Extension cord for RTAC66U

[Deleted member 22630]

Hi,

I would like to have a longer power cord for my RT-AC66U router. I want to hide the cable behind floor trim - there's just enough room for the cable - so simply plugging the power adapter into an extension cord is not an option.

Does anyone know how to take apart the power adapter? There's a screw which I've removed (hidden under a rubber plug), but the adapter still won't open.

Or does anyone know of where I can buy a longer power cord?

Thanks in advance,
scott.

 

[L&LD]

The power bricks are not usually serviceable. If you do take it apart, it would be throwaway at that point. At least from a safety point of view.

Why don't you just get a longer extension cord and hide as much as you can behind the floor trim and then plug the router into the exposed plug.

I'm assuming that there is a desk or other furniture that you can hide the extra cord from the router's power brick behind.

 

[jegesq]

How long do you need the cord to be? Is 14' long enough for you?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EMO9R5E/?tag=snbforums-20

I would not disassemble the power adapter, since as L&LD notes, it's no longer safe to use (would likely be a fire hazard). On the other hand, the device only draws 19v, so if 14' isn't long enough, and you have a spare adapter lying around, why not just splice the low-voltage wire, solder a longer strand onto it, and extend the cord that way? I don't know how long the cord could theoretically be and still not lose the effective voltage/amps required to power the device reliably, but it would be a heck of a lot safer to splice the low voltage cord than it would be to open up the sealed transformer brick and create a potential fire/electrocution hazard. No one was ever killed by touching 19volts.....although I have no idea what would happen to the adapter brick if the lines weren't properly shielded and they shorted.

 

[L&LD]

Just a word of caution: Voltage doesn't kill; amperage does. As little as 0.15 amps, if I remember correctly.

While it may be safer to splice the low voltage wire, again from a safety perspective, I would be concerned about other dangers at this point; fire (from overheating wires), sparks from loose connections over a long time, etc.

 

[CaptainSTX]

I think the only workable solution will be for you to splice some additional wire into the existing cable. If you solder the connections then use shrinkable tubing/insulation over the splice you should still be able to get the wire behind the base board. Just be sure to stagger the splices so the don't overlap to minimize the bulk at any point.

 

[DaveMishSr]

Just a word of caution: Voltage doesn't kill; amperage does. As little as 0.15 amps, if I remember correctly.

While it may be safer to splice the low voltage wire, again from a safety perspective, I would be concerned about other dangers at this point; fire (from overheating wires), sparks from loose connections over a long time, etc.

That is correct. Voltage is the force required to "push" the current along while amperage is a measure of the amount of electrons (which is electricity) flowing through the connection. Just a few milliAmps are enough to kill if they can penetrate the skin. Luckily for us skin is a pretty good insulator so it does not happen very often. Otherwise, just a very tiny current could disrupt the electrical activity of the heart and brain leading to death.

 

[Deleted member 22630]

How long do you need the cord to be? Is 14' long enough for you?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EMO9R5E/?tag=snbforums-20

I would not disassemble the power adapter, since as L&LD notes, it's no longer safe to use (would likely be a fire hazard). On the other hand, the device only draws 19v, so if 14' isn't long enough, and you have a spare adapter lying around, why not just splice the low-voltage wire, solder a longer strand onto it, and extend the cord that way? I don't know how long the cord could theoretically be and still not lose the effective voltage/amps required to power the device reliably, but it would be a heck of a lot safer to splice the low voltage cord than it would be to open up the sealed transformer brick and create a potential fire/electrocution hazard. No one was ever killed by touching 19volts.....although I have no idea what would happen to the adapter brick if the lines weren't properly shielded and they shorted.

Thanks, I saw that, but it's a US plug with no delivery to Europe.

 

[Deleted member 22630]

I think the only workable solution will be for you to splice some additional wire into the existing cable. If you solder the connections then use shrinkable tubing/insulation over the splice you should still be able to get the wire behind the base board. Just be sure to stagger the splices so the don't overlap to minimize the bulk at any point.

Thanks, that's what I'm looking to do, if all else fails, and I was hoping to get a look at the wire (by opening the adapter) without having to cut the wire first. I need to know if it's a type of wire which is easily purchased and soldered.

