12 Volt connectors in house

[Chuck / KE4ETH]

Came up with a possibility for whom ever had said about using a 240V socket
for connecting 12V items.

Why not get some British power sockets and plugs. You shouldn't have
anything around to plugin except your 12V stuff.

Now I realize I have no idea on the availability of those plugs and sockets
in North America, but maybe someone has an idea.

Just my thoughts.

Chuck

 

[-=RamDog=-]

Here's a UK supplier that does mail-order:
Walker Gough Electrical Supplies Ltd., Unit 12a,
Tremarl Industrial Estate, Llandudno Junction, North Wales, LL31 9PW.
Tel. 01492 596999. Fax. 01492 596505. Email. [email protected]

-=RamDog=-

| Came up with a possibility for whom ever had said about using a 240V
socket
| for connecting 12V items.
|
| Why not get some British power sockets and plugs. You shouldn't have
| anything around to plugin except your 12V stuff.
|
| Now I realize I have no idea on the availability of those plugs and
sockets
| in North America, but maybe someone has an idea.
|
| Just my thoughts.
|
| Chuck
|
|
|

 

[Bob Adkins]

Came up with a possibility for whom ever had said about using a 240V socket
for connecting 12V items.

Why not get some British power sockets and plugs. You shouldn't have
anything around to plugin except your 12V stuff.

Now I realize I have no idea on the availability of those plugs and sockets
in North America, but maybe someone has an idea.

Just my thoughts.

I think someone should develop a good heavy duty banana plug for that
purpose. There's already a male that accepts 12 GA wire, but I have never
seen a wall mount heavy-duty female.

Bob

 

[Dale Farmer]

Came up with a possibility for whom ever had said about using a 240V socket
for connecting 12V items.

Why not get some British power sockets and plugs. You shouldn't have
anything around to plugin except your 12V stuff.

Now I realize I have no idea on the availability of those plugs and sockets
in North America, but maybe someone has an idea.

Just my thoughts.

Chuck

Why not just get the cigarette lighter plugs that are readily available in auto

parts stores? I also think there are some NEMA plugs specified for 12VDC.

--Dale

 

[Bob Adkins]

Any electrical supply should have banana plug female panel mounts in a red
and black pair. They would also take wrap on wire or spade connectors.

I was thinking of a single plug and receptacle, more like a large audio
plug. Polarized, clean, neat, simple, reliable. I don't know if there are
any that can handle the low volts and high amps of a 12v system.

Bob

 

[Scott Willing]

Cigarette lighter plugs are very current limited.

And they also tend to suck.

I chose the 240V connectors (that look like standard 120V except one
prong is turned at right angles to the norm) which meet code since I
don't have 240VAC in the house.

Only problem is, I'm not inclined to permanently modify my 12V stuff
with the 240V plugs, such that they can never be used in a vehicle
again. (Handy sometimes!) As a result I invariably end up plugging the
cig lighter plug on the unmodified gizmo into an adaptor into my fancy
240V connex. This is not really progress!

I guess I could put the 240V plugs on all the gizmos and then build a
lighter plug to dual 240V socket adaptor for vehicle use.

<sigh>

Life's a compromise.

-=s

 

[Bob Adkins]

they tend to catch fire when sucked on really hard ;-)

They must be the world's worst plug design.

Bob

 

[Graig Pearen]

Banana plugs are only good to 3 amps according to my HP power supply manual. From experience, I can
assure you that they get hot fast.

Graig

 

[Gazz]

They must be the world's worst plug design.

well they are really, when you think about it, the fag lighter socket in
cars was put there to run... a fag lighter, simple thing that's in use for 5
to 10 seconds, so the socket can get hot as the current isn't drawn for long
enough to melt things,

they the fag lighter plugs come out for running 12 volt items, and they are
slightly different in the way they contact the connections in the socket
(the fag lighter is gripped by the sides as it's pushed in.. otherwise the
element would be damaged), the accessory plugs rely on friction of the earth
part to hold the little positive pin against the end of the socket,

They are not a very positive holding connector, and so you get bad
connections, resistance, and melted plugs and sockets when you try to pull
any decent current for an extended time.

