Reddit mentions: The best automotive cigarette lighter & chargers

My van-livin' kit is the same kit I use backpacking and kayak-camping. I think of my van as a sort of mule with a treehouse on its back. I'm really just camping wherever I am, but with the van involved, there's furniture and a sturdy roof I don't have to build on-site, however elegant my setup is sans-van. Beyond furniture, the van is mostly just a lot of carry capacity for stuff I want to keep around to use regularly, but more, more bulky, or more heavy stuff than I'd carry on my person or kayak.

For a Camry setup, I'd probably remove the rear seat, 5% tint the rear 3 windows (assuming state laws where I'll be allow it), and build a single bunk behind the driver's seat, with various storage/activity setups alongside it, being sure to have it blend in well when viewed from the front windows. The front-most seating area of the back, I'd try to keep open; it could be used as a desk/nightstand while laying in the bunk, and will allow use of natural light. Being a thrifty one, I'd probably just toss a cheap plastic set of drawers behind that for clothes I don't hang right behind the driver's seat, a sideways trunk organizer for "housey" stuff, then the more "utility" items in a milk crate and/or bucket at the back, accessible from the trunk.

A power station wouldn't be out of line here, and while everyone's into solar these days, I don't see a lot of use for it with an active-enough lifestyle and a bit of mindfulness about energy expenditure. Have some extra power storage, but I'd see if I drive enough to just power my devices with the engine as a first measure; an alternator-charge circuit is really just a stereo amp kit with a switch and an extra fuse on it, with no RCAs or remote wire ran. It's a pretty simple, straightforward introduction to automotive electrical. So, run that circuit to under the driver's seat (a common amp location, so it's out of the way {meaning it utilizes otherwise-wasted space} and useful to normal people on resale), set a deep cycle on the floor behind it, and mount a manual isolator switch (if you're cheap and demand control like me) on its box below your bunk's headspace, and run something like a switched triple-socket off of it to the 'activity area' behind the front passenger seat. That way, that area is a sort of 'flex space' that's accessible by the driver or a bunk occupant, and can be easily cleared for interior cabin-to-cockpit mobility, should the need arise, while keeping attractive items out of view from an onlooker, and a boring, empty, OEM space up-front, where everyone can see.

With the setup down, and the frame of mind in place, the same strategies apply as dwelling in any other vehicle, really, but I think something so... "consumer-grade" actually has the most options for stealth. I like plain, white, boxy service vans for stealth when a van is assumed, but pickup/SUV/car dwelling is really more efficient, elegant, and rewarding when the dweller has it together. It has more focus on those kinds of elements that an average vandweller might only really get a taste of, if they ever actually see all three aspects.

I will try to address all of your questions:

1. SWR (Standing Wave Radio) meter measures the efficiency of your antenna, higher the number the worse its doing, it will affect range and could even damage your radio if its too high.
   
2. The internal SWR meter will work but an external is always better. You can pick one up for ~$20 on Amazon, just make sure it either comes with or you buy a jumper cable (short usually six inch cable for connecting the radio to the meter). This is the one that I have used (link)
   
3. The Wilson Little Wil is a decent antenna. As long as you are not trying to get maximum range (i.e. you just want to use it for local, like find out whats happening on the highway sort of thing) then you will be fine.
   
4. As far as mounting the quickest and easiest is to get the magnet mount. Put it dead center on the roof of your vehicle. This will give you the best range and an even signal all around you.
   
5. Finally for the power again go to amazon and get an adapter for your cigarette lighter. Something along the lines of this (link). Strip the CB power cable and the adapter and solder together (red to red, black to black).
   
   For help on tuning there are many good videos on youtube. Additionally if you need to order things take a look at Right Channel Radios. They have all of this (antennas, meters, radios, mounts, etc.) and they have nice instructions on how to tune your antenna.
   
   Let me know if you have any other questions. Always happy to hear people are getting into CB. Would love to see it grow again.

There is /r/cbradio, but I pretty much just googled everything. I bought these items and I'm pretty happy with them:

Uniden 520XL - Nice, small, cheap radio

Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter

K40 Magnet Mount Antennae with wiring - it is 15 feet of wire so that should be enough to go from the trunk lid to your dash.

SWR tester - this is to test your SWR and make sure the antennae is tuned properly, it also comes with a jumper wire to connect to your radio

If you need help with anything let me know. The CB has been very helpful on I-75, but on Daniels in Fort Myers and Golden Gate Parkway in Naples I have not had any success getting traffic updates etc. which I expected, but it's definitely super helpful on the interstate.

Some of the things I've gotten that have made my life a little easier.

• 12v 2-way splitter for the truck
  
• Small Moleskine notebook (I write down addresses, run numbers, pertinent info because we do not have an MDT in our trucks)
  
• Slim Wallet (I don't carry a purse to work and I will transfer my debit card, ID, and keep all my licenses in the wallet I linked, great for keeping in a pocket while at work. As a bonus, the company who makes the one I linked is from the city I live in.)
  
• Window Punch These are pretty nice, not many places non-fire around here provide them on the trucks and they come in very handy if you need access and have beaten fire to the scene. I prefer these over the pen style.
  
• Key Holder Good if she has a lot of different keys, some places still use keys to access their narcs, different parts of the building, etc.
  
• Bluetooth Transmitter/Charger I have a new iPhone that does not have an aux port, these work great on our ambulances and have two fast charge ports to charge whatever you need. I use the splitter above to plug this and my GPS/Dashcam in.
  
• Snack Subscription These are pretty cool a bit pricey in the long run though. Get pretty good/healthy snacks monthly with various price plans. Cuts back on the urge to grab that candy at the gas station if you have something better in your bag already.
  
• Rite in the Rain Notebook Just ordered these and they haven't come in yet, they are awesome for onscene quick notes. Since we've moved to EPCR software I find that on really sick patients that we need to move and work on I still manage to keep physical notes which get shredded after the run is finished and it's transcribed to the computer. We use a normal flip book but these help organize things a little bit more, plus they're waterproof. Supposedly works best with their pens or just a normal pencil. Was a neat product I thought I'd try out and go from there. Also don't have to get the EMS version, plenty of other versions/styles to choose from.
  
  
  I'm sure there are more and I'll come back and add them as I can think of them, these are some of the non-medical quality of life items I add to my every day to make things more bearable.

Maybe the doctor bag can be from Goodwill?

Ok for creativity:
maybe a blank canvas? what about an old typewriter so he can write letters to clients and his customers for his screen buisness, as well as his other stuff? I know it's kinda big and heavy, but maybe just maybe one on craigslist or something? This was pretty cool my SO got me funny cig eject button

For a night out I'm thinking why reinvent the wheel, if he likes to smoke get him a monthly supply of RAW joints cheaper than retail too,

For the day in , here's a organic face mask... and my Dear Lady friend, DO NOT GET THE FLESHLIGHT. YOU ARE HIS FLESH LIGHT!~ we value authentic stuff, authentic personalities and people who are real to themselves. No silicone will replace your beauty <3

> What do you mean relay switched with the ignition?

