likely cause of the damage is due to improper setting of the polarity. In fact, we have found in 99+% of damage cases that improper polarity setting was the cause. We provide very detailed illustrated instructions with our adapters and also provide a toll free number to call for assistance in configuring the voltage and polarity on the adapters.

The assertions made by reviewer "bruceaa3" are not correct. The voltage measurements he stated are well within the standard 5% manufacturing tolerances on the adapters, and as pointed out above, the PowerLine adapter voltages are "regulated" which is far superior to most other's "unregulated" adapters. This reviewer also stated that the PowerLine adapter put out 2880ma which is much higher than the rated 1300ma and that that was probably what damaged another reviewer's camera. This is not correct at all. Adapters are rated to put out a certain amount of current continuously (in this case 1300ma). However, they actually only put out as much current as the connected device draws from them. They do not "push" current into a device. All adapters are capable of delivering much higher current than their ratings, including ours. However, this has nothing to do with how much current is actually being used by the connected device. The damage caused to the camera was mostly likely due to improperly configuring the polarity of the output connector.

We encourage our customers to take advantage of our toll free customer assistance number if they are at all unsure of how to properly configure any of our products.

I think this thing deserves some better reviews on here - some of the previous reviewers may not be meant to own electronics. To the guy who tested it with a volt meter: 9.3V is pretty damn good for a 9V adapter, I've seen 9V adapters with 15V readings. Pretty much everything has an internal voltage regulator anyway. And the fact that it can put out more than the rated current is a good thing, not a bad thing.

Bottom line, this thing works just like it's supposed to, and the USB charger is a nice touch. It's compact, I like the folding prongs. I'm surprised someone broke one off, they seem strong enough to me. My only complaint is I wish all the extra plugs clipped on to the adapter wire or something so they couldn't get separated.

A 4 star product, but it needed the rating boost to counteract a few electronically handicapped individuals.

I did not see a list of voltages supported and could not read them off of the tiny product image. I had to go to the manufacturer's web site (Original Power).

The supported voltages are: 3V, 4.5V, 6V, 7.5V, 9V, 12V

I tried this with several devices, different voltages, up to 900 mA, and they all worked fine.

To use an electronic device with any AC adapter not specifically designed for it, you have to know three requirements of your gear:

Voltage
Adapter must deliver the voltage required by your device. The wrong voltage can damage it.

Polarity
There is no standard for whether the tip or the barrel of the connector is positive. Usually, there's a diagram on the device that shows this. The wrong polarity will destroy it -- like putting batteries in backwards.

Current (mA)
This adapter will supply up-to 1300 milliamps (mA). If your device draws more than that the adapter will get hot, triggering a protective device that shuts it down. 1300 mA or lower, OK.

This isn't difficult, and most devices have these specs printed near the power jack, if not in the instructions. But if you don't know, please take the time to find out. Don't guess.

On the adapter, you select the voltage with a slide switch, tip polarity by the orientation of the tip when you attach it to the end of the adapter cable before you plug it into your device. Available voltages are 3, 4.5, 6, 7.5, 9, 12. The voltage switch also has a USB position which supplies 5v at 500 mA to the USB port, and disconnects the usual output cord.

The adapter's instructions are a single page that includes no less than five warnings you can damage your device if you don't configure the adapter correctly. It also has a table that shows how to determine voltage based on battery count, but I wouldn't rely on it because it assumes the batteries are connected in series. That's not always true, especially for high-current devices. For example, six 1.5v batteries could supply 3, 4.5, or 9 volts or, theoretically, 1.5v, depending on how they're connected; the table just says "9."

The polarity markings on the cable and plugs are molded into the plastic, black on black. They are necessarily small, and would be much easier to read, or even notice, if they had more contrast. That alone could save some people from damaging their gear.

Package says: "Not to be used with cell phones or as a battery charger.... USB port charges iPods, Treo, Palm, Blackberry, cell phones...."

Appears well made (China), good value for the price. UL and Energy Star listed, toll free tech support number, one-year warranty. Very simple video instructions at company web site, also on YouTube.

I bought this item to replace a defective Smart Parts digital picture frame power supply. Much to my surprise the only 5 Vdc supply tap available is from the USB port. I had to locate a USB cable and splice it to the supply cord (watch the polarity) for the picture frame. My digital picture frame is now up and running with no problems.

I bought this as a replacement for my Linksys WRT54G router power supply(I've had two of them and they both died, thank you very much, Linksys), and I couldn't be happier. I haven't had any problems whatsoever. I've seen other power supplies, but they weren't suitable because the amount of amperage they put out. 300mAh, and 500mAh weren't going to cut it. Those are more suitable for things like digital cameras. I do have to make sure I keep track of the other plugs, but that's a minor issue. I feel that this product has gotten an unfairly negative rep, so I'm putting my two cents in.

Unit performs well. One thing that some may find nettlesome is that the a/c plug is built in to the body of the base transformer unit, and because of the width of the btu, when you plug the transformer in, it will block usage of any receptacle to the immediate right or left of the receptacle you are plugged in to. Just a minor nit to be sure.

I got this to work with my Ameda breast pump. Have been using it for the past 2-3- weeks, works great. No issues so far. It is much lighter than the adaptor that comes with breast pumps and has multiple uses.Recommend. great price.

The PowerLine 0900-77A meets all my requirements for a 120VAC to 12VDC down to 3VDC at 1300ma. The USB power output is especially handy for charging iPods and iPhones.

The adapter has a reasonably accurate level of output voltage, at least at 6V, which is what I care about for now. It definitely copes with the bike's resistance shifting load. I turned on the fan and changed the resistance level a couple of times. The adapter stayed cold and the bike's computer was working fine too. Now, several weeks after the first use, both the bike and the adapter still do what they are supposed to. I had the problem of unmarked polarity on the DC inlet, so I loaded the computer with the batteries and measured the voltage on the inlet. It helped me solve the problem without calling the manufacturer. (This is just an idea, not an advice, so don't hold me responsible for the consequences.)