What components do i need to create a 6V DC power supply from a 12V DC input?

Question

I need to create a 6V DC power supply to power a pipe locater. The input voltage will be 12V DC supplied by a deep cycle battery. The power output is approx 2 Watts, but for the sake of safety the circuit should be able to provide 4 Watts or .66 Amps. I am fairly handy with electronics I'm just not familiar with voltage regulation. Any tips and advice would also be greatly appreciated thanks in advance.

Answer 1

An even simpler regulator chip is the L7806 which is preset to 6V. The suggested LM317 adjustable regulator requires a few simple components to make it work. But if your uncomfortable with wiring a circuit then the L7806 is for you as you only need to connect its three leads to Power IN, Ground and Power out . Sometimes you need to add a filter capacitor in parallel with the output, but you can always add one later if necessary.

Be aware that although both of these parts are rated at 1.5 amps you will need a heat sink to achieve that rating. A simple clip on heat sink is available as well as larger bolt on units. For the .6A draw the clip on should do nicely.

Answer 2

you can easily hook up the 12 volts to an LM317 regulator.
Its rated at 1.5 Amps so that plenty for your application.
This is a circuit consisting of a total of 5 components. Use a potentiometer to adjust the voltage setting.

Answer 3

you can easily hook up the 12 volts to an LM317 regulator.
Its rated at 1.5 Amps so that plenty for your application.
This is a circuit consisting of a total of 5 components. Use a potentiometer to adjust the voltage setting.

See link.

Answer 4

You need a transformer, a step-down transformer. Or a transformer, you can tap a lead out of the winding's to get 6 volts DC.