I have a relay wired up directly to the battery using the headlight line as the switch. So when the headlight is on (ignition is on), the relay closes and gives me power that comes direct from the battery, fused. When the ignition is off, relay is open and there's no power draw.

> They didn't have any regulators at the store so I opted for a diy cigarette lighter socket. Got a 12ga 30A fuse holder (they didn't have anything else) and a 10A fuse, plus a USB car charger.

A cigarette lighter socket is a good idea anyway, I also have one of those wired up to the bike as well. I have my cigarette lighter ignition-switched the same way. I don't want to accidentally leave something plugged in and have it kill my battery! It doesn't take much to kill a bike battery, after all.

> Am I all set or do I need anything else? should I wire everything with 12ga wire? after coming home, I realized I only have 22ga wire... is that enough?

I would say it's better to be safe than sorry! 22ga is too small. Here's a rule-of-thumb chart: http://www.powerstream.com/Wire_Size.htm It says there that 22ga is good for 0.92A and 12ga is good for 9.3A.

Realistically, you won't even be drawing 9A if you're just using the cigarette lighter for a USB charger. A typical smartphone draws 1A. So lets assume 3A in case you get one of those dual-port things. 3A at 5V is 15W. 15W at 12V is only 1.25A. Always good to have some margin of error (those adapters aren't 100% efficient, of course), so lets say more like 3A. On the chart, that puts you at around 16ga. You could MAYBE be ok with 18, but I wouldn't go any smaller than that. 12 or 14 would be good and safe.

Now, the second part of this is your fuse selection. It's SUPER important to pick the right size fuse! If you have wire that can carry 3A and a 10A fuse, the wire is going to melt before the fuse pops. That's bad. I think my cigarette lighter is wired up with a 3A fuse, because I planned to never plug in anything that draws more than that. The cigarette lighter in a car usually has a 20-30A fuse and you can plug a portable fridge or air compressor into it, but that's not likely to work so well on a bike. I know my bike isn't producing 30A extra unless I turn the headlights off.

You can get kits that come with the plug, wires, and inline fuse for pretty cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Motorbike-Motorcycle-Tractor-Cigarette/dp/B00E963JFY/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1397856641&sr=1-4&keywords=cigarette+lighter+kit#productDetails

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Cigarette-Lighter-Outlet-Socket/dp/B007BIUKLI/ref=sr_1_3?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1397856719&sr=1-3&keywords=cigarette+lighter+kit+motorcycle

Personally, I'm a fan of the waterproof ones with a spring-close lid, because I know the one time I forget to close the rubber lid it will rain into my cigarette lighter port!

EDIT to add: you can also get some kits that go directly from 12V to a USB port at 5V, but I've found that those don't work particularly well with all devices. Because Apple and Android devices need different USB port configurations to charge at full-rate, I decided I was better off using my own adapter.

It's cost and benefit thing. There are more electricity heavy appliances now than in 76 and have the opportunity to covert propane appliances to electricity. I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit in my kitchen area and my fridge, microwave, and induction cooktop, and ice maker runs while another 20 amp dedicated service in my bathroom runs the dual mode 10 gallon water heater. I haven't used any propane this year at all. If my wife used blow dryer at the same time, it won't trip the circuit. I do have 2 ACs, also on their own dedicated circuit but that I concede was an overkill... We simply never needed 2 this year. But if we ever do, I can run both at the same time while everything else is running without fear of tripping any circuit. It's the difference of having 30 amp available and 100 amp available.

The cost of conversion was very reasonable. The biggest expense was a [Progressive Dynamics converter panel] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UC8PN0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) at $282 but I'd have to purchase a new converter panel for 30 amp anyway since I scraped the crappy 2 circuit one that the Airstream came with. 25 ft of 50 amp RV power cord was $100. Both of these I was going to replace so the true cost is actually less than the total. Add to this the circuit breakers and that's the cost of upgrading 30 amp to 50 amp. Just the peace of mind to run anything at anytime was worth it. The induction hot plate heats faster than propane and I have the peace of mind of not having an open flame inside, especially with 2 little kids. The Dometic dual mode water heater is great. I usually have the Airstream parked at home for a day before we leave and I preheat the water then and when we arrive at a campsite, the water takes maybe another hour to heat to hot with electricity and keeps up with usage while camping. We have another hot plate and electric grill we set up outside, plugged to the outside outlet (shared with interior AC circuit) and those run fine while everything inside is running. I did go a little crazy with the inside outlets... I think I have 16 or 17 outlets inside but hardly anything is plugged in that circuit other than TVs. Small electronic devices are connected to the 12 v system using 12v to 5v [USB sockets] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6S2SNM/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1). I have about 8 of those.

Anyway, 50 amp gives you flexibility at not a very high cost. Even if I'm reno'ing a Bambi, I'd still put in 50 amp.

You can make use of some of what you have, no need to start completely over until you have a better feel of where you want to head. 75Ah is a decent size battery. The solar is definitely too small, even with the whole month to charge the battery. If you got a 100W solar panel, you could still use your 12A charge controller, and your battery would be happier.

You've got 75Ah x 12V / 2 days / 2 (50%depth of discharge) = 225Wh of usable energy a day for a weekend. If you have sunny weather, the panel can charge the battery back up in a day and you can have twice that available a day. You can determine if that is enough for you for now.

I suggest getting a more efficient light so you can use the rest of the equipment you have. 24W is huge for LED, do you need that much light? Keep in mind you have 225Wh to use, 2 of those lights would use 48Wh each hour they are on. So you would have 4 hours you could use them withe a little energy left to charge your phones. Is that enough?

For 12V and 5V (USB) loads, just connect a cigarette outlet and USB charger to the 12V battery through a breaker. I use ones like these all the time, https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Cigarette-Lighter-Splitter-Motorcycle/dp/B01B79F8CW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1526567159&sr=8-4&keywords=usb+12v+outlet .

Be sure to put a fuse or breaker on the positive wire of every segment, like this, https://i.imgur.com/kUmTdCU.jpg (this is assuming the charge controller has a low voltage disconnect. If it doesn't, the outlets go to the battery through a fuse or breaker).

<Updated with available energy>

Be careful that the 2nd DC outlet is not constant power i.e. on even when ignition is off. My car (Mazda CX-5) has 3 total DC outlets. The one that is embedded in the dash powers on/off with the ignition, but the DC outlets in my console and in my trunk are always on, even when the ignition is turned off. If I plugged a dashcam into the console or trunk DC outlets, I could very easily discharge my battery if I wasn't paying attention.

You could always use a dual DC outlet adapter in the outlet you are already using to power your current dashcam. Dashcams do not need much power, and they are low amperage devices as well, so the power draw would be well within the limits of your one DC outlet. Something like this or this would work just fine. Just shop around for the one that you feel is the best quality for your price range. You may also need to get a 12V extension cable like this in order for the rear camera's cable to reach the power outlet.

If you want to use parking mode in either or both of your dashcams, you should look into a voltage cutoff device like a Black Magic Pro or Vico-Power Plus. You could also use a battery pack such as the Cellink B 2nd. Gen. or Blackvue Power Magic B-112.

