Car Cig-Lighter Connections

[Down Under On The Bucket Farm]

Hi Everybody,

Considering the general popularity of 12-volt devices oriented
towards use in cars, I am wondering...

Does anybody use "cigarette lighter" type plugs and sockets for
other (non-vehicular) purposes?

For example...

Have a PV panel, feeding a regulator, feeding a 12-volt battery
(or battery bank), with a "cigarette lighter" socket to plug in
various items which were originally designed for in-car use (e.g.
shaver, cell-phone-charger, etc.)

Perhaps this could make it easier to connect recreational-vehicle
type of accessories without any wiring hassles?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[Bughunter]

I have a 12v socket on one of those rechargeable jumper cable boxes (battery
with jumper cables)
to keep my cell phone charged up while it's in my offgrid house.

I use a 12v socket with 2' cables and battery post clamps to plug in a cheap
350 watt inverter into
my 4 golf cart battery bank.

I don't plan on installing any 12v sockets in my offgrid house.

 

[Bubba bin Bubba]

You mentioned a 4 golf cart battery bank.

What does something like that cost? How many years of service to you
expect?

Thanks.....

I have a 12v socket on one of those rechargeable jumper cable boxes (battery
with jumper cables)
to keep my cell phone charged up while it's in my offgrid house.

I use a 12v socket with 2' cables and battery post clamps to plug in a cheap
350 watt inverter into
my 4 golf cart battery bank.

I don't plan on installing any 12v sockets in my offgrid house.

 

[Bughunter]

A 6v deep cycle, 220 amp-hour battery costs about $50 US.

Mine have lasted for 4 years of abuse and are still going strong. I'd expect
maybe 6-10 years out of them.

You need to buy or make up some very heavy cables between batteries and
connect them in
series-parallel to get 12v out of a bank of 4. There is a picture of my
battery box here.

http://www.usol.com/~rickryen/Lake House/Power/Power.htm

You mentioned a 4 golf cart battery bank.

What does something like that cost? How many years of service to you
expect?

Thanks.....

 

[Bubba bin Bubba]

What? Four golf cart batteries cost only $200? I'm surprised.

 

[Bughunter]

$50 is the list price. I happened to get mine at Sam's Club when they were
on sale and
had a $10 rebate. I think I paid about $30 a piece for them after the
rebate.

 

[William P.N. Smith]

What? Four golf cart batteries cost only $200? I'm surprised.

yeah, they are very popular and high enough volume that the costs are
quite reasonable. Napa, Costco, etc carry them at decent prices.

 

[Bubba bin Bubba]

Geez, as expensive as car batteries are, I always assumed that golf cart
batteries would cost $$$$$$.

 

[John]

A 6v deep cycle, 220 amp-hour battery costs about $50 US.

Mine have lasted for 4 years of abuse and are still going strong. I'd expect
maybe 6-10 years out of them.

You need to buy or make up some very heavy cables between batteries and
connect them in
series-parallel to get 12v out of a bank of 4. There is a picture of my
battery box here.

I just saw my first 8D battery at Sam's in OKC for $99. It is a 12v battery w/
435 AH, same as 4 GC batteries. Each 2V cell is big. Wt is 150+
lbs. At least you don't have to mess with connecting cables!

 

[No One]

WARNING: SPELLING ERRORS ENCLOSED

Considering the general popularity of 12-volt devices oriented
towards use in cars, I am wondering...

Does anybody use "cigarette lighter" type plugs and sockets for
other (non-vehicular) purposes?

Not that I know of.

For example...

Have a PV panel, feeding a regulator, feeding a 12-volt battery
(or battery bank), with a "cigarette lighter" socket to plug in
various items which were originally designed for in-car use (e.g.
shaver, cell-phone-charger, etc.)

Perhaps this could make it easier to connect recreational-vehicle
type of accessories without any wiring hassles?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Its been my experence that those 'cigarette lighter' socket-plug connections
suck! They are very difficult to keep connected and when much
power/current/ is drawn through them for any amount of time they melt.

 

[SpiderG]

I have used a couple of different kinds of plug/socket types for low voltage
DC.
The best ones I have found are Anderson Power Poles.

http://www.andersonpower.com/products/pp/sp.html

http://www.connex-electronics.com/?url=/html/products/anderson/powerpole/pp_
main.html

If up google for them, you'll find many sources & write-ups.

HTH
SpiderG

 

[clare @ snyder.on .ca]

I have used a couple of different kinds of plug/socket types for low voltage
DC.
The best ones I have found are Anderson Power Poles.

Without a doubt, the Andersons are first rate.

http://www.andersonpower.com/products/pp/sp.html

http://www.connex-electronics.com/?url=/html/products/anderson/powerpole/pp_
main.html

If up google for them, you'll find many sources & write-ups.

HTH
SpiderG

 

[SpiderG]

These are becomming quite popular for connecting solar panels together, but
require special ($$) tools for adding the connectors to your length of
wires.

The Andersons can be made with a standard crimp tool, and soldering iron.

More food for thought.
SpiderG

Also mostly for Solar:

http://www.multi-contact-usa.com/catalogs/index.php3?catalog=us01&page=3

I have used a couple of different kinds of plug/socket types for low voltage
DC.
The best ones I have found are Anderson Power Poles.

http://www.andersonpower.com/products/pp/sp.html

http://www.connex-electronics.com/?url=/html/products/anderson/powerpole/pp_

 

[Jeff]

A Cigarette lighter plug is rated at 7.5 amperes maximum, and the contacts
have a resistance between 2 and 4 milliohms. So they get hot if you try to
draw much current.

7.5^2 * .002, I^2 * R
0.1125 * 7.5 E * I
0.84375 P = HEAT

And as they age, the connections get much worse.