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Looking for this cigar lighter adapter
I recently purchased a used rig and along with it came a nice cigar
lighter adapter that terminated in two "lugs" with screw on caps for attaching the power cable of the rig. There is no cord on this adapter itself. Anyone know where I can find a couple more of these? They seem ideal for running moderate powered mobile rigs ( 50W ). thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
John FYI -- from a recommended book:
Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground return, ground loop problems and noise pickup may occur, run both + and - lines to the battery. FM mobile transceivers with 50 W of output power can draw up to 10-12 Amperes of current at 12 Volts. Most cigarette lighter plugs cannot handle these high currents. Operating a 50 W mobile transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug may cause permanent damage to vehicle's electrical system, and can also be a fire hazard. You can probably operate a 6 W handheld transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug, but not a higher wattage radio. ============================================ "John LeMay" wrote in message ... I recently purchased a used rig and along with it came a nice cigar lighter adapter that terminated in two "lugs" with screw on caps for attaching the power cable of the rig. There is no cord on this adapter itself. Anyone know where I can find a couple more of these? They seem ideal for running moderate powered mobile rigs ( 50W ). thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
John FYI -- from a recommended book:
Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground return, ground loop problems and noise pickup may occur, run both + and - lines to the battery. FM mobile transceivers with 50 W of output power can draw up to 10-12 Amperes of current at 12 Volts. Most cigarette lighter plugs cannot handle these high currents. Operating a 50 W mobile transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug may cause permanent damage to vehicle's electrical system, and can also be a fire hazard. You can probably operate a 6 W handheld transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug, but not a higher wattage radio. ============================================ "John LeMay" wrote in message ... I recently purchased a used rig and along with it came a nice cigar lighter adapter that terminated in two "lugs" with screw on caps for attaching the power cable of the rig. There is no cord on this adapter itself. Anyone know where I can find a couple more of these? They seem ideal for running moderate powered mobile rigs ( 50W ). thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:19:00 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground While I agree, I'm looking for a portable solution to use in the 'yl's vehicle so I can run a decent rig without drilling. I figure 10-20W is adequate (I think the 1/4 wave antenna I have allocated for this use is only rated at 20W anyhow). In a small temporary installation like this I think using the lighter plug is good enough. Of course while on the topic, What's the best way to connect to today's side terminal batteries? I'd like to go from the battery's +/- in *my* vehicle to a small fuse block where I can tie in before coming through the firewall. Unfortunately I don't do a lot of auto wiring and firewall drilling! thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:19:00 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground While I agree, I'm looking for a portable solution to use in the 'yl's vehicle so I can run a decent rig without drilling. I figure 10-20W is adequate (I think the 1/4 wave antenna I have allocated for this use is only rated at 20W anyhow). In a small temporary installation like this I think using the lighter plug is good enough. Of course while on the topic, What's the best way to connect to today's side terminal batteries? I'd like to go from the battery's +/- in *my* vehicle to a small fuse block where I can tie in before coming through the firewall. Unfortunately I don't do a lot of auto wiring and firewall drilling! thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
Auto stores will have a longer bolt for the side battery terminals or
adaptor kits if needed. Use the right size heavy duty solder lugs for the connections. I looked up my lighter circuit and it is 8 amps -- so 8 x 12 = 96 Watts -- at 50% or so efficiency -- should handle a 45 watt radio -- but that is pushing it to say nothing of stray noise that may be introduced and a possible voltage drop. Also the cigarette lighter may go thru the ignition switching. Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. "John LeMay" wrote in message ... On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:19:00 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote: Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground While I agree, I'm looking for a portable solution to use in the 'yl's vehicle so I can run a decent rig without drilling. I figure 10-20W is adequate (I think the 1/4 wave antenna I have allocated for this use is only rated at 20W anyhow). In a small temporary installation like this I think using the lighter plug is good enough. Of course while on the topic, What's the best way to connect to today's side terminal batteries? I'd like to go from the battery's +/- in *my* vehicle to a small fuse block where I can tie in before coming through the firewall. Unfortunately I don't do a lot of auto wiring and firewall drilling! thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
Auto stores will have a longer bolt for the side battery terminals or