I usually want to test continuity (that the circuit is OK) with a multimeter first before I energize anything. So I don't pop fuses, melt wires, and to make sure stuff is going where I want it to go. That won't tell you if the fan spins but will tell you if the wires are connected.

And for power I'd recommend you get one of those jump start lithium battery pack thingees. Coming WAY down in price. Typically they have USB and cig lighter output as well, the latter at 12v. Get a cig plug with wires like this:

https://www.amazon.com/CUZEC-Adapter-Socket-Eyelet-Terminal/dp/B07HF4DSSV/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=cigarette+plug+terminals&qid=1565799340&s=gateway&sr=8-5

Then you have a nice 12v test rig, and it's useful for other stuff as well. Like starting. And it's fused; really nice if your testing and happened to have made an oopsy in your wiring, or in testing old crap.

Here's a list and example found on amazon for all the major parts. I'll also include a wiring diagram at the end.

Solar Panel $169.99 - 100W Flexible & Thin

Solar Cable $18.99 - 20ft with male and female heads (cut in half for + & -)

[Charge Controller]
(https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B019QSX0CG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) $34.99 - 30A gives you room to add more panels

Battery $160 - 100Ah AGM will provide enough power depending on fridge but requires no maintenance

Fuse Panel $35 - 6 circuits with negative and cover

12V Sockets $6 - Get some of these for plugging in appliances and phones. You can buy 12V adapters for almost any electronic besides most kitchen appliances.

Pick up some 10 gauge stranded wire from your local hardware store (home depot) to wire the battery and fuse panel to the charge controller. You shouldn't need much since you want the battery as close as possible to the controller. You can buy smaller wire (16 or 18 guage) for wiring outlets/appliances to the fuse panel. 50ft of that should be fine unless you want multiple outlets on the other side of the van.

You'll also need some ATC blade fuses for your fuse panel. You can buy these at a local auto parts store pretty cheap. 15 amps should be enough than anything you'll be pulling.

To connect the wire ends to the battery and fuse panel you will need these wire terminals for the corresponding wire guages you are using. Along with these female terminals to connect to the 12V sockets. All of these can be found at your local auto parts store for cheap sometimes all together in a kit.

You'll also want a pair of wire strippers/crimper for wiring.

This is the best wiring diagram I can find. Most are so overcomplicated. This diagram does not show the fuse panel but you can see the empty slots on the far right of the charge controller where you insert the wiring for that, it's called the "load." This diagram also shows an inverter which is something I didn't go into because you will only need that if you HAVE to run a 110V appliance. I know you mentioned a kettle but maybe you could just install a gas stove in your van and use that to heat water? That's what we use :) Installing the inverter should be pretty straight forward though if you need it but remember you will waste energy going from 12v to 110v so 12v is more efficient.

Hope this can help you (and maybe others) in some way. I plan on making a more in depth version of this guide in the near future along with a video but finding the time has been difficult! Let me know any more questions you have :D

I would buy this,

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-COMP03-12-Volt-Inflator-Gauge/dp/B000ET9SAU/ref=sr_1_12?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1448980138&sr=1-12&keywords=slime+air+pump

and

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-2040-A-Tire-Plug-Kit/dp/B000ET9SAA/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1448980761&sr=1-5&keywords=tire+plug+kit

In the plug kit your really buying those T handles, there nice and wont try to fold into your hand or away from it while you plug the tire. You can buy I think it's 40 plugs stand alone at walmart for around 5 bucks if you find yourself plugging tires that much.

Then buy a metal jar of rubber cement because that little tube is going to work once and get rock hard.

http://www.amazon.com/Slime-1050-Rubber-Cement-oz/dp/B003V9UU66/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1448981382&sr=8-5&keywords=rubber+cement

Any will do that's just what I found on amazon.

That's the same air pump I own except I dont think mine says 300 PSI on the side, I would be extremely surprised if it could actually reach 300 psi but I can tell you for a fact it'll air a tire up in a less than 10 minutes.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Cigarette-Lighter-Lengthened-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U

This may be worth while as well incase your cigarette lighter doesnt work or blows a fuse you could just clip directly to your car battery.


As far as a phone charger I just mean use a phone charger that plugs in your cigarette lighter, I dont trust those little power bricks. Even if your car battery is "Dead" as in it wont turn your engine over and clicks, it's probably still got more than enough juice to charge your phone and make a call for help.

I would splurge for these nice jumper cables

http://www.amazon.com/Cartman-Booster-Cable-Gauge-Listed/dp/B00VHE76GE/ref=lp_15719941_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1448981135&sr=1-1

That comes up to 132 dollars in my amazon cart, I think that puts you much better off than the alternative you were looking at at a reasonable price.

I lived on a dirt road for years, Holes in my tires were Common and I don't think I ever broke out my spare.

The Uniden 520 is a great choice for a basic radio. I've been using one for years with excellent results. It's really hard to beat for the size/money.

Consider the K30 magnet mount antenna for an alternative in that size.
I've used both it and the Little Wil and found the K30 to perform noticeably better. It's also less expensive:

http://www.amazon.com/K40-K-30-Stainless-Magnet-Antenna/dp/B000H2W270/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417900765&sr=8-2&keywords=K30

The other commenter that suggested getting an SWR meter is also correct. These antennas all require some degree of adjustment for optimal performance. Just a basic meter will work fine.

http://www.amazon.com/Astatic-PDC1-100-Watt-Meter/dp/B004ULN610/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417900872&sr=8-1&keywords=SWR+meter

And the jumper:
http://www.amazon.com/Procomm-Coaxial-Cable-Jumper-Connectors/dp/B003DRJ738/ref=pd_bxgy_auto_text_y

The meter and jumper is something you'll very rarely need (just when moving the setup to a different vehicle, for the most part) so if you husband has a friend into CB or HAM operation, he may be able to borrow one for a few minutes rather than buying.

Finally, you'll need some way to power the radio. The easiest way is with a lighter plug:
http://www.amazon.com/Roadpro-Fused-Replacement-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B0016LG0CY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417901045&sr=8-1&keywords=lighter+plug

Just cut the connectors off the ends of the wires and splice it with the ones on the radio.

Alternatively, you can connect to the fuse box with an Add-A-Circuit. These come in different sizes depending on the fuses in your car. You can get one of these for less than $10 at any auto parts store.

Except for the driving faster, the rest should be relatively easy.

• Cup Holder: My wife likes the Ram Mount products for her cup holder. She uses the cup holder connected to a 6" double socket arm and attached to her chair unitrack with a diamond plate with a 1" ball.
  
  
• Power Socket: We basically bought one of these female outlet plugs but we got it from our local harware store. Her wheelchair technician hooked it up in about 10 minutes when she was in for a different repair. Although we did add a 3 amp fuse in the wiring to be sure not to damage her chair (or use anything that draws too much power)...this was almost 10 years ago and it was the first one he did, so wanted to be careful. Again it was just attached into her unitrack to hold in position. She then uses various standard car chargers depending on what she is doing.
  
  
• LED lights...we haven't done anything permanently (but have had some temporaries that plug into her power socket). But pretty much any type of LED and switch should be easily wireable into your battery.

