Wiring GPS into a 12V cigarette socket type plug!?

[Zagato]

When wiring a cigarette socket type plug, which way round do you wire in the red PWR & Black GND?

It's not marked or doesn't it matter! Will try and put a pic up... The GPS has an in-line 3 AMP fuse and the plug has an in built 5AMP fuse - does that matter.

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/Zagato07/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg



<a href="http://s620.photobucket.com/user/Zagato07/media/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/Zagato07/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg"/></a>

Oh well can't get a picture up anymore....

 

[Rigger Mortice]

It may not matter, but that depends on your GPS so it's best not to find out the hard way. The centre pin on the plug is usually the positive.

The double fuse doesn't really matter. The 3 amp one will probably blow before the 5 amp. Just check that 3 amp is right for your GPS, it seems a bit high to me.

 

[lustyd]

When wiring a cigarette socket type plug, which way round do you wire in the red PWR & Black GND?

It's not marked or doesn't it matter! Will try and put a pic up... The GPS has an in-line 3 AMP fuse and the plug has an in built 5AMP fuse - does that matter.

http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/Zagato07/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg

The fuse is usually in the tip so I'd expect that to be positive since negative is considered "ground". This also allows "ground" to be made before going live just like with the longer earth pin on mains because the barrel will contact first.

 

[Zagato]

Yes thats what I guessed for positve as it goes through the fuse. Amazing they don't put any instructions in with it. (not sure you can see the picture but it's either the fused tip or the side clips)

 

[TQA]

YES IT MATTERS.

If you need to ask those questions you should do some background reading before doing anything electrical. The 12 Volt Bible for Boats by Nigel Calder is a good start.

I am really serious about this The stored energy in even one 12 volt starting battery is enough to start a fire or weld a spanner to a terminal.

 

[Zagato]

Thanks that's why I am asking on here for a quick answer and wouldn't wire anything up before getting the answer. I won't be doing anything else electrical on the boat so just need a quick answer. I am doing enough learning before I start hitting more books - do you know the answer?

 

[VicS]

Thanks that's why I am asking on here for a quick answer and wouldn't wire anything up before getting the answer. I won't be doing anything else electrical on the boat so just need a quick answer. I am doing enough learning before I start hitting more books - do you know the answer?

The red wire (positive) should go to the centre pin and the black wire ( negative) to the springy clippy things on the side ........... but it would not be a bad idea to check with a multimeter that the polarity of the socket is correct!

With a fuse in the lead close to the plug the one in the plug is superfluous but it is no problem being in there.

I looked at your Photobucket album but I cannot figure why you cannot get pictures posted in the normal way. It seems to be generating a code for clickable thumbnails instead of full sized pictures .. the new forum does not do clickable thumbnails!

 

[Zagato]

Many thanks VicS, yes the photobucket conundrun is low on the list at the moment, was OK a couple of days ago!

 

[VicS]

Tried the links from your Photobucket album on another forum ( running different software)


Your IMG code turns out to be a fullsize clickable link to your album page. You Thumbnail code is OK I think but ... this forum does not accept clickable links.

I reckon you must have been playing with the settings ...... Have you activated the "link back" option ? See Help

 

[VicMallows]

As VicS says, do check your socket is wired correctly . In your case your plug has an LED, so you can check the socket polarity by simply plugging in the plug BEFORE connecting it up . The LED will only light if polarity is correct.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Will try and put a pic up...

<a href="http://s620.photobucket.com/user/Zagato07/media/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i620.photobucket.com/albums/tt283/Zagato07/IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_3084_zps9af07335.jpg"/></a>

Oh well can't get a picture up anymore....

[/url]

This is the bit of code that puts the picture in. You just have to delete everything not in red and add

[/url] at the end.

 

[VicS]

This is the bit of code that puts the picture in. You just have to delete everything not in red and add

[/url] at the end.

He should not have to edit the code. I dont, I just copy the IMG code and paste it in.

 

[VicS]

Tried the links from your Photobucket album on another forum ( running different software)


Your IMG code turns out to be a fullsize clickable link to your album page. You Thumbnail code is OK I think but ... this forum does not accept clickable links.

I reckon you must have been playing with the settings ...... Have you activated the "link back" option ? See Help

Done some experimenting




and that looks to me like the trouble... it is if a pic appears below but not above

 

[Zagato]

As VicS says, do check your socket is wired correctly . In your case your plug has an LED, so you can check the socket polarity by simply plugging in the plug BEFORE connecting it up . The LED will only light if polarity is correct.

Good idea, just tried it in the car socket and all is well - thanks.

 

[Zagato]

Done some experimenting




and that looks to me like the trouble... it is if a pic appears below but not above

Yes just cut & pasted yours VicS and it's fine (your pic below), not sure why mine doesn't work! The disappear I think when I do mine, anyway I'm sure i can fiddle with it to work in future now i know whats missing. It's worth doing, pics brighten up any thread I think.
[IMG]http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f337/Vic43/Miscellaneous/hs1zu.gif

 

[Zagato]

http://s620.photobucket.com/user/Zagato07/media/_42995689_1958series1_zps460a543c.jpg.html[/IMG







Rats something up with this site i think, even when I edit this post, the link shows the URL's etc, I can even copy it but when I paste it back on here it comes up with what you see and no picture. Really odd, how can it change what I copy from this page!

I havn't changed the settings on anything and it was fine a couple of days ago. I did see other people having problems with the new forum but mine still worked OK. Will try a link on another forum.

YEP FINE, works OK on another forum just cut & paste as normal, think someone maybe has changed the settings on this site for me!! Can't see anything I can change...

 

[VicS]

Try this

Open your Pbucket album

Click on your user name ( top RH corner)

Select "User settings" from the drop down list. That will open the "Personal information" page

Select the "Albums" tab

Make sure the boxes are ticked for the links you want to use, including "IMG code"

If the last tick box ( "Link back to albums") is ticked I think that's your problem. Untick it!

SAVE

Now try to post a picture using IMG code

 

[oldharry]

Going back to the original question, the centre contact is always the positive terminal on this type of connector. Keep the fuse, as the most likely place for a short is if the cable is damaged, and the battery is quite capable of starting a fire within a few seconds of a short circuit.

Yes it is VERY important to observe polarity on electronic gear of any kind on a Dc circuit. Some equipment has polarity reverse protection, which means quite simply it will not work if connected in reverse. But if it is not protected it will at best blow polarity sensitive components like ICs, and it will do this instantly. Fuses will not protect against this sort of damage because as soon as an IC or tranistor component blows, it stops passing any more current. A worse case scenario is that it can cause overheating or a fire in the unit, even if the fuses stay intact. I have seen a laptop catch fire because of reversed polarity. It went out again almost immediately once power was disconnected fortunately, but the damage was done. The worst of it is that it is impossible to tell whether or not the unit is polarity protected. There is no Industry Standard practice.

 

[Zagato]

Brilliant thanks Vics not sure how that got changed in my account (never been into settings) and why it worked on other forums not this one - who cares I can get the pics up again

 

[oldbilbo]

Try this....
If the last tick box ( "Link back to albums") is ticked I think that's your problem. Untick it!

Thanks, VicS. That worked for me, too, solving a minor irritant that had appeared in recent days. I'd simply been stripping out the unwanted at the beginning.