All i want to do it make my cigerette lighter 12v so i can charge a phone or something similar on long trips. Thanks in advance
...And if you don't have a soldering iron, Model A type places sell a commercial inverter. BUT...a technical question...what voltage is ultimately needed to charge a cell phone?? I think here we are stepping the voltage UP to run a 12v charger that is stepping the voltage DOWN in order to charge a very low voltage device. I have right in front of me as I type a USB hookup that charges my cellphone straight from the USB port in my computer; it does not have any electronics or transformer within, it is just a two-strand wire and two plugs. Does the job...isn't that giving me 5 volts from the computer's low voltage line??
I have a 6 to 12v converter that was in my shoebox when I got it. I swapped it to 12 volt before I messed with it. Not sure if it works, but if you cover shipping, its yours.
This looks like what you are inquiring about: http://www.ocmafc.org/techarticles/Tom Endy's Special Topics/Power Inverter.pdf Good luck, PHIL
Yes. Standard USB wiring is +5VDC on pin#1, and pin#4 is ground. On USB "A", (rectangular and large) the pins are: 4-3-2-1 when looking at the PLUG. On USB "B", (roughly square, top two corners chamfered) the pins are: 1-2 4-3 when looking at the PLUG On USB "Mini A" (rectangular w/top corners double chamfered) 1-2-3-x-4 when looking at the PLUG On USB "Mini B" (rectangular w/top corners chamfered) 1-2-3-x-4 when looking at the PLUG Pins #2 and #3 are for data send and receive, but that's not needed for a charging application. *Note the "X" pin is not used. (Or is used for device sensing/feedback on some USB devices) Here is what I woud suggest: -Get an USB charger for your phone. -Get an accessory plug and cord for a cigarette lighter (cheap one from an auto parts store). -With your meter, ensure you get 6V from the lighter jack. -Strip the end of the wires off the accessory cord and WITHOUT LETTING THEM TOUCH, insert the plug in to your lighter jack. -See which wire has 6V on it by measuring each wire to ground. -Once you know which wire is +6VDC and which is GND, label them and disconnect the plug. -Take your USB charger and strip the end of the wires. There may be only two wires, or there may be up to 5, depending on the type of USB charger. -"Ring out" the USB plug. (Set your Meter to check continuity [ohms], put one lead on a wire and the other lead on each pin until you get a reading. Repeat until you have all the pins mapped) -Connect the 6+VDC hot wire to the wire that corresponds to pin #1 -Connect the GND wire to to the wire that corresponds pin#4 -For a neat look, ensure you put some heat shrink over the wires before making your connection. (One small piece on each wire splice, and one large piece to cover the whole thing when finished.) Your phone should charge on 6VDC with no problem. The only thing you should be aware of is that factory chargers have a thermal cut-out to stop the charging circuit if temp gets too high. I would advise that you don't leave the phone charging for hours at a time unattended. Further note: Most USB power sources (i.e. a computer or powered USB hub) supply between 4.75 and 5.25 VDC. The extra 3/4 of a volt in a 6VDC supply should not harm your device at all. Hope this helps.
Go to eBay and look up "6 volt inverter". They cost $59 bucks(If you find the $99 ones, you're looking at the wrong seller) and you can get them in Pos to Neg, or Neg to Neg flavors. I run my gps and my cell phone from the cigarette lighter plug. ALSO!!! You need to change your 6 volt cig plug to a 12 volt plug from your local FLAPS. The size of the 2 plugs are different and will not allow you to put the wrong element in and burn your ride down. Wire the plug to the always hot side of your ignition switch (or elsewhere) Wire the inverter to your new cigarette lighter and you're good to go.
Aha. The world is slowly crawling back to a 6V standard, as I suspected... Thanks for the details. I have all sorts of mismatched adaptors for various crazy alternative chargers, and have been postponing researching pin-outs and voltage just because a loathe the very idea of a cellphone. This will help me entertain myself with the solar and battery widgets I have started on! Takes me back to the year of college I spent trying to figgerout how to wire in turnsignals with no extra bulb and 7 wire switch...finally figgered it, at a cost of massive brain damage
VoodoooChile, that's very interesting, thanks. Is there any form of current limiting in a normal charger? Would it be safer with some form of regulation in a direct line to the device, also bearing in mind that when running, the 6V generator would presumably be putting out more than 6V?
Hmmm...the Ford instrument panel regulator commonly used as a current drop for instruments drops 12-14 V to somewhere around 5. Now, would it function that way if fed 6 or 7V?? 7 is about what a 6V system is with generator in play.
seams like a lot of messing around for a part time use. in a vehicle that may someday be converted to 12 volt anyway.
Well, the point here is that the messing around is to get 12 V from 6V in order to run a device to reduce 12V to 5V! Almost sounds like something the government would do. Seems like the messing and the actual charger are entirely unnecessary for the goal of charging a phone. I have decided to go to magneto, hand crank, and kerosene lights and charge my cell phone by installing a propeller on a 1956 Scwinn bicycle generator mounted atop the windshield. Cutting edge all the way!
That shouldn't matter...building the charger system is just intellectual sport here, especially with the discovery that no actual charger is going to be needed. The beauty of this is that the annoying actual calls won't reach you through the electrical fog generated by your Packard 440/Rajah ignition system and worn out generator brushes! All that technical fun, and no worries about hrassment through modern media!
Well, keeping the GPS up and running is a worthy result however. It can show your actual speed, which is most likely to be different from the one indicated on that NOS speedometer you just installed.
By the way...several Fordbarn Model A people have reported just using 12V GPS systems in 6V Model A's with no problems. Are these also actuallt 5 volte regulated??
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