It's really, really easy to add your own ambient lighting to the Focus (or any car really). Most LED strips are already 12v. They'd need an adapter from house wall power but in a car (the vast majority of them anyway) the 12V circuits are already there! If you're concerned about your own electrical knowledge they make kits too; they're pretty inexpensive and you could splice open that cigarette adapter line to wire it in directly or get something like this. Personally I'd buy my own strips, controllers, and hard wire it though (make sure you confirm controller works with your strip). Since you're in the footwell I'd also recommend weatherproof but it's not super necessary since it won't be directly exposed.

You could tap in to an accessory line/fuse to have them always on or get fancy and wire them in to the dash lighting for when the headlights are on so that they only come on at night. I just used these fuse taps the other day for a dash cam and radar detector install; make sure you have the right fuses for your install though. I had to pickup some lower amperage ones to properly protect my lower amperage gear.

Some LED strip lighting is easy to adhere or screw down depending on your preference and you can even get RGB and an IR/RF/bluetooth controller to customize.

Anyway, the whole thing should take nothing more than an hour or two and less than $100 in parts.

Here is the battery pack. The pack should put out 5v 3amps per USB unless I've misread, however this product and ones like it tend to convert 5v power from USB to 0.8amp max output at 12v DC, but the fan should require 1.2amp of 12v DC to run on low.

Edit: I located some testing on a similar product in a review that might be helpful:

This seems to do fairly well though I'm unclear what they think their ratings are. I connected this to a 60-watt 5V Anker 6-port USB power strip (which I have verified is better than 5% tolerance 5V at 2.8A on a single port) and began to take measurements.

Max power without total shutting down:
Input 5.08V at 1.9A
Output 10.01V at 818mA
---- Or slightly closer to 12V ----
Input 5.08V at 1.86A
Output 11.33V at 708mA

Max power stable long-term:
Input 5.03V at 1.86A
Output 11.62V at 675mA
Duration - 20 minutes stable, immediately following max-power test

This suggests that this 12V adapter will reasonably provide continuous output at 12V around 670mA with the capability to have higher surge-current but at the cost of dropping more voltage. I was very pleased with how cool it ran - only slightly warm to the touch (113F on the plastic case as measured on IR thermometer). In the event of an overload it does seem to fail gracefully and "shut down" the converter (outputting about 4.5V until reset) on severe overload then "resets" if it is unplugged for a couple minutes.

Yup, that'll work.

Benefit of replacing the cigarette lighter is you'll have the negative and positive, fused, cables right there. Super easy

With the one you linked, you'll need to wire to a 12v source and add a fuse. You'll have to find your accessory wire to tap into, so it's not powered with the key off. (unless you want 12v to it at all times, I charge my phone in my car while I'm in work, so it's nice to have that feature)

I still think going with the cigarette lighter port is the best bet.

You could always keep this in the glove box just in case

ARECORD USB A Male to 12V Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Female Converter (Max Output 12V 0.8A) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J67JIOQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Z0jGDb11AYXP0

No, they won't be able to help you. Unlock procedure on a mk4 is pump wedge and long reach to hit the door lock button. I'd pondered using the long reach to grab the hood release, but those are pretty stiff and require a lot of torque to pull so I doubt it would work.

You may get lucky with the following, though. Since you can access the trunk you can access the 12v power socket in the trunk, get something with a cigarette lighter adapter and hack the plug end off, connect the positive and negative leads to a low amperage battery charger (the wiring for that socket isn't very robust, no more than say 10A output on the charger) and plug the charger in, then connect the cigarette plug into the 12v socket in the trunk.

If you don't have anything with a cigarette plug end, use this.

Give it an hour or so and you should have enough juice to articulate the locks using either the fob, or holding the key in the door all the way to the left or right for a couple seconds. That should get you in. Of course, I -know- this socket is live even with key off on my 2002, it's likely the same on your 2001, but they are also VW's so... there's that. Make sure you have the correct polarity as well on your plug end, center post is always positive, if unsure test with a multi meter or you're gonna have a bigger problem to contend with. Just be mindful, and it should work ok.


Edit: I've since looked in an older unlock book once I arrived to work, it IS possible to pop the rear doors using a rod linkage tool, but I'd still wager a cheap cord and a cheap charger would do the job just as fast as a roadside club, and for much less in cost.

Do you have a Ford? On my Mustang it would stay on. On my Ford Flex it stays on for 10 minutes after I've parked it. It was driving me nuts. Anyway, I do this for every car because it would free my cigarette lighter connector to put a phone charger on it, plus it looks like you don't have anything connected.

I hardwire and tap the fuse box to a fuse that turns off when I turn off the ignition key. The fuse shouldn't be something related to ECUs or safety, you don't want to mess with that just in case(Yeah, you might have to read the Owner's Manual. LOL no one reads it).

You can do it yourself by using a Voltage Continuity Tester.

Also you may need fuse taps, they are pretty cheap, and a Female Cigarette Lighter Socket Adapter. The Positive (Red) connected to the fuse tap cable and the Ground (Black) connected to any big screw into the car chassis. Then you hide it under the steering wheel with a zip tie and it's done.

EDIT: Just read your car is a lease, this install will not modify anything on it. Just unplug the fuse tap and replace the fuse, then unscrew the ground cable and it's done. You can use this on the next car you'll lease also.

OK whew! :)

I did this exact mod last summer on my new (to me) popup. I bought one of these from Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CU5HI7U/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) which gave me two USB charging ports and a spare cigarette lighter for anything else I might want to pop in there in the future, as well as a cheap battery monitor to let me know that perhaps I should stop draining the battery now! :)

Assuming you have a spare spot in your fuse panel, this is a pretty straight forward mod. Just need a 1 or 1-1/4" hole saw to mount this and some wire to attach to the panel, and a compatible fuse.

Great, looks like your laptop is fine with a 12v charger. Saves needing to install an inverter and makes it all pretty easy.

https://www.amazon.com/Pwr-40W-Car-Charger-Acer-Aspire-R3-471T/dp/B002TOFK2S

Plus you'll need something to plug it into.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01CU5HI7U/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494682546&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=12v+charger+voltmeter&dpPl=1&dpID=41U5OvVFWjL&ref=plSrch

Plus some red and black coloured dual 1.5mm cross section copper wire (I think you guys call it AWG 16), an inline fuse (5A) and maybe a bit of wood to mount it to.

So measure the length of wire you'd need to go from battery, through the dash, around whatever fittings, all the way to wherever you want your charging point mounted. If it is over 6 meters (about 20 foot) then get AWG 14 instead of 16.

Damn it, ended up typing after all...

If you are mostly listening, you should be fine. Most cigarette outlets are rated for 8 amps at 13.8v. My Cobra 19 DX III only uses 1.2 amp on transmit so it is safe for me do what you are suggesting. Some vans and trucks have "power outlets" that are rated for 18-20 amps that would be perfect even for a long talker.

The power post you are suggesting scares me since leaves things so exposed. I ended up using the following that you can buy in almost any store with basic automotive electrical parts.
Terminals and Spades and a Replacement Cigarette Adapter. The Cigarette adapter in stores is usually rated for 3 amps. For CB's that should be plenty, but if the fuse pops after some long TX you may need to figure out running a Positive wire to the battery and the black to bolt to the car frame.