adaptor kits if needed. Use the right size heavy duty solder lugs for the connections. I looked up my lighter circuit and it is 8 amps -- so 8 x 12 = 96 Watts -- at 50% or so efficiency -- should handle a 45 watt radio -- but that is pushing it to say nothing of stray noise that may be introduced and a possible voltage drop. Also the cigarette lighter may go thru the ignition switching. Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. "John LeMay" wrote in message ... On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 06:19:00 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote: Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground While I agree, I'm looking for a portable solution to use in the 'yl's vehicle so I can run a decent rig without drilling. I figure 10-20W is adequate (I think the 1/4 wave antenna I have allocated for this use is only rated at 20W anyhow). In a small temporary installation like this I think using the lighter plug is good enough. Of course while on the topic, What's the best way to connect to today's side terminal batteries? I'd like to go from the battery's +/- in *my* vehicle to a small fuse block where I can tie in before coming through the firewall. Unfortunately I don't do a lot of auto wiring and firewall drilling! thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
Just looked up the current draw of an ICOM IC-2100H -- tis 12 Amperes on 50W
transmit. I melted the solder right out of the fuse in the lighter plug with mine. Only took about a day. Other then Rigrunner, is there any source for powerpole distribution boxes? |
Just looked up the current draw of an ICOM IC-2100H -- tis 12 Amperes on 50W
transmit. I melted the solder right out of the fuse in the lighter plug with mine. Only took about a day. Other then Rigrunner, is there any source for powerpole distribution boxes? |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:28:57 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
I looked up my lighter circuit and it is 8 amps -- so 8 x 12 = 96 Watts -- at 50% or so efficiency -- should handle a 45 watt radio -- but that is pushing it to say nothing of stray noise that may be introduced and a possible voltage drop. Also the cigarette lighter may go thru the ignition switching. That was my thinking. As a note, I was just talking to a buddy of mine with an Excursion. His "lighter plug" is actually labeled "accessory plug" and had a 20A fuse in it from the factory. That tool replaced it with a 30A fuse so he could run his inverter rated at 25A. We won't discuss that call any further. Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. That's good to know. I'll have to poke around a bit more and see what I can find in my 2002 Impala. I did have real good luck this afternoon on my '97 Silverado 2500. The previous owner had already run 12g through the firewall, so I had a hole to work with. I rewired it primarily because I wasn't sure what he had done - it was a bit confusing. Anyway, on the Silverado there are two "taps" - basically large studs - along side of the fuse box. Each stud is hot and fused right in the box with a 30A fuse. I made up a couple of cables and ran these right into the cab using the existing hole. Found a good ground spot right on the firewall, so it's nice and short as well! Both cables are about 5' in length. Of course while these studs look stock (the fuse box cover actually is molded to fit right over them) they might not be, so if you happen to have a Silverado and don't see these studs don't blame me! I'm sure the Impala won't be quite as easy. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:28:57 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
I looked up my lighter circuit and it is 8 amps -- so 8 x 12 = 96 Watts -- at 50% or so efficiency -- should handle a 45 watt radio -- but that is pushing it to say nothing of stray noise that may be introduced and a possible voltage drop. Also the cigarette lighter may go thru the ignition switching. That was my thinking. As a note, I was just talking to a buddy of mine with an Excursion. His "lighter plug" is actually labeled "accessory plug" and had a 20A fuse in it from the factory. That tool replaced it with a 30A fuse so he could run his inverter rated at 25A. We won't discuss that call any further. Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. That's good to know. I'll have to poke around a bit more and see what I can find in my 2002 Impala. I did have real good luck this afternoon on my '97 Silverado 2500. The previous owner had already run 12g through the firewall, so I had a hole to work with. I rewired it primarily because I wasn't sure what he had done - it was a bit confusing. Anyway, on the Silverado there are two "taps" - basically large studs - along side of the fuse box. Each stud is hot and fused right in the box with a 30A fuse. I made up a couple of cables and ran these right into the cab using the existing hole. Found a good ground spot right on the firewall, so it's nice and short as well! Both cables are about 5' in length. Of course while these studs look stock (the fuse box cover actually is molded to fit right over them) they might not be, so if you happen to have a Silverado and don't see these studs don't blame me! I'm sure the Impala won't be quite as easy. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:50:52 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
Just looked up the current draw of an ICOM IC-2100H -- tis 12 Amperes on 50W transmit. Their IC- V8000 draws 15 Amperes at 75 Watts transmit. I wouldn't connect either of these radios to the cigarette lighter plug. I looked at my Yaesu 5100. It has 12A fuses, but my power supply reports it's only drawing about 6A on "high". My Diamond meter reports it's only putting out about 20W on high on 2M, and a bit less on 70cm. Obviously both of these numbers are suspect since I haven't had either device calibrated, but I think I'm safe in this case. Now when my new Yaesu 8800 gets here next week I'll have another data point to check both the power supply and power meter against. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:50:52 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote:
