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    A New Chapter for MagicMirror: The Community Takes the Lead
    Read the statement by Michael Teeuw here.

    Powering my mirror?

    Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Hardware
    45 Posts 6 Posters 38.5k Views 4 Watching
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    • T Offline
      The Bean @MadScientist
      last edited by

      @MadScientist sorry for so many questions. But won’t I need to solder them in a “T”? Or get a T splice?

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      • M Offline
        MadScientist
        last edited by

        Don’t be afraid to ask…

        Pic says more than a thousand words…
        alt text

        You can solder the wires together but that’s not really needed.

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        • T Offline
          The Bean @MadScientist
          last edited by

          @MadScientist ok awesome! That really did help I wasn’t thinking of doubling them up in the terminal.

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          • T Offline
            The Bean @The Bean
            last edited by

            https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F191903753580
            This converter isn’t adjustable and it’s only 5.0 v would this work?

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            • M Offline
              MadScientist
              last edited by

              https://www.ebay.com/itm/1PCS-DC-DC-LM2596-power-Supply-Buck-Converter-step-down-module-NEW-CA/142147326064?hash=item2118a41070:g:L1kAAOSwvzRXzOBg
              or
              https://www.ebay.com/itm/DC-DC-Buck-Step-down-Regulator-Converter-4-2-23v-to-3V-3-3V-5V-9V-12V-24V-Module/112472493337?hash=item1a2fe20d19:g:dCsAAOSwdd9aVjD6
              should do. They are adjustable via a potentiometer. Iam using the latter one for a Pi Zero but the 3A are enough to power a Pi3 easily. You should check aliexpress.com since most of the low priced parts already come from China. They will be even cheaper and are the very same product.

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              • T Offline
                The Bean
                last edited by

                How do these look?
                http://s.aliexpress.com/67rmau6V?
                http://s.aliexpress.com/vuaEjyAR?

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                • M Offline
                  MadScientist
                  last edited by

                  Yeah, that should do.

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                  • T Offline
                    The Bean
                    last edited by The Bean

                    before i buy a power supply i wanted to ask if the one i had for it would work, if i spliced the adapter into it?

                    https://www.ebay.com/itm/112168199465

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                    • M Offline
                      MadScientist
                      last edited by

                      Sure it works. I just proposed the other one because it’s very compact and I thought that was important. Use the once you already have to save costs as long as it suits you. It’s powerful enough if those values are correct.

                      Especially those black power bricks can be of very bad quality. Run your mirror setup for a few hours and check that the power supply isn’t getting too hot.

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                      • T Offline
                        The Bean
                        last edited by

                        My problem with it was that I didn’t want to have the brick of it out side the case. Or 3 foot of wire looped inside but I’ll have to cut it to add the step down anyway. So I may as well try it that way first. But I also didn’t know if it was big enough for both To run off of.

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                        • T Offline
                          The Bean
                          last edited by

                          i ran into this problem awhile back but got put on the backburner.

                          0_1530480192674_Diagram- screen 2.png

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                          • M Offline
                            maxbachmann
                            last edited by

                            @The-Bean Whats the buck down converter? I guess the pi is just a to big load for it

                            Never expect those china buck down converters to achieve more than 50% of what they say they will do (especially without additional cooler)

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                            • M Offline
                              maxbachmann
                              last edited by

                              @The-Bean you might want to try with a additional cooler on the converter since the pi is not constantly pulling 2A, so it might work

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                              • T Offline
                                The Bean
                                last edited by

                                http://a.co/4qRQUQJ

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                                • M Offline
                                  maxbachmann
                                  last edited by

                                  @The-Bean When it gets really hot I would try with a heatsink
                                  and what happens when you connect it and then turn up the voltage until you reach 5V?

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                                  • T Offline
                                    The Bean
                                    last edited by

                                    the converter its self doesnt really get hot.(that i have noticed) it just the wire to the pi. and once it drops, it doesnt adjust anymore.

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                                    • M Offline
                                      maxbachmann
                                      last edited by

                                      hm strange I mean I don’t know the cable size you use, but 5V 2A is pretty much nothing for any cable. Should not really get hot for sure

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                                      • T Offline
                                        The Bean
                                        last edited by

                                        thats what i thought… i will continue to investigate and post back if i find anything.

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                                        • M Offline
                                          MadScientist
                                          last edited by

                                          2A is not nothing for a thin cable. What kind of cable are you using? If it is just a very thin one, it would also explain the huge voltage drop. Try using a thicker one.
                                          I am running the Pi with a SSD with one of those very cheap china buck converters without any issues for 6 months now.

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                                          • M Offline
                                            maxbachmann
                                            last edited by

                                            Yep thats why I write I don’t know what siye of a cable you use ;)
                                            but since I expected the cable to be very short (step down converter directly in front of the pi and the cable is probably open to all sides
                                            VDE rules say you should use at least 0.5mm² up to 2.5A 2m
                                            and at least 0.1mm² up to 1A 2m

                                            So you should use 0.5mm² to be on the safe side.

                                            0.25mm² should probably work aswell when you do not have long cables and do not stress the pi fully out to 2A ;)
                                            But yes @MadScientist is right you should definetly not get below this

                                            and keep in mind those values are for copper cables. If you use aluminium cables you obviously need thicker cables

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