Thanks for the tips. I'm kicking myself because I just donated a box of old wall transformers that I would've saved had I known. I know I have a couple of 12v/5amp wall transformers from old HDDs that I might try for home use. I was thinking about this adapter for car use.

 

I was also wondering if you knew what sort of antenna I should look for. The radio came with a small one, however the wiring on the antenna doesn't connect to the radio correctly. The radio has a screw type mount I'm not familiar with, but was hoping it might be a cb standard and easy to find a replacement for.

Sounds like you're looking for a terminal block. You'll need a step down converter to take the 12v battery juice down to whatever your pi and cell phones require. You could also just wire a female car charger adapter and then use a car charger to properly do the voltage step down for charging cell phones and tablets. Raspberry Pi's require 5v and seem to work fine at USB 2.0's standard of .5 amps, but I'm pretty sure they'll work at the 2-3 amps most high end chargers utilize, but that all depends on what kinds of peripherals you'll be running.

Definitely, you just need to convert the 12v into a trickle charge. There are many ways to do this, some more efficient than others. There might be a AA charger that runs off of 12v, might have a cig lighter input and be in automotive sections. Let me look on Amazon and stuff.

​

• Here, this will do you just fine. does your solar have bare wire leads, or is it USB only? If you have wire leads, just cut the cig lighter off, and connect the positive and negative together and you're good to go
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Battery-Charger-Rechargeable-Batteries/dp/B07BFWHD7G/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=12v+AA+charger&qid=1565030427&s=gateway&sr=8-5
  
  ​
  
  more edit: here, all this should be whatever you're looking for-
  
  https://www.amazon.com/ARECORD-Cigarette-Lighter-Socket-Converter/dp/B01J67JIOQ/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=cigarette+lighter+socket+to+usb&qid=1565030691&s=gateway&sr=8-1
  
  ​
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Chanzon-Cigarette-Terminal-Accessory-Inflator/dp/B07CQMQL9L/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=cigarette+lighter+socket+to+wire&qid=1565030768&s=gateway&sr=8-7

Well, I'm pretty sure the primary intention for them is USB sticks or the likes for media files, so it makes sense since the infotainment makes use of that and for working with firmware and the likes.

I kind of doubt you'd be able to modify that without extensive circuit work. You'd be better off adding another Set of USB ports to the car that are hardwired and meant for high output charging. You'd just need to cut the trim to add the outputs. Something like this would do it:

https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Charger-Socket-Outlet-2-1A%EF%BC%884-2A%EF%BC%89/dp/B01N6S2SNM

The USB 2.0 standard is 500 mAh for data transfer. So it still technically charges, just really, really slow. USB 3.0 I believe is 900mAh (there's 5 extra contacts, which is more than likely why).

Would one of these be better than the other?

http://smile.amazon.com/Roadpro-Fused-Replacement-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B0016LG0CY?sa-no-redirect=1

http://smile.amazon.com/Auto-Button-Cigarette-Lighter-Black/dp/B0090149R0/ref=sr_1_2?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1420742893&sr=1-2&keywords=cigarette+lighter+plug

http://smile.amazon.com/K40-K403CBPP-2-Wire-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B001JT98S6/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=06E9J8F93C84MQ2G79PE

TIA

You'll also need something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Battery-Cigarette-Lighter-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U

Make absolutely sure you don't clip it to the battery backwards. I'd put a big red + on the positive side of the battery.

I built one of these a few years ago and its still working great. Here is the link to my post

Here are some of the parts I used copied form that post:


AMP: Lapai Tripath

Speakers: 4 inch full range speakers I would go larger if you have the room in your project.

Battery power: 10 NiMh rechargeable AA

input: Dash Mount Stereo Jack

Bus bars to try to keep the wiring organized

Nice little flush mount switches i will use on the next version to control the lights power etc:

For fun I also added a 12v charging port, and a USB charging port for my phone.

Seems like the hardwiring kit in /u/nonvideas post is out of stock. You can use these two things instead:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I0MWPXU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EZJBELQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00

This is what I used. There's a panel under the fuel lid/hood release latches that uncovers a small fuse panel. First, unscrew the big bolt you see (you may have to pry the bigger plastic cover slightly) using a 13mm socket. Tighten the bolt so that the black ground cable from the cigarette lighter thing is secure. Then, insert the red power cable into the red wire connector from the fuse tap and crimp the wire. Now you're ready to tap your fuse box. Take out the fuse you want to tap, insert it into the fuse tap, then insert the fusetap fuse into that same socket. Now you're tapped into the battery power and only the ignition will power the cigarette lighter.

Cigartte lighter socket + quality car phone charger + Add-a-circuit kit (check your fuse type) + some quality tape + Right-angle USB charging cable

You wire the red wire on the cigarette adapter to an add-a-ciruit (i.e. with a crimp tool). The black wire goes to ground (i.e. tucked under some bolt someplace, or a ring terminal ). You put the charger in the now-attached cigarette adapter in the fuse area under your driver's side dash. Then you need to route an appropriate USB cable (i.e. with one with a right-angle head or right-angle adapter on the dash cam side) to the under dash area (usually by tucking it under the headliner over the windshield, and then by popping the A-pillar cover off and the side panel of the dashboard, and feeding the cable through). Once you have all the wires under the dash, you just need to hook them up, test them, and then tape them together so they can't come loose.

The advantage of going this route is that you 'own' all the pieces. If any part of the formula isn't working out, you can change just that part. You also get a spare USB-C charging port for free since that adapter has both A and C.

I've used these with good success. You'll need to fabricate a cowl or something to have it plugged in all the time and keep water off it. Though it really shouldn't matter all that much if it gets a little wet.

I have one, works great, however it was a little confusing for me at first, but now that I get the menus it is great.

I picked up one of these for my power supply and I was going to just clip off the cigarette lighter and solder the thing together with the charger, then I realized I can get one of these and now I can use the charger in my car too. The power supply may be a little weak, since I can only charge at 5.8Amps max, but it works for me, and was cheap.

I also picked up this and this now I can charge just about anything.

Throw one of these bad boys in your system with a switch and youre good to go. Ive taken my kit out playing Pokemon go and recharged multiple phones without putting much of a dent in the battery. Im sure someone can do the math, but those power banks that will charge your phones like 5 times are 10 AH 5 volt, so lord knows how long you can charge your phone of a 12 volt 35 AH stepped down to 5 volts.

Please share the video you found!

I use this boost converter for my laptop. I used a lighter duty one previously but my laptop can really consume some juice, and the other ones would overheat and fail. I combine them with a typical cig outlet cord and the laptop end of a cheapo charger. You could also fid a pre-made one if you know the specs of the plug and its power requirements.

I installed this switch panel and all my DC stuff is wired on a switch. The labels on the switches are stupid but you can put a label sticker over them. I also have several of these around the bus.

