Electronics question - Hardwired USB charger from 240v without a wall wart - how ?

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stevewestern

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I am (very slowly) building a stereo-in-a-toolbox and will be fitting a kettle lead socket to it to power the amp and hopefully charge my mp3 player.
I had planned to use a one gang socket with USB charger but as space is tight I am looking for some sort of transformer to hide inside the toolbox that will drop from 230v to 5v usb but am struggling to find what I want - can anyone help ?
I guess what I am looking for is something like a lighting transformer that will do what a wall wart does. Some sort of in-line wall wart ?

Can anyone help me by telling me what I should be looking for, and ideally point me towards a link ?

Many thanks !
 
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stevewestern said:
I am (very slowly) building a stereo-in-a-toolbox and will be fitting a kettle lead socket to it to power the amp and hopefully charge my mp3 player.
I had planned to use a one gang socket with USB charger but as space is tight I am looking for some sort of transformer to hide inside the toolbox that will drop from 230v to 5v usb but am struggling to find what I want - can anyone help ?
I guess what I am looking for is something like a lighting transformer that will do what a wall wart does. Some sort of in-line wall wart ?

Can anyone help me by telling me what I should be looking for, and ideally point me towards a link ?

Many thanks !
Click to expand...

Could you butcher a mains to usb adaptor and utilise that?
 
KitsuneAndy said:
Could you butcher a mains to usb adaptor and utilise that?
Click to expand...

I imagine so Andy, but was hoping to find an off-the-shelf solution if such a thing exists.
From what I've read, a wall wart is rarely more than a voltage regulator, but already this is rather over my head, so something that comes in a black plastic case may be a slightly safer option......!
 
Transformer, Bridge Rectifier, Voltage Regulator - that's your basic kit, but you'd need to know how to wire up and it sounds like you don't.

Don't be fiddling about with any mains components if it's over your head!

Can you not power the whole thing from a DC adapter, a laptop power supply for example? Then you'd only need a voltage regulator.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
Transformer, Bridge Rectifier, Voltage Regulator - that's your basic kit, but you'd need to know how to wire up and it sounds like you don't.

Don't be fiddling about with any mains components if it's over your head!

Can you not power the whole thing from a DC adapter, a laptop power supply for example? Then you'd only need a voltage regulator.
Click to expand...

Being over my head is EXACTLY what I'm trying to avoid Alan..
The amp comes with its own 36v transformer so I am happy to leave that as is (amp is an SMSL - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181584809169?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT)

What I am trying to do is this - Kettle lead will bring mains power to the toolbox, and then from the back of one of these - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172264563795?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT I will run 2 cables - one to my amp's transformer and a second cable to a second off-the-shelf transformer that will power my mp3 player - all nicely encased in plastic so there is no fiddling needed by me !
 
Something like this might do you: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-240V-...019021?hash=item1ebe9d9c0d:g:VW4AAOSwvzRXx6RK

followed by a 5V USB Module such as this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-24V-12V...032773?hash=item1c7e7a5d45:g:2Y4AAOSwAPlXgeoc

But I suspect that'll all take up much more room than taking a hacksaw to one of these and using the innards... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Mains-...551391?hash=item2364f3c01f:g:MKQAAOSwA3dYc3AM

You might be better off forgetting the Kettle lead altogether and hijacking the AMps power supply.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
Something like this might do you: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/30W-240V-...019021?hash=item1ebe9d9c0d:g:VW4AAOSwvzRXx6RK

followed by a 5V USB Module such as this... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-24V-12V...032773?hash=item1c7e7a5d45:g:2Y4AAOSwAPlXgeoc

But I suspect that'll all take up much more room than taking a hacksaw to one of these and using the innards... http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/UK-Mains-...551391?hash=item2364f3c01f:g:MKQAAOSwA3dYc3AM

You might be better off forgetting the Kettle lead altogether and hijacking the AMps power supply.
Click to expand...

Thanks again Alan for taking the time to help..
I wouldn't have a clue what to do with the 5V module you linked to, so unless you or anyone else here knows someone who can make one up for me then I think I may have to resort to my first plan, and use a one gang socket with a usb outlet.
This will need to be mounted on the front which will spoil the looks and will also mean a cable running from the socket to the mp3 player. Ah well, my attempts at doing something with a tiny bit of style look like being thwarted..

My plan was that it looked like any of my Festool toolboxes until opened up to reveal the stereo - the only clue was going to be the IEC socket on the back.
Never mind - I can still hope it sounds good when finished !
 
Can't see the tree for the forest...?

I have an easy solution - How about a multi outlet usb charger with a uk plug at the end of a cable - ie THIS !

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GX3BKKW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I can cut off the plug, wire it up to my iec socket along with my amp, and charge my mp3 player as well as power my amp.

No complicated electronics, no fear about safety, just sweet sweet music, once I get the damned thing built....
 
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