ColinR
Well-Known Member
I'm buying a new chartplotter and want to set it up at home so I can play with it. What's the easiest way to rig up a 12v supply? A small transformer? Any suggestions? Thanks, Colin
12v DC supply at home
- Thread starter ColinR
- Start date
europe172
Well-Known Member
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Car battery and crocodile clips? Or there are a squillion 12V power supplies on eBay - just search "12V 5A power supply" replacing "5A" with whatever current your chartplotter draws.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Do you have a cordless drill ? Is it 12 - 14.4V ?
You only need a low ampage power supply .. but regulated to anywhere between 12 and 14.4V .... the adaptor that you may have to power your battery charger should be enough.
Me - being an RC modeller ... I have loads of 3S LiPo batterys and I made an adaptor lead to power my plotter from any of my LiPo's.
You only need a low ampage power supply .. but regulated to anywhere between 12 and 14.4V .... the adaptor that you may have to power your battery charger should be enough.
Me - being an RC modeller ... I have loads of 3S LiPo batterys and I made an adaptor lead to power my plotter from any of my LiPo's.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
I suggest NOT to use a Car battery Charger .... in fact I know various electronics mention specifically not to use.
The 5A is not an issue as the unit will draw the ampage it needs and should be well under the 5A ...
Hydrozoan
Well-Known Member
When the service man says the burglar alarm battery (12V 7Ah sealed lead acid ) needs renewing, there's always life left in it and I keep the old one charged up for testing purposes. (e.g. Yuasa NP7-12 Battery 12v 7Ah Battery | Hardwarexpress)
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
I agree.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Tks ...
car battery .. 12v house alarm SLA battery ..... 8 cell NiCd / NiMh pack .... model railway / scalectrix car race power supplies .... so many 12v sources ..... just a matter of making the connections.
Ink
Well-Known Member
Take a wander down to the nearest marina/Harbour master and ask what they use in the office for their VHF.
Ink
Ink
Pye_End
Well-Known Member
I use the last tired 12v battery that came out of the boat.
Laysula
Well-Known Member
Take the battery out of the wife's car 
LadyInBed
Well-Known Member
I have numerous old mains chargers laying around the house, some of which are 12v. The important thing is to get the polarity right.
A lot of new kit will accept 12 or 24v input, often a range between about 10 and 28v.
A lot of new kit will accept 12 or 24v input, often a range between about 10 and 28v.
Moodysailor
Well-Known Member
I did exactly the same and bought one of these. For the price of the MFD, £6 on a regulated power supply was a safer bet than trying to rig up a drill battery or risk blowing it up with an unregulated charger.
12v power supply
12v power supply
ColinR
Well-Known Member
good advice, thanks all.
KompetentKrew
Well-Known Member
Make sure you know or disable the locking code first!Take the battery out of the wife's car
alan_d
Well-Known Member
When I wanted to try a new chartplotter at home I put a cigar-lighter type plug on it and then used the equivalent socket on my jump starter.
RichardS
N/A
So do I.
Anything that might only be partially regulated AC is best avoided although the chartplotter should be well protected. However, a 12V DC source is the safest.
Richard
PCUK
Well-Known Member
He didn't say battery CHARGER!
penberth3
Well-Known Member
No, but everybody has one. It's an easy source of 12V DC but not a clean DC and it might fry electronics. Surely worth pointing that out?
Rhylsailer99
Well-Known Member
xbox 360 power pack