[Shop-talk] LED power cord

[Ronnie Day]

Tim, you can extend the cable of the power adapter, or make what you need
rather than modify the power adapter you have.

You need an in-line female coaxial barrel plug, enough two conductor wire
to reach the device you're using, and a male coaxial. The thing is coaxial
barrel connectors come in a wide variety of internal and external
diameters. There is no one standard size. Radio Shack used to be the place
to get the barrel connectors, but now I'd check Mouser Electronics or maybe
Parts Express. And Google is always your friend. You could also splice a
length of two conductor wire into the existing wire. Something like 18 to
24 gauge speaker wire should work. I'd offset the splice points, carefully
solder (not crimp) the connections and use heat shrink tubing.

You can roll your own, too. First you need to know the voltage and current
output of the power adapter (aka - wall wart) you have. It should be
printed or etched into the housing on the AC end of the cord. It should
list the input voltage and current draw (110 volts A/C & xxx amps) AND the
output voltage and current (something like 5 Volts DC @ 150 milliamps).
Then you need the wall wart that offers the proper output voltage and
current with either an USB-A or USB-C port, and a cable the length you need
with the matching USB connector on one end and the correct coaxial barrel
connector on the other.

All of the above said, we had a similar situation in our kitchen with a
task light that needed a longer cord. I bought an extension cord at Home
Depot with a single female plug, plugged the light into it, routed the cord
along the edge of the shelves to the wall plug securing the wire with clear
3M Command clips. I cut the excess length off of the extension cord and
used a right angle clamp-on male plug. Total cost was maybe $12 and 30
minutes of work. Most importantly, the boss loves it!

Hope all of that helps!
Ron

On Sat, Feb 21, 2026 at 4:24 PM john niolon <jniolon at att.net> wrote:

>
> what is on the other end??  maybe find a male/female extension card on
> line ???
>
> j*----- Original Message -----*
>
> *From:* Tim . <tims_datsun_stuff at outlook.com>
> *To:* Shop Talk <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
> *Sent:* 02/21/2026 2:51:52 PM
> *Subject:* [Shop-talk] LED power cord
> ------------------------------
> Hi all
>
> Are there extensions or longer options for this type of power cord? I've
> looked some online and really don't find what I want—but then again I AM
> search challenged.
>
> I need upwards of six to eight feet (or more) and would rather run a thin
> cord where I can hide it in the top window trim (instead of a thicker
> extension cord with this plug sitting out in the open above a window.
>
> Thanks
> tim
>
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