Just looked up the current draw of an ICOM IC-2100H -- tis 12 Amperes on 50W transmit. Their IC- V8000 draws 15 Amperes at 75 Watts transmit. I wouldn't connect either of these radios to the cigarette lighter plug. I looked at my Yaesu 5100. It has 12A fuses, but my power supply reports it's only drawing about 6A on "high". My Diamond meter reports it's only putting out about 20W on high on 2M, and a bit less on 70cm. Obviously both of these numbers are suspect since I haven't had either device calibrated, but I think I'm safe in this case. Now when my new Yaesu 8800 gets here next week I'll have another data point to check both the power supply and power meter against. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 18:13:44 -0400, John LeMay
wrote: On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:28:57 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote: Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. That's good to know. I'll have to poke around a bit more and see what I can find in my 2002 Impala. I did have real good luck this afternoon on my '97 Silverado 2500. The previous owner had already run 12g through the firewall, so I had a hole to work with. I rewired it primarily because I wasn't sure what he had done - it was a bit confusing. Car stereo places and installers are sometimes a good resource for this sort of thing, as they need the same type of feedthrough. Happy trails, Gary (net.yogi.bear) ------------------------------------------------ at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 18:13:44 -0400, John LeMay
wrote: On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 14:28:57 -0700, Keyboard In The Wilderness wrote: Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. That's good to know. I'll have to poke around a bit more and see what I can find in my 2002 Impala. I did have real good luck this afternoon on my '97 Silverado 2500. The previous owner had already run 12g through the firewall, so I had a hole to work with. I rewired it primarily because I wasn't sure what he had done - it was a bit confusing. Car stereo places and installers are sometimes a good resource for this sort of thing, as they need the same type of feedthrough. Happy trails, Gary (net.yogi.bear) ------------------------------------------------ at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom |
John,
Well, I use a Power Station (12vdc battery pack) in my car. I mounted my Yaesu FT-1500M to it, put the charging cord into the cigarette lighter, and it works fine. Plus, I can remove the battery pack and rig within 60 seconds for theft deterence. I run the rig up to 50 watts out but generally at 25. 73s, Evan |
John,
Well, I use a Power Station (12vdc battery pack) in my car. I mounted my Yaesu FT-1500M to it, put the charging cord into the cigarette lighter, and it works fine. Plus, I can remove the battery pack and rig within 60 seconds for theft deterence. I run the rig up to 50 watts out but generally at 25. 73s, Evan |
Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. One choice I've resorted to on a number of installations in sedans is to locate where the major cable bundle on the driver's side firewall goes through. It is usually embedded in a very large rubber seal. I usually can take a sharp flat bladed screwdriver and poke a hold in this rubber, being careful not to hit the cables in the center bundle. Poking a #14 black and red wires through this new slot is not difficult and usually provides adequate power from the battery to most dash mounted radios and other equipment. Ed |
Somehow on all my cars I find a grommet that lets me get thru the firewall without drilling. One choice I've resorted to on a number of installations in sedans is to locate where the major cable bundle on the driver's side firewall goes through. It is usually embedded in a very large rubber seal. I usually can take a sharp flat bladed screwdriver and poke a hold in this rubber, being careful not to hit the cables in the center bundle. Poking a #14 black and red wires through this new slot is not difficult and usually provides adequate power from the battery to most dash mounted radios and other equipment. Ed |
I wonder how one might be able to use a 1-3 farad capacitor to operate a 100
watt HF radio with better regulation and higher average current on SSB.. The big audio amps use this technique effectively. "Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message news:nhL%a.4824$S_.966@fed1read01... John FYI -- from a recommended book: Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground return, ground loop problems and noise pickup may occur, run both + and - lines to the battery. FM mobile transceivers with 50 W of output power can draw up to 10-12 Amperes of current at 12 Volts. Most cigarette lighter plugs cannot handle these high currents. Operating a 50 W mobile transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug may cause permanent damage to vehicle's electrical system, and can also be a fire hazard. You can probably operate a 6 W handheld transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug, but not a higher wattage radio. ============================================ "John LeMay" wrote in message ... I recently purchased a used rig and along with it came a nice cigar lighter adapter that terminated in two "lugs" with screw on caps for attaching the power cable of the rig. There is no cord on this adapter itself. Anyone know where I can find a couple more of these? They seem ideal for running moderate powered mobile rigs ( 50W ). thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
I wonder how one might be able to use a 1-3 farad capacitor to operate a 100
