Above is an image of a product that I sell however there is a larger story to be told. Those of you who suddenly find yourself frantically searching for a new Rexon AC-005 Power adapter for your external drive need to be cautious. Not for the typical reason like seedy sellers or units that catch fire. You need to be careful not to purchase the right part number and receive the wrong part! Rexon must have been run by some dim bulbs at one point because they actually named two very different parts or products with the exact same part number. That's right, different items with the same number. Why did they do this? Sadly there is no logical reason.
Now what? When shopping for a replacement Rexon Power Adapter or "switching supply" you need to be vigilant in nailing down the number of "PINS" on the plug that fits into the drive itself. Most common is the 4 pin variety which has 4 gold tipped pins and one plastic guide. There is also a 5 pin unit which has 5 gold tipped pins and one plastic guide. These two different units are not interchangable...
Most electronic component dealers won't allow you to return an item purchased from them under any circumstances so selecting the correct item the first time is financially advisable. That being said, look carefully at your plug and evaluate the number of gold pins and you will be golden. Simply ordering by the part number will often yield less desirable results.
At most times there are a few used Rexon AC-005 units available on ebay and most sellers do a good enough job of describing or showing their unit with photos. Those units are a good choice for those who merely want a replacement power supply to fire up their drive one last time to recover data. If you hope for reliable long term performance it is highly advisable to choose a NEW unit which can also be found on ebay. Under normal operating conditions a Rexon AC-005 should last from 3 - 5 years. Purchasing a used unit is a virtual crap shoot on how long it will function and the savings are minimal. In fact I have watched folks pay MORE for a used unit sold without any guarantee than a NEW unit would have cost so choose carefully.
Finally I wanted to make quick mention of how to identify a failed power adapter without confusing it for a bad hard drive. It is simple... The green light on the power adapter body will flash if the power adapter is not functioning correctly. That same light will show steady green when it is functioning properly. So the power supply can reveal it's own failure without further testing. If your drive is not functioning and the power adapter is showing a steady green light the problem is most likely with the drive, not the power adapter.
Need a Rexon AC-005 (4 pin) power adapter? Visit my store and join the ranks of happy customers who got what they needed quickly and for a very fair price!
I hope you found this guide helpful.