When you convert between AC and DC power, it's very generous to figure on only losing about 15% for each conversion. If you go with that, though, and you have a 100 watt load (laptop charger) using a typical AC adapter (15% loss here) through a typical inverter (15% loss here) to a typical battery (15% loss here), you're going to be consuming over 150W from your battery...And that's being very kind, it's likely more like 180W.

If you use a boost converter like the one I liked, it's more than 90% efficient, but let's just say it's 90%. It's only doing one transition, so your 100W load is only consuming 110W or so from your battery.

I've seen a few videos where they use something like that, and it seemed straightforward enough. The reason I thought about upgrading the USB port instead is so that I would still have the 12V outlet to power other devices if I wanted to. Replacing the cigarette lighter port is definitely an option though.

Or maybe using something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCZC933/ref=psdc_2407761011_t1_B01LZ7NFHW,
and putting it in one of the empty spots would be less invasive.

...hope you dont have any neighbors.

Easiest way? Get a small 50watt solar panel, a usb adapter, and one of those portable bluetooth speakers with built-in batteries. wire it up, mount it somewhere sheltered from rain, and you're good to go.

​

panel: https://www.amazon.com/HQST-Monocrystalline-Applications-Compact-Design/dp/B07HYGSZKL

usb adapter: https://www.amazon.com/Ginsco-Charger-Socket-Outlet-2-1A（4-2A）/dp/B01N6S2SNM

bluetooth speaker with 8hrs battery: https://www.amazon.com/Bose-SoundLink-Color-Bluetooth-speaker/dp/B01HETFQKS (something with a remote would be best)

Links to some of the things I purchased and am happy with:

Weller WES51 Analog Soldering Station


Hakko FX-901/P Cordless Soldering Iron

NOCO GC018 12V Adapter Plug Socket with Eyelet Terminal

Carviya 12V 24V Heavy Duty 16 AWG 15A 20A Male Plug Cigarette Lighter Adapter

Get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Carviya-Cigarette-Lighter-Inverter-Electric/dp/B01HGO2OIS/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=12v+plug&qid=1564598312&s=gateway&sprefix=12v+olug&sr=8-3

Really helpful for testing stuff before installing it.

You will still be able to use your 20A cigarette lighter along with the dash cam if you tap into and maintain a clean factory look. Once you get everything apart the back of your factory lighter plug will look kind of like this:

[Youtube link removed to appease the moderator bot] Just search youtube for cigarette lighter tap jeep

and you will just have to tap into the wires kind of like the guy does in the video by taking a razor blade and slicing away the sheathing of the cable (or using lighter to burn/melt a section of it away keeping a wet rag nearby). There are thousands of ways to skin this cat. The only thing I can highly advice AGAINST is using one of these: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41xA0dDgkrL._SX355_.jpg Those things are evil and will cause headaches down the road.

If you choose not to use the battery discharge device you will have to buy an adapter to plug the USB charger into anyway ( https://www.amazon.com/SMAKN®-Cigarette-Lighter-Connector-Adapter/dp/B00RT5TE5Q/ ) so I would just use it if you already have it.

FWIW when I recommend dash cams to my family who don't want to slice up their wiring I just buy one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Electop-Cigarette-Lighter-Charger-Splitter/dp/B01HEV8LHG

and hide it well. For my own car I hard wired a accessory-switched 4-plug power splitter ( https://imgur.com/a/jSgZu ) and then converted my dash-port to always-on so if I park my car in a bad area I can just switch which port the dashcam is plugged into. Comes in handy for charging phones while car is off too since my car does not have an always-on plug from the factory. Back when I installed this dashcam voltage cutoffs were $50 so I do not have one but I've never had my battery run dead from my dashcam neither.... good luck and feel free to throw any more questions at me.

Go to your local auto part store and purchase a used car battery for like 50$. Then buy a battery clip on cigarette lighter socket extension cord for 10$ and a Dual 110V AC outlets and Dual USB 3.1A 300w power inverter for 27$. Now you wont have to drain your car battery charging your phones and it can power other stuff like lights or a pump for your air mattress.

also you can get Portable Solar Car Battery Charger encase you need to charge the battery or use jumper cables.

Buy a couple large deep cycle batteries and a battery tender to keep them charged

For example, this battery:
https://www.amazon.com/Universal-UB121000-45978-100AH-Cycle-Battery/dp/B00S1RT58C/ is 100ah at 12v, which is roughly 1200 watt hours. For comparison, A 3.7v 20,000 mah phone power bank is 74 watt hours.

Get something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Chanzon-Cigarette-Terminal-Accessory-Inflator/dp/B07CQMQL9L/ to allow using your car charger with a standalone battery.

Add a 100w solar kit: https://www.amazon.com/Renogy-Monocrystalline-Negative-Controller-Connectors/dp/B00BFCNFRM/ if you expect sunny weather during your power outages

I think you're looking for something like this https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XP5C3XY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You could get a matching female lighter plug, like this https://www.amazon.com/SMAKN%C2%AE-Cigarette-Lighter-Connector-Adapter/dp/B00RT5TE5Q/ref=sr_1_5?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1520351741&sr=1-5&keywords=cigarette+lighter+socket, and connect that to your battery.

I use a 12v deep cycle battery. Something like this: https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/sla-sealed-lead-acid/duracell-ultra/12/sladc12=35j

With one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00JOY6U7U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and something like this:https://www.amazon.com/Inverter-Anglink-Converter-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B01KF4280K/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1478553668&sr=8-8&keywords=lighter+power+inverter

Crimp the fan wires onto this (or similar) https://www.amazon.com/Roadpro-Fused-Replacement-Cigarette-Lighter/dp/B0016LG0CY

If you need to extend the fan wires, you can use butt splice connectors to add an extension. You can pick up the connectors and some 16awg thhn wire at home depot or lowes.

I have this one. My 12V in the car cant run it, but I bought one of these and it works great to hook up to the battery.

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Battery-Cigarette-Lighter-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U/ref=pd_sim_263_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00JOY6U7U&pd_rd_r=RJ1FSZ7AAYNS4Z6SSK0B&pd_rd_w=9wt3b&pd_rd_wg=prkF3&psc=1&refRID=RJ1FSZ7AAYNS4Z6SSK0B


Maybe not the best idea to use all the time if you off road, cause you'll probably melt the wires at some point, but I've never had an issue.

using something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Shipping-CIRCUIT-BLADE-PROFILE-FUSETAP/dp/B00K17A2E6

Allows you to tap into an existing fuse slot fairly easily, its pretty much unplug a fuse, plug it and two fuses in.. then you can wire to the existing wire and a metal to the frame point under the dash.

I have done this with my car since my cigarette lighters are always on.

I used it to wire one of these in: http://www.amazon.com/uxcell%C2%AE-Charger-Cigarette-Lighter-Female/dp/B00EZJBELQ

And I just plugged my cam into that.

Well, I have a splitter on that now and my cam and gps are on it.. but same thing..

Solar panels put out around 12v-18v of power depending on sun intensity. You would need a PWM or MPPT solar controller and you could use something like a 12V cigarrette car charger like this:

https://www.amazon.com/SMAKN-Cigarette-Lighter-Connector-Adapter/dp/B00RT5TE5Q

And then use a standard car charger USB out and plug your RPi into that. The car charger USB will have a Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS) inside of it that will take your 12v+ coming from the solar controller and bring it down to 5v to be used with whatever USB devices you have plugged in.

