ok so, i live in the UK and have recently ordered a handy but am getting conflicting info about the adapter i’ll need
according to the ai assistant on the website i need an EU to UK plug adapter that supplies EXACTLY 12 volts and 3 amps, but i can’t find any that actually exist with those exact specifications.
So i was just wondering if the info i was given is correct or if i’d be ok to use something similar but different
any help would be amazing, i’m really struggling with this TwT
You need an adapter that delivers the correct wattage.
I don’t recall what the Handy’s wattage is but you need to supply that.
If you don’t know:
volts * amps = watts
You should aim for exact but I assume the H1 is smart enough to not overvolt so going above probably isn’t bad
Better safe than sorry. Too much and you’ll fry the machine if there aren’t any safeguards in place.
In general if you’re using AI to ask a question, you should double check to make sure its right and that its not complete nonsense.
Your actual best bet is to find the manual for the model you’re purchasing.
The voltage is usually more important than the current, since supplying too much voltage can damage the device and too little voltage might have some components not come on correctly or at all and cause weird behavior. When you have the right voltage, then like Vlad said, the product of voltage and current gives you the power in Watts. It’s less critical: Too little power and it will probably not be able to keep up with faster movements, too much depends on how the device was designed.
I can’t agree enough with what lamp said: Always double check LLM output. It’s just a statistical model, doesn’t know anything, but says everything with certainty. So good on ya asking here as well. But make sure you’re looking for the right power supply from the device’s specs. Or… get an EU power supply and use a EU->UK plug adapter. (Yes I hate that solution, too)
ok so uh
sorry if i’m just being stupid here but that’s kinda what i was referring to (using an EU → UK plug adapter for the power supply it came with) and i kept reading conflicting stuff about new power supplies and the adapters
i’m planning to just go with an adapter but everywhere i checked said that the adapter needed those specific specifications and honestly i’ve just been getting really confused TwT
(sorry again though if i’m just being really stupid, i don’t know much of anything about this stuff)
No worries. The word adapter is used for both the purely mechanical adapters, as well as AC/DC power supplies. Add LLMs to that and the confusion is oh so understandable. What probably threw us off, is the part where you said, that the adapter supplies 12V and 3A. So no stupidity here, only misunderstandings 
So at the risk of telling you things, you already know, to avoid further misunderstandings:
You can use any EU-UK adapters (like the one in the image), since they are rated for MAINS power, i.e. is for the AC side of things and have nothing to do with the DC power supply function. They are usually rated for 230VAC and 5 to 10A, which amounts to 1150 - 2300 W. I would even assume, that there isn’t Protective Earth (the 3rd pin) on the DC power supply, but I would get one with it nonetheless, in case you ever use it for something else.
As for the DC power supply I’m still kinda confused: Did you get an adapter with with your Handy? If so, then I’d assume that one is intended for use with the Handy. Or are you trying to source one and are just wondering about what to get?
ok so my handy came with just a standard EU power supply and i was planning to get an adapter just like in the photo you gave! 
i was reading a lot of conflicting stuff so i was worried that if i got the wrong one of those that it’d cause problems
but going by what you said i take that i won’t really have to worry about what one i get as long as it can supply enough power minimum?
Yeah you can get any such adapter period. They are made to handle power from the wall socket and are just a mechanical adapter. They don’t change anything electrically.
Edit for anyone reading: If you live in a different country like the US, you’ll have to additionally check whether the power supply is compatible with your local MAINS voltage and frequency.
ah, well then thank you very much! i was super worried about not being able to get the right kind and almost panic bought one last night lol
Okay thanks for the valuable science lesson! I will now use my handy charger/power supply with mains at 600V 0,05A. Everything will go okay, right? Because as you said: “you need an adapter that delivers the correct wattage”?
This whole thread shouldn’t have to exist. What the fuck is being taught at schools these days, fuck me. Might as well go back to the fire and stone age, if the general populace doesn’t even master electricity and technology.
Don’t change the voltage in anything that has transistors and capacitors. Changing voltage to analog motors, that’s fine. However, The Handy is both analog and digital so no, don’t risk it. Keep it at 12V to the Handy from the output of the charger, and 110V to 230V for the input to the charger.
OP, The Handy comes with a charger in the box. If it’s missing or broken, contact support. If we’re talking The Handy 2, then buy a 35W or 45W USB-C PD (Power Delivery) capable charger, those can handle 3A just fine. I recommend the Club3D CAC-1909.
As to UK mains and compatibility: the power supply is a switching power supply that supports a variable input voltage from 100V to 240V. A simple power plug converter suffices.
Electronics have tolerances…
Generally digital electronics rely on stable 5v for consistent clock cycles for timers etc.
Motors are more lenient on voltage (to a degree).
Amps are important, especially for driving motors.
Too little amps and your motor will not have the torque.
Amps can be as high as you can find for a power supply.
Amps is basically how much flow the power supply is capable of delivering.
It is like the comparison of a small garden hose to a fire truck hose.
If the device requires 12v DC and 5A, you want your power supply/adapter to provide 12v (you can be up by 1 or 2 volts but that will change timing and speed of things… what was slow before will be slightly faster).
If you have a power supply that is 12 v 10A you will be golden… actually you will notice that the motor doesn’t overheat as much since it has more driving power available.
Amps are not PUSHED from the power supply, amperage is drawn from the device using the power supply.
If you use a 12v 4A power supply (in our example) and the device starts having a heavy load (the motor hits a fast spot and the friction causes the motor to have to work harder) then the motor will request more amps, at least the 5A (from our example) that it was designed to have as a minimum, and may request more amps than the power supply is capable of providing which will stall the motor or overwhelm the power supply (if it isn’t smart and just allows the device to draw unchecked, then your power supply will fail) because you are trying to use a 4A power supply in a 5A use case.
Always match voltage (and polarity!) and always shoot for MORE amps if possible where a motor is concerned… especially a motor that is being used in high torque situations. This will help your power supply longevity (since it is not having to work as hard to supply power).
ok guys, we can stop this here. This is a help topic. The question has been answered. And the tone isn’t helpful even if there were inaccuracies in some of the earlier answers and especially since there were semantic misunderstandings.
Take a breath and have a nice rest of your days.
What tone issues? I was being perfectly professional…I didn’t want someone to destroy their hardware due to inconsistencies and miscommunication of information.
People are too soft if my non-combative tone was too abrasive for their squishy weak constitution.
I had valid input, the question wasn’t fully answered, I answered it because other comments were incomplete. The why for the amperage was necessary for completeness.
This topic was automatically closed 3 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.
