What kind of connector is this?

Hello! I’m hoping someone on this forum can help me identify a mystery connector. I’ve taken it to two hardware stores and no one has any idea what it is. As you can see, it’s attached to a strand of lights. I’d like to get them working again, but without information about this plug I can’t even get started. Thanks so much for any help! :smiley:

http://hitchhikingtoheaven.com/wp-conte … G_6384.jpg

Hi shaespark, and thanks for posting.

Someone else may know, but I’ve personally never seen a connector like that. It’s possible that you have some sort of proprietary connector that’s not available anywhere and if that’s the case, cutting this off and replacing both ends with a more standard type connector may be your only shot at getting your lights back up and running.

Thanks TS-Chris! Your answer helped me to remember that these lights came from IKEA ten or so years ago and that they’re LED lights, so I kept searching and just found this. It seems that it is indeed an LED plug that goes into an adapter – this one looks to be European but I know mine came with a plug for the U.S. At least I now have some sense of what I’m looking at/for . . .

http://hitchhikingtoheaven.com/wp-conte … ns-24v.jpg

IN the Netherlands/ Europe this was (and sometimes still is) used for connecting loudspeakers. it is called : TYPE DIN, Speaker Male 2p. There are many suppliers in the Netherlands, but hard for international. Saw something on Ebay : https://www.ebay.com/itm/2-Pin-DIN-Hi-F … 100623.m-1

Thanks for the update Paul! You shook some dormant brain cells loose for me and I recall seeing those connectors on the old Telefunken my grandparents had a long, long time ago.

shaespark, I think I found something on Amazon that will work for you. It’s in the link below. :slight_smile:

  • https://www.amazon.com/Kenable-Speaker- … B07951JXBZ
  • Thanks, paulvha and TS-Chris!

    There’s nothing about my plug that would allow me to change just the tip as shown on that Amazon link that you shared, TS-Chris – BUT I’m wondering, now that I know what it is and can see that the more common U.S. alternative has the two simple pins, could I cut off the unusual plug and swap it for the standard one so I could find a new adapter to go with it? If so, I’m sure I could find an electrically savvy person in my area to help. My grandfather was an electrical engineer, but I have no electrical skills. :roll:

    I know it’s a lot to do for a strand of cheap IKEA lights but I like them and would rather not consign them to a landfill.

    Shae

    On a loudspeaker the wire that is connected to the flat part of the connector is the zero or ground. The wire connected to the round pin is the signal (or plus).

    If you adapter is DC (direct current) you need to watch this. They will read something like 12= (notice the equal sign) or 12V DC.

    Some adapters provide AC- output. They will read something like 12V~ (notice the tilde sign) or 12V AC. In that case it does not matter which wire goes where.