Thanks! I used this panel from Amazon. along with a 3d printed spacer thats the same profile as the panel bezel so that it would protrude a bit from the console (I can provide the file if you want). I drilled a hole for the LED. Then wire the battery to the switches, and the switches to the panel/LED.

​

Sorry, I'm new to this. What did you mean by "wire it in"? Are there other options besides going to the battery directly?

These are 12v, so you just need to make sure the cigarette lighter in your car can handle the power. So for example most late model hondas have the main/front cigarette lighter rated at 180w (the rating is screen printed right on it) which is more than enough power for an IH like these. I run one of my homebrews on the cigarette lighter in my car - just by plugging a 15A (180w) fused cigarette lighter connector (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HGO2OIS/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_8RkADbX5XY409) into the back of the unit (obviously you have to put the correct sized DC power connector for your IH at the other end).

That one is a 12v in but it's directly connected to an AC adaptor for a house, so I wouldn't touch it as you'd void any warranty cutting the wires. You can get something like this and wire it up with this, and your cigarette lighter should have enough amperage to power it unless it's not accessory in which case a relay can be used. Depends how technical you want to get with it.

Thanks! Would I use this to connect to the outlet? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HGO2OIS

Add some led's or light bar in the front bumper. Show and useful in back country.

USB with constant power to charge goodies while the truck is off.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FCZC933/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6Y9XCb1MNM7TY

When I bought my 2011 Prius the cigarette lighter socket was completely dead. My fuses in the fuse box tested good (continuity test). Turns out there is an inline fuse on the socket itself that was blown. I pulled the socket out and replaced it with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6S2SNM works perfectly!

3V converter:
https://www.amazon.com/SMAKN-Converter-Power-Supply-Module/dp/B00ODL140M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493223709&sr=8-1&keywords=12v+to+3v

AC to DC car converter:
https://www.amazon.com/AOKII-Converter-110-220V-Cigarette-Household/dp/B01H4UZQRA/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1493223837&sr=1-4&keywords=ac+to+12v+dc+power+adapter

and 12V plug + wires:
https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Button-Cigarette-Lighter-Black/dp/B0090149R0/ref=sr_1_4?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1493223892&sr=1-4&keywords=12v+plug

of course you can combine all 3 into one with something like this but that's what I had around the house
https://www.amazon.com/SoulBay-Universal-Switching-Selectable-Suitable/dp/B01ISM267G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493223964&sr=8-3&keywords=ac+to+3v+dc

You're on the right track there. You'll need a cigarette lighter socket adapter and a battery charger. I have this one.

That should do it for you. You'll have the battery, the charger, the adapter and the fan. You'd also be able to add a light, phone charger, fridge, etc to the existing set up in the future.

DC-DC is preferred for the reasons you note. There are tons of DC laptop chargers and usb outlets.

On parts of my build where they would show and need to access plugging I am using this kind of usb outlet (about 1/2 the price on eBay). Where they do not show and I need a permanent 5v supply I use bare components kinda like this, which are about $2-$3 each shipped from China. Both are on switches so the converters aren't using power when not in use.

AUKEY CC-S1 Car Charger, Flush Fit Dual Port 4.8A Output for iPhone iPad Samsung & other - Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M6QODH2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_RMwezbEHZQ8SE

or...
***

Ginsco Dual USB Charger Socket Power Outlet 2.1A & 2.1A（4.2A） for Car Boat Marine Mobile with Wire Fuse DIY Kit Blue LED https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6S2SNM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_taa_nOwezbM2AG9AZ

Running it to the battery is the best option. You would need to run the wire under your carpet, find or drill a hole in your firewall and thread it through. If you don't want to go through that trouble you can just use a cigarette lighter plug

And if you need only EJECT or FIRE MISSILES button and don't mind paying $15 for each, these are the solutions suitable for almost any car model:

https://www.amazon.com/Missiles-Cigarette-Lighter-Citadel-Black/dp/B06XB2FLYB

https://www.amazon.com/Button-Cigarette-Lighter-Citadel-Black/dp/B0757BZ8W9

>To my understanding, the relay is connected to the ignition so when the vehicle is started


Yes that's a way you can do it, but imagine that you're camping and you totally depleted your deep cycle battery, and now you have an empty battery and a good battery, as soon as you turn your key (even before the engine is running) both batteries will be connected in parallel. If you try to start your car you'll find that you cant since the good battery is essentially charging the bad battery, if you keep trying start your car you'll soon find the the voltage of both batteries is 6v. If you find yourself in this situation you will have to manually unplug the depleted battery to be able to start the car. This scenario is exactly what the power stream is meant to prevent since it will not connect both batteries unless the alternator is outputting 13.4v.



Yeah I guess for your application the Goal Zero is the way to go. That's why I Initially just mentioned an extra battery with a cheap inverter hooked to it, and charge it whenever you come home. If you want to charge it while on the road just take the leads of a cigarette lighter plug and connect them directly to the extra battery to charge it, it'll be a slow charge (5~10Amps) but that's exactly how the Yeti Goal Zero does it. But if you have the $600 to spend on the yeti, go ahead.

Wire this to the fan plug in the the charged yeti. uxcell® DC 12V Car Auto Push Button Cigarette Lighter Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090149R0/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_PnOHxb48549QP

What I did instead was buy a female cigarette lighter end (similar to below) and wire that into the power source. This way I didn't have to cut the dashcam power cord, and could move it to another car in the future.

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Charger-Cigarette-Lighter-Adapter/dp/B00EZJBELQ

Buy a fuse tap and a cigarette lighter socket. Then check your interior fusebox for an ignition-switched source. Tap into that then use whatever cigarette-to-usb adapter you want.

The dovetail mounting plate that comes with it should have a 1/4in thread in it. I just went to Lowe's and bought a 1/4in screw and a felt pad for friction to slap my dslr on my Sirius. For power I use this https://www.batteriesplus.com/battery/marine-and-boat/deep-cycle/bci-group-24m/sli24mdc with a $30 battery charger, and this http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Battery-Cigarette-Lighter-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U. A few users helped me out with my purchases so I'm just spreading the info along.

https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-Cigarette-Lighter-Battery-Extension/dp/B00JOY6U7U/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1540940967&sr=1-1&keywords=12+volt+connector+to+a+battery

Just add an outlet by tapping into your fuse panel!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JXVG2U

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002KRC5Y/

You need either a in line wired USB or wire a cigarette lighter receptacle in and use your existing adapter. You can't just wire the USB cable in directly. USB is 5v.

This

http://www.amazon.com/Inverter-Converter-Adapter-Cellphone-Hard-wired/dp/B017PWWA9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457222128&sr=8-1&keywords=wired+USB+12+volt+adapter

or This

http://www.amazon.com/Hardwire-Smartphone-Navigation-SiriusXM-Satellite/dp/B00I3P6QQG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1457222128&sr=8-3&keywords=wired+USB+12+volt+adapter

or this
http://www.amazon.com/uxcell%C2%AE-Charger-Cigarette-Lighter-Female/dp/B00EZJBELQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1457222216&sr=1-5&keywords=cigarette+lighter+socket+adapter


I have a cig lighter wired in under the dash and one of those 3 output USB adapters for dashcam and some other stuff.