 

[Deleted member 22630]

The power bricks are not usually serviceable. If you do take it apart, it would be throwaway at that point. At least from a safety point of view.

Why don't you just get a longer extension cord and hide as much as you can behind the floor trim and then plug the router into the exposed plug.

I'm assuming that there is a desk or other furniture that you can hide the extra cord from the router's power brick behind.

Please (re-)read my question. I've already stated that I can't hide the plug, I need a longer cord. If a longer extension cord would suffice, I would obviously already have done it. I'm asking about how to take the plug apart because I want to know if someone has done it and how, precisely because I don't want to force it and wreck it.

 

[L&LD]

I think you should re-read the responses.

What I'm suggesting is to hide the extension cord leaving the ends exposed at the wall plug and router end.

As already stated, you will wreck it if you take it apart.


Seems like you're making this more difficult than it needs to be?

 

[Deleted member 22630]

What I'm suggesting is to hide the extension cord leaving the ends exposed at the wall plug and router end.

So I plug the router's power adapter into an extension cord... How do I now get the power adapter - which is now half-way between the router and the wall-plug - hidden behind 10mm baseboards?

What I'm trying to do is extend the wire between the power adapter and the router, either by taking it apart and soldering in a piece, or by finding a longer unit (with appropriate plug). The wire itself can be easily hidden behind the baseboards - none of the plugs (either of the power adapter or the extension cord) will fit behind the baseboards.

As already stated, you will wreck it if you take it apart.

You say I will wreck it if I take it apart, but I'm guessing you haven't tried and are just guessing. I posted the question here to find out if anybody had actually tried it and therefore has a definitive answer.

Seems like you're making this more difficult than it needs to be?

Seems like you have a solution for a totally different problem.

 

[L&LD]

You obviously can't hide the power adaptor behind 10mm baseboards. That is not what I suggested and you missed what I was assuming since you give little info.

You will wreck it. I am guessing that based on your naïve questions and also on my assumption and your assertion that you have no experience, skill or background with these matters. You have not mentioned how long you need to extend this by, nor would you or could you know what safety precautions you may be ignoring or taking lightly.

A quick google search would have given you the answer already on the how.

I'm politely suggesting you don't.

Put a plant or a piece of furniture or other art to hide the power adaptor and keep yourself safe.

 

[jegesq]

Just a word of caution: Voltage doesn't kill; amperage does. As little as 0.15 amps, if I remember correctly.

While it may be safer to splice the low voltage wire, again from a safety perspective, I would be concerned about other dangers at this point; fire (from overheating wires), sparks from loose connections over a long time, etc.

Yeah, 150 milliamps (or 0.15 amps) can be enough to cause ventricular fibrillation, sudden cardiac arrest, and kill a person.

Saying "it's not the voltage that kills but amperage" while true doesn't tell the entire story, since voltage and amperage are linked inextricably, i.e., Ohm's Law (alluded to by Dave Mish's post which discusses human skin resistance).

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html

But let's be practical: The OP probably isn't going to be cutting into the low-voltage cable with the power adapter plugged into a socket (especially not if he's in Europe with 220v, and thus higher amperage than one would find here in the U.S.). I don't think we ought to assume he's going to be an idiot.

No, he'll unplug the adapter, make the splices to the cord, add some additional wire to increase the length so he can hide the cord under his baseboards as he desires to do. And if he does this right, as someone else noted, he'll stagger the cuts so the splices don't overlap, and he'll insulate the connections with electrical tape or heat-shrink insulation to prevent them from shorting. So no one's likely to get killed here.

Personally, I agree with you after examining closlely the plastic casing on the power supply: I would not open it up at all, or even think of adding additional length to the cord by messing with the internal connections inside the wall wart. Too much risk of winding up with something entirely useless and potentially way more dangerous (which I guess was your original point about the risk of shock, and my point about the risk of creating a fire hazard).

But since the option I suggested apparently isn't available in Europe, I guess he's gonna do what he's gonna do. Hopefully he'll let us know how it turns out. I'm kind of interested in the theoretical maximum length for a 19v cable run....how long can you get it before the router's power becomes unstable....?

 

[Deleted member 22630]

Yeah, 150 milliamps (or 0.15 amps) can be enough to cause ventricular fibrillation, sudden cardiac arrest, and kill a person.

