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Links: ·DSLR HAM FAQ ·FCC ·MARS ·ARES/RACES ·SKYWARN
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Gbcue
Almost P.E.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8
Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse

Mobile Powered by Cigarette Adapter

Should this even be tried?

I'm thinking of getting a Kenwood TM-V71A

I've got a new car and don't want to drill/run any wires from inside to the battery.

The cigarette adapter is rated for 12V @ 10A, surprisingly.

Thanks!
--
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mitchell

join:2002-06-21
Darlington, SC
Reviews:
·AT&T Southeast

While it may "appear" to be adequate, please don't. Unless you run low power, you may have noise on your signal, both transmitted and receive or other assorted things. I had a friend who was running a d700a that way on medium power and he was always complaining about noise and the other hams complained about hise signal into the repeater (was not grounded properly) along with lower current draw.

Please properly wire your radio....

KO4Lloyd



SmokChsr
Who let the magic smoke out?
Premium
join:2006-03-17
Saint Augustine, FL

reply to Gbcue
While it's rated at 10 Amps, you'll see quite a bit of voltage drop.



accounting

join:2008-02-29
Columbus, OH

reply to Gbcue
I have a 2 meter rig running on the cigarette adapter and it runs fine even on 65 watts with good signal reports... but I guess I just got Lucky maybe.

What would be a better way? Straight to the Battery terminals? I wasn't sure.



drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

reply to Gbcue
Straight-to-the-battery, both red and black leads, has always been advised, and Motorola includes a power lead made for that, and advises it in their manuals.
HOWEVER....I've run numerous radios, from 5 Watt HT's to Motorola Radius -line, from the cigarette lighter socket with no problems. I recently ran an ICom 2200H at 65 Watts from the 12 Volt accessory jack on my Jeep Cherokee, also with no problems.
have I been 'lucky'? Perhaps, but for a temporary solution it probably depends more on the car and its wiring than anything else. My Jeep has the 12 Volt accessory sockets run directly to the battery, with a separate fuse, and it works just fine.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering.



Waldothe3rd
Premium
join:2009-02-16
Sun N Sand

reply to Gbcue
Depends on the quality of the 12v plug you'll be using - the $0.59 ones won't handle the current - If you can get a heavy duty one, it probably will work, but no guarantees.



burner50
Helping Darwin WIN
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
Cowtown
kudos:1

reply to Gbcue
Cigarette lighter? No...

Powerpoint? Yes. I do, good signal reports, and its fused at 35amps from the factory.


mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON

reply to Gbcue
I would recommend against it. Too many unknowns. The plug may be rated to 10 A but the voltage drop as you approach the limit will be significant. The plugs in the cars I've owned are only fed with maybe 18 awg wire.

There is always a way to run your power lines to the battery. If you tell us what kind of car you have we may be able to suggest a possible route.
--
"It's all coming down!!" - Mike Holmes



Gbcue
Almost P.E.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8

2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited V6 4WD.



burner50
Helping Darwin WIN
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
Cowtown
kudos:1
Reviews:
·inmotionhosting

said by Gbcue:

2009 Toyota RAV4 Limited V6 4WD.
»www.radioreference.com/forums/ra···n-forum/

mr weather
Premium
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON

There you go.

I figured someone would find something on Radioreference. There are lots of radio installation threads. Some professional, some... not so much.
--
"It's all coming down!!" - Mike Holmes



burner50
Helping Darwin WIN
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
Cowtown
kudos:1

And as it happens to be GBcue is a member over there



Splitpair
Premium
join:2000-07-29
Cow Towne
kudos:3

1 edit

reply to Gbcue

said by Gbcue:

Should this even be tried?Thanks!
While not with that radio I have used the lighter socket in rentals with mid powered (45 watt) Motorola's and a mag mount antenna without an electrical problem. Now securing the unit inside the car is a different story as retreiving a radio that has just hit the floor using the microphone cord while driving is just not cool.

Wayne

--
If you cannot fix it with a buttset and some beanies you ain't a technician


mattmag
Premium,ExMod 2000-03
join:2000-04-09
NW Illinois
kudos:3

reply to Gbcue


As has been noted, many of the newer vehicles have "power points" that accept the cigarette-lighter plugs are are very much to the task at hand. They employ larger wiring, have wired grounds, and are capable of supplying large loads easily.

The older, actual cigarette lighters themselves though, are marginal at best.



pokesph
It Is Almost Fast
Premium
join:2001-06-25
Sacramento, CA
kudos:1

reply to Splitpair

said by Splitpair:

said by Gbcue:

Should this even be tried?Thanks!
While not with that radio I have used the lighter socket in rentals with mid powered (45 watt) Motorola's and a mag mount antenna without an electrical problem. Now securing the unit inside the car is a different story as retreiving a radio that has just hit the floor using the microphone cord while driving is just not cool.

Wayne

It may not be cool, but it is fun and challenging.. been there, done that many, many times
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»www.1-gb.net
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drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

reply to Splitpair
I've always mounted my "portable mobile" radios on a piece of wood, or a plastic cutting board. That way I have something to strap them in using the seatbelt on either the passenger seat, or the back seat if I have somebody riding shotgun with me.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering.



Gbcue
Almost P.E.
Premium
join:2001-09-30
Santa Rosa, CA
kudos:8
Reviews:
·AT&T U-Verse

said by drjim:

I've always mounted my "portable mobile" radios on a piece of wood, or a plastic cutting board. That way I have something to strap them in using the seatbelt on either the passenger seat, or the back seat if I have somebody riding shotgun with me.
Interesting concept!
--
My BLOG!
Black Friday Ads


drjim
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-13
Long Beach, CA
kudos:3
Reviews:
·Verizon FiOS

Click for full size
The cutting board is actually a little better, as it has an oval hole in one end that I use as a handle to pick up the radio and carry it out the door with me.
I'll post some pix this week of how I have my TM-D710 mounted.
--
One man's Magic is another man's Engineering.


Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT
Reviews:
·Packet8
·Verizon Online DSL
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·STANAPHONE

reply to burner50

said by burner50:

And as it happens to be GBcue is a member over there
Me too


burner50
Helping Darwin WIN
Premium,VIP
join:2002-06-05
Cowtown
kudos:1

Me 3


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