Current doubling 12v output and 9v output on BBE SupaCharger

[pokett]

I have a very specific use case, where I would like to power a 12v pedal, using my BBE SupaCharger, however it needs more than the 100ma that the 12v outputs can provide. I know from research and experience that I can use a current doubler cable (i.e. the one from VooDoo Labs for their PP series of power supplies) to take for instance two 9v 100ma outputs and give a pedal access to 9v 200ma, or even connect a 9v 100ma and a 9v 200ma output with the cable to give the pedal access to 9v 300ma.

What I'm wondering is, can I use that same doubler cable to connect both a 12v 100ma output and a 9v 200ma output to provide 12v 300ma… or will the mismatch between voltage cause a problem…

I know the simplest and safest option (which is what I'll do if I can't find convincing information to the contrary) is to just use a separate wall wart with the appropriate rating for the pedal… but for simplicity and cleanliness of my pedalboard I would obviously like to avoid that (and to avoid buying a new power supply for my board…).

Hoping someone here can help me understand the science/physics of what would be happening…

Thanks!

 

[vjf1968]

What is the item you are powering?

 

[pokett]

What is the item you are powering?

TC Electronic Nova Drive NDR-1

 

[vjf1968]

Ok. IIRC when you double voltage you are not doubling amps. You either want a separate power supply or something like the Voodoo Labs ISO 5 or Digital power supply. Digital pedals want the full power at the proper voltage and mA.

 

[pokett]

Ok. IIRC when you double voltage you are not doubling amps. You either want a separate power supply or something like the Voodoo Labs ISO 5 or Digital power supply. Digital pedals want the full power at the proper voltage and mA.

Yeah, I currently have a VooDoo labs cable that lets me plug one pedal into 2 outputs, increasing the current (mA) so that I can take a 100mA output and a 200ma output to give a pedal 300mA. That cable works as expected, but that was for a 9v pedal, and so both the outputs I'm using are 9v.

This pedal needs 12v, and more mA than any one of my outputs provides. On my power supply (BBE SupaCharger), some of the outputs are 100mA and some are 200mA. The 100mA outputs are switchable between 9v and 12v, and the 200mA outputs are switchable between 9v and 16v.

So what I need is to stack the current of two outputs (which I know works when the voltage on both is set at 9v) but the voltages would have to be mismatched. They could be:

12v 100mA + 9v 200mA

Or

12v 100mA + 16v 200mA

From what I've been able to read online, the current doubler cable is connecting them in parallel so that the voltage doesn't change. From what I've read about connecting mismatched voltage **batteries** in parallel, the voltage you would receive is only as much as the smallest one (so 9v or 12v in my two examples above). The problem is that when referring to batteries, everything makes it clear that he mismatching voltages is a big no-no since voltage (I think) moves between the two batteries when they're mismatched. Obviously connecting two regulated/isolated power supply outputs is different than two batteries, but the potential for catastrophic results probably means it's just not worth even researching further…

I **just** today saw the VooDoo Labs PP Digital and that looks interesting. I'm right on the cusp of needing to rethink/do my power management solution… which sucks cause it's not as glamorous as new pedals, but almost (if not more) expensive! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[ZenGuitarist]

I have a TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay which has similar power requirements as your pedal and it's very finicky about the power supplied to it. When it doesn't have the correct power supplied it might work for a little while before malfunctioning in weird ways.

I think you'd be better off finding something that meets your pedal's power requirements directly instead of trying to come up with a band-aid solution.

 

[pokett]

I have a TC Electronic ND-1 Nova Delay which has similar power requirements as your pedal and it's very finicky about the power supplied to it. When it doesn't have the correct power supplied it might work for a little while before malfunctioning in weird ways.

I think you'd be better off finding something that meets your pedal's power requirements directly instead of trying to come up with a band-aid solution.

Yup, that's the conclusion I've been coming to. I have my own version of a courtesy outlet going on, so as a fallback I'll be doing that, but I'm starting to map out options like the VooDoo Labs PP+ or even the Mondo… my gear fund however is NOT currently equipped for that…

 

[Sandhill69]

What I'm wondering is, can I use that same doubler cable to connect both a 12v 100ma output and a 9v 200ma output to provide 12v 300ma… or will the mismatch between voltage cause a problem…

Yes the mismatch would cause problems...you'd have 3V trying to swim upstream INTO the 9V output. The outputs may be protected against such a situation by diodes, but at that point the 9V output would simply contribute nothing.

 

[pokett]

Yes the mismatch would cause problems...you'd have 3V trying to swim upstream INTO the 9V output. The outputs may be protected against such a situation by diodes, but at that point the 9V output would simply contribute nothing.

Based on my limited reading about how batteries would respond (sometimes catastrophically) that's exactly what I was figuring would happen in the "best" case scenario.