Saying "it's not the voltage that kills but amperage" while true doesn't tell the entire story, since voltage and amperage are linked inextricably, i.e., Ohm's Law (alluded to by Dave Mish's post which discusses human skin resistance).

http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_3/4.html

But let's be practical: The OP probably isn't going to be cutting into the low-voltage cable with the power adapter plugged into a socket (especially not if he's in Europe with 220v, and thus higher amperage than one would find here in the U.S.). I don't think we ought to assume he's going to be an idiot.

No, he'll unplug the adapter, make the splices to the cord, add some additional wire to increase the length so he can hide the cord under his baseboards as he desires to do. And if he does this right, as someone else noted, he'll stagger the cuts so the splices don't overlap, and he'll insulate the connections with electrical tape or heat-shrink insulation to prevent them from shorting. So no one's likely to get killed here.

Personally, I agree with you after examining closlely the plastic casing on the power supply: I would not open it up at all, or even think of adding additional length to the cord by messing with the internal connections inside the wall wart. Too much risk of winding up with something entirely useless and potentially way more dangerous (which I guess was your original point about the risk of shock, and my point about the risk of creating a fire hazard).

But since the option I suggested apparently isn't available in Europe, I guess he's gonna do what he's gonna do. Hopefully he'll let us know how it turns out. I'm kind of interested in the theoretical maximum length for a 19v cable run....how long can you get it before the router's power becomes unstable....?

Ah, some sense! No, I'm not going to be cutting into live wire (although I'm sure by this stage L&LD would like me to ;-)) and yes, I'm just looking for a solution to extend the cable with minimal bulk so I can fit it behind the baseboards. I've extended lots of cables in the past, and have a good understanding of electrics, insulation and so on. I was simply hoping that either someone had already found an extension cord (as you did, but - alas - it was not suitable for non-US plugs), or that someone already knew what was in the adapter or what type of cable it is.

What I will likely do, is cut the cable (with the power disconnected ;-)), and add a section of cable, possibly with jacks or plugs, depending on what type of cable it turns out to be.

Regards,
Scott.

 

[htismaqe]

But since the option I suggested apparently isn't available in Europe, I guess he's gonna do what he's gonna do. Hopefully he'll let us know how it turns out. I'm kind of interested in the theoretical maximum length for a 19v cable run....how long can you get it before the router's power becomes unstable....?

It really depends on the gauge of the wire but IIRC, 20V DC on 10AWG wire drops about 1% per 100 feet.

So at 100 feet, 19V would become about 18V. Not sure the router could handle that kind of variance.

 

[Deleted member 22630]

It really depends on the gauge of the wire but IIRC, 20V DC on 10AWG wire drops about 1% per 100 feet.

So at 100 feet, 19V would become about 18V. Not sure the router could handle that kind of variance.

I only need an extra 2m/7ft max. The longer cord suggested earlier would have been perfect, but they don't sell that with an EU plug.

 

[htismaqe]

Instead of installing an extension cord between the adapter and the wall outlet, what if you installed an extension cable between the adapter and the ROUTER?

I've made them before from parts at Radio Shack but they're readily available on the Internet. It would certainly be considerably less bulky than an extension cord.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FTH6WNS/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[CaptainSTX]

But let's be practical: The OP probably isn't going to be cutting into the low-voltage cable with the power adapter plugged into a socket (especially not if he's in Europe with 220v, and thus higher amperage than one would find here in the U.S.). I don't think we ought to assume he's going to be an idiot.

?

Just for your FYI higher volts means lower AMPs. Same WATTs.

With higher VOLTs you can use smaller gauge wire.

 

[jegesq]

Just for your FYI higher volts means lower AMPs. Same WATTs.

With higher VOLTs you can use smaller gauge wire.

Oops. You're right. Doh!

 

[jegesq]

I only need an extra 2m/7ft max. The longer cord suggested earlier would have been perfect, but they don't sell that with an EU plug.

Why don't you just buy the adapter that I linked to originally (upthread) with the 14' long cord and do what we Americans would do if we took that device to Europe: Buy an adapter to fit the U.S. plug on the adapter so it fits whatever standard is used in your country? Wouldn't that be easier, cheaper and safer than cracking open the original unit, or splicing wires?

Try this link to an Amazon.co.uk search for "US Plug Adapter to European Plug".