HELP !!! My Ebay purchased Kern came w/out a power supply. What can I use instead??

[jibreel]

Won a Kern IP-777 on ebay. The packaging came damaged at the end and the power supply fell out. The woman had never shipped anything like this before. There was no damage to the unit itself !!


Thanks to all who have replied.

Found the info from someone who read it to me off of their original walwart. Putting it here for anyone else who might need it:
GCH systems inc.
Model # DV1215A
Class 2 transformer

120VAC
60hz
30W

Output:

12VAC
1.25amp

[superbeast101]

It should be able to take a standard 12 v adapter like you can get for many boss stomp boxes or digitech effects pedals ect. If you buy one tho just verify with the salesperson that it has the right power rating to power the kern

[dmusic148]

Best to talk to someone at Kern about this. You'd need an adapter that will supply a fairly high current, I suspect, more than most pedal adapters will supply. We also don't know which way the Kern is wired, regarding + / - and getting that wrong may damage the Kern.

[bongomania]

Originally Posted by superbeast101

It should be able to take a standard 12 v adapter like you can get for many boss stomp boxes or digitech effects pedals ect. If you buy one tho just verify with the salesperson that it has the right power rating to power the kern

That is totally bogus advice.


Edit: Just for your future knowledge, there are five things a person must know when buying a wall-wart or other external supply:
--amount of voltage
--AC or DC
--minimum amount of current the unit needs to operate
--size (external and internal) of connector plug
--polarity

In this case we know the amount of voltage, and that it's AC. We don't know the current draw or the polarity, and we can only guess that it might be the same size as a Boss barrel plug--but there are other barrel plugs that look very similar, but that do not fit. For example, is the external size of that plug 2.1 mm or 2.5 mm? What about the thickness of the inner pin?

Simply not knowing the polarity is enough to potentially burn up and destroy the equipment.

And lastly, asking a sales clerk in a music store for advice about powering an uncommon boutique rack unit is like asking a monkey how to train for the Olympics.

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by bongomania

That is totally bogus advice.

It sure is!! Most typical AC adapters don't provide nearly enough current (milliamps) to run a device that contains tubes. And the Kern has three tubes, each one needing probably over 400 to 500 milliamps to run the heater.

My Kern has the internal power supply (non-wall wart version) so unfortunately I can't just look at mine and provide the necessary current rating.

Hopefully someone with a wall-wart version will chime in with the required spec for the adapter.

[mikeboth]

Originally Posted by superbeast101

It should be able to take a standard 12 v adapter like you can get for many boss stomp boxes or digitech effects pedals ect. If you buy one tho just verify with the salesperson that it has the right power rating to power the kern

I suggest you learn the difference between AC and DC before giving such advice.

The preamp needs an AC supply, i.e. all you are doing is hooking up a transformer betweeen the wall / line voltage and the device. Current draw is less of a worry as most transformers in AC voltage plugpacks / wallwarts can supply *most* devices with current to spare. But given the lack of specs on the manufacturer's site for the power supply, the only way to be sure is to contact them directly, or ask someone else who owns one. Or, you could assume the 2amp rating on the fuse is about right, and simply find a 12VAC supply with 2A capability.....

[elgecko]

1. Contact Kern for proper specs

2. Find adapter with those specs

3. ?

4. Profit!

[okcrum]

Let's see, the back panel says 12 VAC, and the fuse says 2 amps.

I'd bet a 1-2 amp 12 volt AC transformer would work. No polarity worries with AC.

The hardest part is probably finding the right size connector.

[gjbassist]

Was the amp damaged in any way? I assume the shipper insured it? Looks like it was USPS that delivered it. I would be contacting them about the damage to the package and the missing power supply. They need to be held responsible for the damage and reimburse you for the cost of the power supply!

[SactoBass]

Originally Posted by mikeboth

you could assume the 2amp rating on the fuse is about right, and simply find a 12VAC supply with 2A capability.....

+1

Having three preamp tubes inside, I would think a 2A (2000 milliamp) supply would suffice.

[jibreel]

Originally Posted by elgecko

1. Contact Kern for proper specs

2. Find adapter with those specs

3. ?

4. Profit!

Kern is no longer in business. These are no longer made, no online manuals, no builder contact.

[jibreel]

Thanks Mikeboth,Okrum and Sacto bass.

I will investigate and also hope some walwart Kern owners chime in.

[dmusic148]

Originally Posted by mikeboth

I suggest you learn the difference between AC and DC before giving such advice.

Ha! Me too! I completely missed that it requires AC power. A 2 amp transformer is easy to find- then you just need to find the right connector, or replace the existing one with something else. Easy project, really, if you're handy with that sort of thing.

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by jibreel

Kern is no longer in business. These are no longer made, no online manuals, no builder contact.

I was wondering why everyone was suggesting such non-direct solutions!

[T-Bird]

Hi.

Just like everyone else has said a 12V AC power supply is required.

As for the current capability of that device, only an another owner can tell You exactly. Or a tech who tries different transformers and measures the voltage across known test points.

AC power supplies are tricky things compared with AC ones as the only regulating method is the load. If You have less load than specified, the voltage stays up, if there's more load, the voltage drops. Both situations usually mean more noise/hiss/reduced headroom.

Another thing to consider is the noise filtering. Kern is supposed to be a quality piece of engineering, so one could assume that the filters are built into the unit. Again, no way to tell without the original PS (or taking a peek inside).

As for the correct plug, You go to RS or eqvivalent with the unit and let them choose.


I once got a great deal on a "broken" DBX tube pre and it turned out that the owner had tried a 9V AC wall-wart on it .

Regards
Sam

[tombowlus]

I will double check mine to be sure, but as I recall, my IP-777 is the non-wall wart version. Sorry I can't be of more help.

[jnewmark]

Originally Posted by jibreel

Got a great deal on a Kern IP-777 on ebay. One day auction and I got it for $ 485.00 shipped. The package came trashed and the power supply fell out. The woman [ who has a bunch of 100% ebay feedback ], obviously has never shipped anything like this before.

This is the one with the wall wart and it says it wants 12V AC.

I will need to know amperage and polarity and barrel size.

Can I buy a power supply that will work?

Let me ask a stupid question. You say the power supply fell out ? Are you sure? Did you ask the seller if she forgot to put it in the package ?

[jibreel]

Originally Posted by jnewmark

Let me ask a stupid question. You say the power supply fell out ? Are you sure? Did you ask the seller if she forgot to put it in the package ?

She claims she did and seems very trustworthy. Nice person. Never shipped anything like this although she has many 100% ebay ratings.

[jibreel]

Thanks to all who have replied.

Found the info from someone who read it to me off of their original walwart. Putting it here for anyone else who might need it:

GCH systems inc.
Model # DV1215A
Class 2 transformer

120VAC
60hz
30W

Output:

12VAC
1.25amp

[SactoBass]

jibreel,

If it were me, I would wait until someone with a wal-wart version chimes in with the specs of their power supply. That way, there won't be any guesswork.

IMO.

EDIT: I must have been typing my message at the same time you were, jibreel. I am glad you got the info you needed! Good job!! Isn't Talkbass great?