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3-pin 12v socket to cigar lighter adapter?


Tasemu

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Hello! I have purchased my first boat and am moving on shortly. I am currently renting a boat and have accumulated a lot of 12v chargers for various devices which run off cigar chargers. The new boat has 3-pin 12v chargers which are mounted into the wall on square white plastic (similar to 240v sockets). I was hoping someone could point me to a cigar lighter replacement, or even an adapter for the short term. I've been looking but with no luck.

 

Thanks for any and all advice!

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2 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Hello! I have purchased my first boat and am moving on shortly. I am currently renting a boat and have accumulated a lot of 12v chargers for various devices which run off cigar chargers. The new boat has 3-pin 12v chargers which are mounted into the wall on square white plastic (similar to 240v sockets). I was hoping someone could point me to a cigar lighter replacement, or even an adapter for the short term. I've been looking but with no luck.

 

Thanks for any and all advice!

There are several variations of 3-pin sockets used for 12v, some people use the old 5amp  round pin 240v sockets, some use the old round pin 15 amp socket and some use a 3 pin 'flat' blades (not like domestic 230v ones) and some use caravan type 2 pin 'flat blades' from caravan shops.

 

It is simple enough to make up your own adapter - you know which plug / socket it is.

Buy the correct plug, add 12" of 2-core cable, attach a lighter socket on to the end,

 

Or

Get one of these, cut off the lighter plug and attach the 3-pin plug

 

12V-24V-Car-Cigarette-Cigar-Lighter-Extension-Cable-Adapter-Socket-Charger-Cord

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-Car-Cigarette-Cigar-Lighter-Extension-Cable-Adapter-Socket-Charger-Cord/383646501361?hash=item59531d09f1:g:oCYAAOSwnTxfGoDS

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

There are several variations of 3-pin sockets used for 12v, some people use the old 5amp  round pin 240v sockets, some use the old round pin 15 amp socket and some use a 3 pin 'flat' blades (not like domestic 230v ones) and some use caravan type 2 pin 'flat blades' from caravan shops.

 

It is simple enough to make up your own adapter - you know which plug / socket it is.

Buy the correct plug, add 12" of 2-core cable, attach a lighter socket on to the end,

 

Or

Get one of these, cut off the lighter plug and attach the 3-pin plug

 

12V-24V-Car-Cigarette-Cigar-Lighter-Extension-Cable-Adapter-Socket-Charger-Cord

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-Car-Cigarette-Cigar-Lighter-Extension-Cable-Adapter-Socket-Charger-Cord/383646501361?hash=item59531d09f1:g:oCYAAOSwnTxfGoDS

Cheers, that sounds like it would work. Have you seen anywhere selling a cigar socket mounted in a wall blank? just trying to keep everything neat haha. :)

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3 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Cheers, that sounds like it would work. Have you seen anywhere selling a cigar socket mounted in a wall blank? just trying to keep everything neat haha. :)

Do you have the depth behind the panel to accept a cigarette lighter socket?

 

It looks to me as if you can get a wall box blanking plate to drill/file to accept a cigarette lighter socket.

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1 minute ago, Tasemu said:

Cheers, that sounds like it would work. Have you seen anywhere selling a cigar socket mounted in a wall blank? just trying to keep everything neat haha. :)

No.

 

I'd suggest that for 'a few boaters' who want to do 'neat' there is not a sufficiently large market to develop one.

 

You could possibly modify your own by taking a Surface mount blanking plate and fitting one of these :

 

About £3 or £4 each

 

Example for 10x 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10X-Cigarette-Lighter-Distributor-12V-Car-Cigarette-Lighter-Adapter-Socket-X4M7/274436739815?hash=item3fe5b452e7:g:TeIAAOSwNmpfGkc~

 

s-l1600.jpg

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5 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Cheers, that sounds like it would work. Have you seen anywhere selling a cigar socket mounted in a wall blank? just trying to keep everything neat haha. :)

Never seen one, but you could easily make your own.

Buy a blanking plate . Drill a hole in it and fit a lighter socket. Check that there is enough depth behind where it is to go for the lighter socket without it hitting the cabin side.

Already beaten to it by @Tony Brooks and @Alan de Enfield!

Jen

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8 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Do you have the depth behind the panel to accept a cigarette lighter socket?

 

It looks to me as if you can get a wall box blanking plate to drill/file to accept a cigarette lighter socket.

 

8 minutes ago, Alan de Enfield said:

No.

 

I'd suggest that for 'a few boaters' who want to do 'neat' there is not a sufficiently large market to develop one.

 

You could possibly modify your own by taking a Surface mount blanking plate and fitting one of these :

 

About £3 or £4 each

 

Example for 10x 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10X-Cigarette-Lighter-Distributor-12V-Car-Cigarette-Lighter-Adapter-Socket-X4M7/274436739815?hash=item3fe5b452e7:g:TeIAAOSwNmpfGkc~

 

s-l1600.jpg

 

5 minutes ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Never seen one, but you could easily make your own.

Buy a blanking plate . Drill a hole in it and fit a lighter socket. Check that there is enough depth behind where it is to go for the lighter socket without it hitting the cabin side.

Already beaten to it by @Tony Brooks and @Alan de Enfield!

Jen

Excellent, that's what i'll do. I've actually done this already on the boat i'm on. Was just hoping there might be a buyable solution. Wicked, sorted then. Thanks all!

