Im following this tutorial, and the guy is using a 12v solenoid with a 12v wall adapter. I am wondering if i could do the same thing but with a 6v solenoid or will i fry something?
The 6V solenoid will work under 12V, for a few moments.
Hah, alright.
@tishadev I guess you didn't get the humour right. Please don't try it, use a buck converter to reduce voltage to 6v.
Or use a 12V PWM signal with the duty cycle set to 50%.
The current limit on a solenoid is not a peak rating but an average one.
The answer depends on how long the 12 volts is applied to the solenoid and how often. The higher voltage/current will make the armature move so much faster and with so much more power. Is this what you want? The 12 volts on the solenoid is ok. Just don't do it very often and have a heat sink mounting to remove the heat.
Paul
Are you sure? Twice the voltage means twice the current and 4 times the power dissipation. 50% PWM means the power dissipation will still be twice what the solenoid is rated for.
Have I missed something?
Do I miss something?
12 volt: Power is U * U / R -> 12 * 12 / R * 50%= 72 / R
6 volt: Power is 6 * 6 / R = 36 / R
72 / 36 = 2. Double power dissipation
I put up the equation 144 / R * X %dutycycle == 36/R That give me X= 25%.
I think you are over thinking this. You apply twice the peak voltage required to provide the appropriate current, but you PWM it at 50% so you are applying only half the voltage on average, therefore you are applying the correct voltage for the solenoid.
Add a resistor in series with the coil.
This resistor should equal the value of the solenoid resistance.
You will need to calculate the wattage rating of this resistor.
The solenoid will have a quick pick speed as the full 12v is across the coil as per time constant timing.
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Yes a much simpler practical solution, although the excess current will be burned off as heat. With the PWM solution it is not.
Yes this is correct.
No it is not, because when you half the voltage this results in a quarter of the power not half.
Hi, @tishadev
What are the voltage, current, wattage specs for the 12V and t he 6V solenoid?
Will the 6V solenoid do the same work as the 12V unit?
Thanks.. Tom.. 
But you are not applying half the voltage, you are applying twice the voltage for half the time.
Which on avrage is half the voltage.
See reply #8.
I ordered a 6v battery compartment so that should do the job
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