Dual changing station - need help/tips on electrical stuff! - General

I want to make charging cradle for my two most used handhelds - my DS and 3DS XL. I already have the design of the product done, and will be doing it out of wood. Have a shite MS paint rendition showing a side view and isometric view: [img]http://i.imgur.com/n9OgPnC.png[/img] What I want to know is if it would be possible to put both in to one AC socket, so I can free up space on my power bar. And if so, how would I go about it? I know nothing of wiring (have built a PC, that is about as close to wiring I have gotten). Any electrical geeks in here?

They are both normally powered by a wall wart DC power supply of some sort. I don't own any handhelds but I imagine they charge with something around 5-8 volts DC. You need to read the specs of the chargers for them and see what voltage and current they require. If both use the same voltage you can just add the current and power them in parallel. You can most likely wind up powering both by a small PSU like this pretty easily and with minimal wiring. [url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-5V-AC-Adapter-For-HARD-DISK-Drive-Power-Supply-/370528025346?pt=Laptop_Adapters_Chargers&hash=item564530fb02[/url]

I would like 1 wire to end up going in to the dock itself, the other end in a standard wall socket. I don't think that PSU would do the job.

You're not getting the picture here. That is what will convert the 120 VAC down to a safe level to power both your devices. It takes in 120 volts AC from the wall using a standard computer power supply cord. You would run that wire into your little box thing, and put the linked psu inside. you would then wire your two dock plugs to the DC out of the psu at the same voltage listed on the factory chargers. (most likely 5v) The wire and plug coming out of the power supply in the picture is the output and part you would cut off and wire to the devices.

alright, but how am I going to wire the two DS chargers to that thing (exactly, step by step). I really do know shit all about wiring. Like, i assume i would open up the ds charger wire and jab the 2 ends (if there even is just 2) in to the two holes on the thing you linked?

I hate to say it, but I get the feeling you may electrocute yourself some point in the foreseeable future.

If you've got no idea what you're doing with electronics, please dont go playing with mains supplies or converting mains, it won't end well for you. especially not with any "jabbing wires" into things. How about you get a small mains extension cable (like this: [url]http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/260718495685?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&adtype=pla&crdt=0[/url] ) and hide the double port end in the base of your charging station and plug the charging units into that? It's going to be much safer for all involved.

[QUOTE=Tw34k;39729933] [url]http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-5V-AC-Adapter-For-HARD-DISK-Drive-Power-Supply-/370528025346?pt=Laptop_Adapters_Chargers&hash=item564530fb02[/url][/QUOTE] Unless you want fire you shouldn't leave those overly cheap chinese power supplies running unattended.

hey i hate to say it but if its a usb type plug, Motorola has a converter with two plugs in it