• Registered: 2009-11-14
  • Posts: 39

Topic: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

Hello,
   I am having a little bit of trouble with my chumby one . I came home last night and it was off and i couldn't get it back on. Upon further inspection when i put my ear to it, it was making a strange high pitched sound. I look the chumby apart and I am not seeing anything burn out or smelling bad. If i keep plugging in and unplugging the power adapter, sometimes I will get the screen to flicker on and off. However, if i use a lithium ion battery or connect 5v from the power adapter to the battery terminals, all works as it should. This may be a question for Bunnie, can you tell me where/if there is a power regulator chip on the chumby? I have access to a hot air soldering iron and I can attempt a fix, or do you think its a better idea to just wire the power adapter to the batery pins and run the chumby this way?

Thanks in advance!

  • From: Oceanside, CA
  • Registered: 2008-04-17
  • Posts: 650

Re: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

It's very likely just your power supply.  That's a common failure and has been discussed on here at length.

Here are a couple threads you may find helpful:
http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?id=8438
http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?id=7841

Linux Guy - Occasional Chumby Hacker

Materdaddy's Website

  • From: Australia
  • Registered: 2009-03-19
  • Posts: 503

Re: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

Gompka wrote:

Hello,
   I am having a little bit of trouble with my chumby one . I came home last night and it was off and i couldn't get it back on. Upon further inspection when i put my ear to it, it was making a strange high pitched sound...
If i keep plugging in and unplugging the power adapter, sometimes I will get the screen to flicker on and off. However, if i use a lithium ion battery or connect 5v from the power adapter to the battery terminals, all works as it should.

Power supply.
My Chumby One did exactly the same things only about a week ago - went off unexpectedly; would come on briefly if reconnected to power supply; made high pitched whistling noise; worked perfectly off internal battery.
I opened up the power supply, following duharris's handy tip about cracking it open in a vice, and sure enough the C6 capacitor was all bulgy and unhappy looking, as predicted.
I don't think connecting the power adaptor to the battery pins is going to be a suitable long term (or even short term) fix. It is almost certainly the external power supply that is the problem - fix or replace this and you've sorted out the root of the trouble.
See Materdaddy's links above.

4 Reply by nathanm (edited by nathanm 2013-03-30 16:08:16)

  • From: A not too distant future
  • Registered: 2013-03-03
  • Posts: 478

Re: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

Doesn't Doktor Jones make adapters that make eBay power supplies (like this one) work with your Chumby One?

EDIT: Yes he does. http://forum.chumby.com/viewtopic.php?id=8574

  • Registered: 2012-02-07
  • Posts: 535

Re: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

Connecting the power supply to the battery pins could actually damage your C1; I don't know, but I'm guessing there's much less "safety" circuitry on the battery connection since a battery generally doesn't produce surges or the like.  A failing power supply, on the other hand, could produce very out-of-spec power spikes/drops that the hardware is ill-equipped to handle from the battery pins.  While I know there isn't regulation per se on the power input jack, I'd imagine things are at least fused and/or otherwise protected to some extent from undesired power fluctuations.

Unfortunately, until I can source another coaxial power connector that has better connectivity with the C1, I'm not making any more adapters.  I've shipped out three thus far, but a user who ordered two experienced a problem with both his adapters -- they work, but the connector doesn't fit quite right and if the cord or Chumby get bumped at all, the power blips and his Chumby resets.

  • Registered: 2009-11-14
  • Posts: 39

Re: Chumby works on battery not on power adapter

Thanks for all of the quick replies, i checked into the power supply issue and ended up finding this youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgbhG7Jy … ta_player. Changed the 1000mf cap in the power supply (it was swollen and bulging at the top) and chumby is good as new!