watt HF radio with better regulation and higher average current on SSB.. The big audio amps use this technique effectively. "Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message news:nhL%a.4824$S_.966@fed1read01... John FYI -- from a recommended book: Mobile power. It is tempting to use the cigarette lighter plug for 12 Volts to power the mobile radio and this may work for low power units, but it is always best to run two heavy gage wires through the firewall and directly to the battery via fuses in both lines. Don't use the chassis as a ground return, ground loop problems and noise pickup may occur, run both + and - lines to the battery. FM mobile transceivers with 50 W of output power can draw up to 10-12 Amperes of current at 12 Volts. Most cigarette lighter plugs cannot handle these high currents. Operating a 50 W mobile transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug may cause permanent damage to vehicle's electrical system, and can also be a fire hazard. You can probably operate a 6 W handheld transceiver from the cigarette lighter plug, but not a higher wattage radio. ============================================ "John LeMay" wrote in message ... I recently purchased a used rig and along with it came a nice cigar lighter adapter that terminated in two "lugs" with screw on caps for attaching the power cable of the rig. There is no cord on this adapter itself. Anyone know where I can find a couple more of these? They seem ideal for running moderate powered mobile rigs ( 50W ). thanks! -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 01:35:11 GMT, AGRAY6 wrote:
I wonder how one might be able to use a 1-3 farad capacitor to operate a 100 watt HF radio with better regulation and higher average current on SSB.. The big audio amps use this technique effectively. The big audio amps need very short pulses of power, and they combine the large capacitor with the heavy gauge wires mentioned: "Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message news:nhL%a.4824$S_.966@fed1read01... John FYI -- from a recommended book: always best to run two heavy gage wires ... directly to the battery Perhaps a capacitor would be helpful if doing CW rather than any modulated carrier scheme with its longer power demands, but most radios seem to have sufficient capacitance if your power wiring is sufficient to meet their average high demand. sdb -- | Sylvan Butler | Not speaking for Hewlett-Packard | sbutler-boi.hp.com | | Watch out for my e-mail address. Thank UCE. change ^ to @ | It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences. -- C. S. Lewis |
On Wed, 20 Aug 2003 01:35:11 GMT, AGRAY6 wrote:
I wonder how one might be able to use a 1-3 farad capacitor to operate a 100 watt HF radio with better regulation and higher average current on SSB.. The big audio amps use this technique effectively. The big audio amps need very short pulses of power, and they combine the large capacitor with the heavy gauge wires mentioned: "Keyboard In The Wilderness" wrote in message news:nhL%a.4824$S_.966@fed1read01... John FYI -- from a recommended book: always best to run two heavy gage wires ... directly to the battery Perhaps a capacitor would be helpful if doing CW rather than any modulated carrier scheme with its longer power demands, but most radios seem to have sufficient capacitance if your power wiring is sufficient to meet their average high demand. sdb -- | Sylvan Butler | Not speaking for Hewlett-Packard | sbutler-boi.hp.com | | Watch out for my e-mail address. Thank UCE. change ^ to @ | It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their consciences. -- C. S. Lewis |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:20:22 +0000, Gary S. wrote:
Car stereo places and installers are sometimes a good resource for this sort of thing, as they need the same type of feedthrough. Well, just a follow up on this. I gave in and went to the local car stereo installer and had them do the job. While I was at it, I had them install a small (3") 12V fan for some extra air flow. I wanted to install the rig in an enclosed area in the console that was just wide enough for the rig, about 10" deep and about 8" high. This "pocket" was all plastic - including the back - however there was nothing behind the pocket under the dash. The installer cut a small hole for the fan and tied it so that if the car is on, so is the fan. It's pretty quiet most of the time as well. Anyhow, the fan moves about 22cf/m of air into this pocket and out the front right across the heat sink of the radio (the entire bottom of the rig on the Yaesu 8800). It keeps the rig nice and cool even in pretty heavy duty cycles at 20W or so. I haven't run the rig "wide open" for any length of time yet, but I'm willing to bet the rig would still stay pretty cool. Thanks for all the input. I'm much happier not having wires running around the cabin into the cigar lighter. Now that everything is wired, I have the lighter adapter to use in my wife's car when needed for those short trips. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
On Sun, 17 Aug 2003 23:20:22 +0000, Gary S. wrote:
Car stereo places and installers are sometimes a good resource for this sort of thing, as they need the same type of feedthrough. Well, just a follow up on this. I gave in and went to the local car stereo installer and had them do the job. While I was at it, I had them install a small (3") 12V fan for some extra air flow. I wanted to install the rig in an enclosed area in the console that was just wide enough for the rig, about 10" deep and about 8" high. This "pocket" was all plastic - including the back - however there was nothing behind the pocket under the dash. The installer cut a small hole for the fan and tied it so that if the car is on, so is the fan. It's pretty quiet most of the time as well. Anyhow, the fan moves about 22cf/m of air into this pocket and out the front right across the heat sink of the radio (the entire bottom of the rig on the Yaesu 8800). It keeps the rig nice and cool even in pretty heavy duty cycles at 20W or so. I haven't run the rig "wide open" for any length of time yet, but I'm willing to bet the rig would still stay pretty cool. Thanks for all the input. I'm much happier not having wires running around the cabin into the cigar lighter. Now that everything is wired, I have the lighter adapter to use in my wife's car when needed for those short trips. -- John LeMay kc2kth Senior Technical Manager NJMC | http://www.njmc.com | Phone 732-557-4848 Specializing in Microsoft and Unix based solutions |
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