I had a campervan and had just one fag lighter socket in it, for running a
mobile phone charger in the back, so i could use the same charger in the cab
off the vehicles fag lighter socket, all the other 12 volt sockets were
proper motorhome (RV) ones, designed to have a good hold on the plug, and
work reliably with the low voltage/high current found with 12 volt
accessories,
i did have one of those electric coolboxes for a while, they come with fag
lighter plugs on them, so i made up an adaptor to go from fag lighter socket
to the proper RV style 12 volt plug, problem was i still had a fag lighter
plug and socket connection, and the coolbox only pulled 4.5 amps, but the
connector got very hot in use,

i cut the fag lighter plug off the coolbox and fitted one of the proper RV
plugs, then made up a connector going from an RV 12 volt socket to a car fag
lighter plug for the occasions when i used the coolbox in a car.

I'd sooner use proper boat or RV 12 volt plugs and sockets, they will be
marked 12 volt, and probably easily recognizable as 12 volt outlets,

The UK mains plugs and sockets are rather bulky, but i guess you do have the
advantage of having a fuse in the plug.. which i don't think many other
countries do with mains plugs (we still have circuit breaker panels, RCD,
earth leakage breakers etc, but just one breaker for a circuit, usually half
the downstairs rooms will be on one breaker, so the fuses are occasionally
handy), just remember to replace the ceramic fuse that's comes with the plug
with a glass DC type fuse, those buggers go off with a bang when ruptured by
high DC current.

 

[William]

How about XLR plugs? I've seen 'em used, and they work very well. They're
usually used in pro audio equipment, (often seen on microphones, for
example) and usually have 3 pins.(polarised) The current rating is usually
3A, but there are some that go much higher. They also come in locking and
non-locking versions. Of course, it means that you have to re-wire the
appliance....
I certainly wouldn't use British power sockets; some of 'em are really cheap
& nasty, and not really designed for DC.

 

[Bob Adkins]

I certainly wouldn't use British power sockets; some of 'em are really cheap
& nasty, and not really designed for DC.

I thought the Brits use DC...

Bob

 

[Steve Spence]

no, they use 50hz 240volt ac.

 

[Bob Adkins]

no, they use 50hz 240volt ac.

Ah. That's right. I knew it was something weird.

Bob

 

[DGT]

Ah. That's right. I knew it was something weird.

Bob

But at least our power supply is fairly reliable and only one voltage with a
colour code that most people can understand

Dave

 

[Rudi]

There is a very good solution for 12VDC connectors. It's a system called
Anderson PowerPoles. These are sexless connectors which cannot be plugged
wrong. The terminals are also sexless and come in crimp-sleeve sizes from
18ga (3 amp) to 10ga (45 amp). There are various panel-mount versions with
2 pairs and 4 pairs available. The prices are reasonable. Check them out
at: http://www.powerwerx.com/

(PS - I don't have any vested interested in PowerWerx, just found this to be
a great source of unique components)

 

[Ken Finney]

What am I missing here? This problem was a big deal 15 years ago, and many
people spent a lot of time getting the NEC changed to allow the use of 240
Volt (USA) receptacles to be used for low voltage (provided there aren't
real 240 Volt circuits in the house). This is a lot like discussing what
the standard size of notebook paper should be: the decision has been made,
live with it.

 

[Scott Willing]

What am I missing here? This problem was a big deal 15 years ago, and many
people spent a lot of time getting the NEC changed to allow the use of 240
Volt (USA) receptacles to be used for low voltage (provided there aren't
real 240 Volt circuits in the house). This is a lot like discussing what
the standard size of notebook paper should be: the decision has been made,
live with it.

Agree, but it comes up again and again anyway. Is there a FAQ for this
NG?

BTW, when I bought a bunch of those I asked an RE supplier what the
convention was for polarity. They didn't know so I picked my own. Is
there a recognized one?

-=s

 

[Steve Spence]

ours isn't too bad. white is neutral, black is hot. very few devices use
220vac. electric hot water heater, clothes dryer, electric stoves, and air
conditioners being some exceptions. everything else is 110vac and easy to
wire.

 

[Steve Spence]

Most houses have 240 (220) vac circuits, so the standard 220vac connector
isn't code compliant, for low voltage dc.

 

[Bob Adkins]

What am I missing here? This problem was a big deal 15 years ago, and many
people spent a lot of time getting the NEC changed to allow the use of 240
Volt (USA) receptacles to be used for low voltage (provided there aren't
real 240 Volt circuits in the house). This is a lot like discussing what
the standard size of notebook paper should be: the decision has been made,
live with it.

I suspect there is, and always will be resistance to 240v style plugs
because they are large and expensive. I think you'll find that alternative
energy enthusiast's like small, neat, and cheap.

Don't shoot the messenger. I think 240v is perfect for low voltage, high
current applications.

Bob