So why not use a longer 12v run?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01B79F8CW/

You would have to make a cable that goes from a cigarette lighter plug to the molex connectors used on that board. A molex pigtail is provided with the board, and you could combine it with this to make a power cable.

https://www.amazon.com/Marine-Grade-Cigarette-Lighter-Socket/dp/B0002KRC5Y/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1496619302&sr=8-5&keywords=waterproof+12v+socket

This?

I have used this and this. It does the job. The down side is it takes a little bit to get it paired up every time and then it displays in SD. You won't need a chrome cast, it has it built in.

I did a semi-hardwire install on my 2008 Civic. It is very simple.
 

Do you have any technical, hands-on skills?
 

Buy 1 of each. You can buy in AutoZone too.
 

https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-BP-HHH-ATM-Add-A-Fuse/dp/B000GKEXK2
 

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell%C2%AE-Charger-Cigarette-Lighter-Female/dp/B00EZJBELQ/
 

Find a switched source (or constant if you have a camera that triggers when you are parked) using your multimeter, tap into it and route the wires. Should take 1-3 hours depending on your skills. DO NOT use the ScotchLok Taps.

Adapter for USB to female 12v cigarette lighter.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J67JIOQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_eAp9ybMD0SJ91

Nope. USB only.

Edit: which brings up a point I didn’t think about....

Must be an adapter.

ARECORD USB A Male to 12V Car Cigarette Lighter Socket Female Converter (Max Output 12V 0.8A) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J67JIOQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Xn9QCbE2H2WK2

About the least expensive way you can wire this up to your fuse box is to buy a 'add-a-fuse' and a DIY lighter socket, together these will cost you $10.

http://www.lightinthebox.com/add-a-circuit-fuse-tap-piggy-back-mini-blade-fuse-holder-apr-atc_p4498022.html?currency=CAD&litb_from=paid_adwords_shopping&utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&adword_mt=&adword_ct=84538326434&adword_kw=&adword_pos=1o1&adword_pl=&adword_net=g&adword_tar=&adw_src_id=1810908567_303092114_21769052474_pla-61865531738&gclid=CP-BrKvCyNACFY-BaQodGBYPeg

https://www.amazon.com/uxcell-Charger-Cigarette-Lighter-Female/dp/B00EZJBELQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1480235267&sr=1-1&keywords=lighter+socket

and here is a video showing how to do it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht6GDkFz9Is

edit

You can buy these parts locally at any automotive parts type store, NAPA for example.

Doesn't look like anyone has what you need yet.

This is the kind I would recommend Dual USB Charger Power Socket 12V 1A 2.1A or 12V to 5V 3A USB Output Step Down Voltage Regulator, but no one seems to make a C version yet. 12v USB-C adapters seem to be limited to the cigarette lighter style plug.

You might just use a 12v socket like this one: 12V 5A Car Cigarette Lighter Socket with a USB C car charger and burry it in the dash or glovebox maybe. I did this with the power supply for my gps.

Only name-brand that makes something like this is iSimple, but it's twice the price of the other options, only has 1 port, only does 1A, and is still made in China.

Point is, they're all cheap crap from China, even if you're buying name brand and paying twice as much.

These devices are extraordinarily simple and cheap to make, there's nothing that's going to explode, and nothing is going to melt and catch fire (especially if you use a fuse).

2.4A isn't a standard amperage, so a real 2.4A USB is pretty uncommon, especially in this form factor (it's usually a 2.1 that they over-rated so you'll pay more).

Here's a decent option

Its doable with two cheap adapters. You need to forget the trailer plug. Wire the 12v light strip to a male cigarette lighter plug. Then purchase an adapter that plugs into the wall socket and has a female 12v PowerPoint.

https://www.amazon.com/110V-240V-Adapter-Converter-Universal-Socket/dp/B001TXUU98

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0016LG0CY/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1479319943&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=male+12v+power+connector&dpPl=1&dpID=31wW9GnDb1L&ref=plSrch

In my Mk6, I tapped into the cigarette lighter line and added another cigarette outlet inside of my center console. Then ran the provided cigarette lighter power supply line down the A pillar, through the fuse box, in the trim behind the wheel, into the console. That meant I didn't have to butcher the included power supply to wire it in, and I didn't have to find a fuse position that would work.

I stole the idea from the DoubleApex USB Charger install - I basically just did it a second time, but instead of tapping in their lighter/USB power supply, tappen in an outlet I bought. Here's their instructions(PDF) if you want to get an idea. May not be best for your situation, but it's an option.

You could buy one of (THESE) and splice it in, using electrician's "wire nuts" (image) to complete the connections.

Before cutting off the old BigFatPlug, use your multimeter to learn which terminal of BigFatPlug goes the the central Tip of the telescope connector, and which terminal of BigFatPlug goes to the outer Sleeve of the telescope connector. Write these two facts on a piece of paper.

They are being helpful. The thing is, cars are loud. USB ports provide very small amounts of power. You can get something working, but you're likely to find that you can't hear the music over the road noise.

The trouble with USB is it can supply only a tiny amount of power. It runs at 5V and can supply up to 0.9 amps (unless you violate the standard). That works out to 4.5 watts of available power. Meanwhile, a car cigarette lighter is 12V and usually at least 10 amps. That gives you 120 watts of available power.

Unless you already have the USB speakers, why would you want to give up 96% of the power available to you in an application where you need a lot of power? Even if you do already have USB speakers, why would you want to spend time building something that really isn't going to work?

Especially when there is a whole industry out there devoted to producing amplifiers for your exact situation, some as cheap as $10. And speakers for $19. And for $4 more, you can add a connector to plug it into the cigarette lighter.

Alternatively, shop around for computer speakers that are sold with a 12V DC power adapter. You should be able to power those directly off the cigarette lighter power, and they will probably be louder than USB speakers.

Well the good news is that, if your DVD player is powered by 12V (and I fail to see why it wouldn't, the internals are already DC so for GM to put in a 12V DC to 110V AC to ??V DC is wasteful maddness) a cigarette lighter to USB adapter is literally just a 12V to 5V transformer. But I'd check with a voltmeter first. Or you could dismantle the 12V to usb plug and wire it directly to the car.

You could wire up one of these and plug in this, and your pi can be powered.

However, I have no clue what that car screen uses to connect to the DVD player, you might get lucky and its RCA, but I'm doubtful.

This is not a project for beginners.

I have a blackvue DR590-2CH with a "power consumption avg. 290mA (3.48W at 12V)". The camera comes with a cigarette lighter plug. I'd like to use the Model 3 USB outlet (5V/2A) instead. Also, this post.

Do you think this converter will do the job? My basic concern is knowing enough to be dangerous and breaking something expensive or setting something on fire.

Yeah.. it's been a PITA so far because I've blown two fuses inside this piece of crap cigarette lighter plug w/ leads..

What did you do for this?