Installing electrical outlet

[Bartley]

My son wants to install a cig. lighter type electrical outlet on his Nomad to power his ipod or cellphone. He wants to wire it directly from the battery, and since it's a 12 volt outlet, he thinks he doesn't need to install an inline fuse. I think he should install a 10 amp inline fuse. Who's correct? I know there's many of you electrical geniuses out there and any info. would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[AZSpyder]

Absolutely use a fuse, unless he wants to see just how much energy a battery can put into a short. If something should short or overload the outlet the heat on the wire can get hot enough to damage steel, melt plastic or just start a fire and let the gas in the tank finish the work. Fuses are cheap.

Also keep the fuse as close to the battery as possible. Any wire between the battery and fuse would not be protected. It is very important that any direct battery side wire be well protected from damage.

Jerry

[flb_78]

Absolutely use a fuse, unless he wants to see just how much energy a battery can put into a short. If something should short or overload the outlet the heat on the wire can get hot enough to damage steel, melt plastic or just start a fire and let the gas in the tank finish the work. Fuses are cheap.

Also keep the fuse as close to the battery as possible. Any wire between the battery and fuse would not be protected. It is very important that any direct battery side wire be well protected from damage.

Jerry

 

 

+1

 

he NEEDS to put a fuse in it, if it shorts out and the insurance company determines that he installed it wrong (without a fuse), they can deny payment. Just 12 volts, huh, have him take a piece of wire and jump any 12 volt battery and he how long he can hold onto it.

[Bartley]

Fuse it will be. Thanks guys!

[BOO]

Fuse it! I don't think the Ipod can handle all the power his battery has in it.

A lot of the Ham Radio guys I know fuse both wires, the hot and the ground, one in each of course.

Jerry

[Tartan Terror]

Here you go.

http://powerlet.net/products.php?mid=1

[flb_78]

Fuse it! I don't think the Ipod can handle all the power his battery has in it.

 

A lot of the Ham Radio guys I know fuse both wires, the hot and the ground, one in each of course.

 

Jerry

 

 

yep, my Icom Dual Bander has a Fuse on the Positive and Negative sides fer JUST IN CASE...Lil bit of overkill if you ask me.

[cowpuc]

IMHO, the correct way to wire the 12VDC lighter/power source would be off your fuse panel, there should be an ACC terminal that only works when your key is on. You then would wire the plug on the load side of the fuse in the panel. If this is already used or not available and he really wants to wire directly off the battery then indeed, he should fuse it close to the battery terminal itself. The "plug" should be fused to its capacity (probably 10 amps) so if someone plugs something in other then an Ipod (spot light, cigarette lighter ect..) it will operate like it should.. He then should fuse his Ipod line at the Ipods rated wattage to protect it (it probably already is).. General rule of thumb is that circuits (in this case the plug is the circuit) are fused to protect themselves not the devices operating on them, devices (the Ipod) are fused (or should be) to protect themselves.. This way everything gets protected.

I was a machine tool electrician years ago and did a ton of panel work. Everything from 3 phase high volt to installs on servo drives and p.c.'s, lots of control wiring.. I have never heard of fusing negatives, neutrals or grounds.. About the closes my pea brain can imagine something even remotely related to that practice would be ground fault - where the grounding system senses even a slight current and it,like a fuse, kicks out.. If thats what your after your gonna need something other then a normal fuse to accomplish the task..

ANother something to remember is that amperage is not being forced into the Ipod, thats not the way it works. The device (Ipod) takes what it needs and any available amperage left over is just that - left over and available for other devices.. VOLTAGE is the force, the PUSH as it were.. Unlike amperage, high voltage will instantly destroy the internals of his Ipod. THink of it like this,, you can take a little 1157 tail light bulb out of your car, take a small 12volt 3 amp battery out of a moped and lite the bulb with it.. YOu can also take a 12volt 25000 amp farm battery and do the same thing in the same way.. Now, take 10 little watch batterys that are 3 volts each and stack em on top of each other (in series) and your voltage from positive to negative will be 30 volts (still very low amperage available though - less then an amp). Now attach that 1157 to those little watch batteries and POOF - no more filment in that bulb!!

My 2 cents

'Puc

[GeorgeS]

Fuse, and connect to a Switched source, NOT DIRECT TO BATTERY !!!