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I'm wanting to convert 3 battery operated marquee signs to AC power by following one of the many tutorials out there on sites like instructables.com. I'm more than capable of doing each one on its own and having 3 wall warts for each sign. My question is can I power all 3 signs off 1 AC power supply? Each sign takes 3 C batteries so I know to do each one would require a 4.5v power supply on its own. Could I do 1 13.5v power supply and wire it to all 3 signs?

Thank you.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ As Peter says. | Connect 1 sign - measure supply voltage. Now connect 2. If V drops significantly or signs light less well or power supply catches fire (not a serious test of course) then a larger current supply is needed. Repeat with 3 signs. | You can use 3 in series IF the current is ALWAYS the same for each BUT this is very unlikely to be the case. \$\endgroup\$
    – Russell McMahon ♦
    Commented Dec 18, 2015 at 23:58

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If each sign requires 4.5 volts, then you need to connect all the signs in parallel, to a 4.5 volt DC power supply

You should determine the maximum current required by each sign, and get a power supply that can deliver at least the total current required by all signs.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Peter, ahh yes thank you. That makes sense - I knew it was easier than I was making it out to be. I do have a 4.5v power supply from an old CD player though I'm not sure if it has enough current, might need to do some window shopping on amazon! Again, thanks Peter and for the quick turn around! \$\endgroup\$
    – Ryan
    Commented Dec 18, 2015 at 23:34

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