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Nasty cheap things those cigarette lighter sockets even if purchased from reputable outlets. They tend to melt.

 

I would use the 3 pin plug adaptor solution. At least when the socket overheats it will be in full view and not hidden inside the cabin side.

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10 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

 

 

Excellent, that's what i'll do. I've actually done this already on the boat i'm on. Was just hoping there might be a buyable solution. Wicked, sorted then. Thanks all!

 

Take it with you and put the old socket back when you swap boats ...

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11 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Nasty cheap things those cigarette lighter sockets even if purchased from reputable outlets. They tend to melt.

 

I would use the 3 pin plug adaptor solution. At least when the socket overheats it will be in full view and not hidden inside the cabin side.

Agreed they are not as robust as the Din 'lighter sockets' but I've only ever had one melt when I tried to run a 12v fridge via a lighter socket, but with anything under 10 amps they have never got warm. Fine for phone, tablet. VHF etc chargers

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

Agreed they are not as robust as the Din 'lighter sockets' but I've only ever had one melt when I tried to run a 12v fridge via a lighter socket, but with anything under 10 amps they have never got warm. Fine for phone, tablet. VHF etc chargers

I have had problems with computer car type power supplies and a small 12V LED TV. In fact I fitted my car adaptor with a 3 pin plug to solve that problem.

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This is being approached from completely the wrong direction. A 3 pin 5A socket and plug is far more robust and reliable (and neater) than a cigar lighter socket.  Cut off the cigar lighter from the existing devices and replace with a 5A plug (as linked in Post 7).  Check the pins used, and the polarity, before doing so.

2 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

Nasty cheap things those cigarette lighter sockets

Agreed completely.

 

OP already has nice neat 5A socket outlets fitted, Why mess with them?

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9 minutes ago, WotEver said:

This is being approached from completely the wrong direction. A 3 pin 5A socket and plug is far more robust and reliable (and neater) than a cigar lighter socket.  Cut off the cigar lighter from the existing devices and replace with a 5A plug (as linked in Post 7).  Check the pins used, and the polarity, before doing so.

 

OP already has nice neat 5A socket outlets fitted, Why mess with them?

 

 A lot of 12v devices have electronic gubbins in the plug, so if you cut off the plug it might not work anymore!  It's only simpler gadgets where it's only a connector - many contain fuses, or 12v to 5v converters or in some cases the whole "plug" is the entire device eg USB power sockets.

 

I agree that a 5A plug is better for other things that only need 12v + and - but OP needs to check before grabbing the wirecutters.

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1 minute ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

 A lot of 12v devices have electronic gubbins in the plug, so if you cut off the plug it might not work anymore!  It's only simpler gadgets where it's only a connector - many contain fuses, or 12v to 5v converters or in some cases the whole "plug" is the entire device eg USB power sockets.

 

I agree that a 5A plug is better for other things that only need 12v + and - but OP needs to check before grabbing the wirecutters.

it would be a very unusual and odd cigarette lighter socket that had electronics inside them and all we are suggesting is that a CL plug to CCL socket adaptor be cut and the 5A plug fitted.

 

Agreed that a cigarette lighter plug might have some electronics inside it but if the appliance it is attached to say 12V DC input then that is what it is. If it says 5V DC input then I agree, that one cant be cut off

 

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12 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

 

 A lot of 12v devices have electronic gubbins in the plug, so if you cut off the plug it might not work anymore!  It's only simpler gadgets where it's only a connector - many contain fuses, or 12v to 5v converters or in some cases the whole "plug" is the entire device eg USB power sockets.

 

I agree that a 5A plug is better for other things that only need 12v + and - but OP needs to check before grabbing the wirecutters.

Indeed all sorts of 'stuff' built in to plugs these days.

 

My VHF is charged by a USB lead.

The Battery is 7.2v and so the lead 'boosts' the 5v input to 10v Output to charge the VHF (They do a 9v,  10v & 12v versions (probably all the same inside) and one model with a voltage selector - damm clever these Chinese (and only 59p on Ali Express)

 

I also have a cigarette lighter plug that outputs 9v for the VHF

 

s-l1600.jpg

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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Lidl occasionally offer Silvercrest USB/12V chargers/converters. I got one in January. Design seems to vary each time they feature in the 'middle of Lidl' offers. Mine has 2 x 12V 3.4A (max 4.3A) sockets and 3 5v 2.4A USB (max 3.4A) sockets on a lead with a 12v (max 5A) plug. Like you we have the round pin sockets, so I cut off the 12 plug and put a round pin plug on. Can't find a picture and the model number (HG05634A) isn't coming up in any results search.

 

/G

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Here is an example for the main issue i'm having. I have a macbook pro which i charge off a usb-c cable. This cable can plug into a usb-c Anker cigar charger and works great, but I cannot for the life of me find anything that supports charging my macbook with a 3-pin 5a plug. Also my wifi router also runs off a cigar charger, and it definitely has electronics in the plug, its pretty large.

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24 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Here is an example for the main issue i'm having. I have a macbook pro which i charge off a usb-c cable. This cable can plug into a usb-c Anker cigar charger and works great, but I cannot for the life of me find anything that supports charging my macbook with a 3-pin 5a plug. Also my wifi router also runs off a cigar charger, and it definitely has electronics in the plug, its pretty large.

Well no. The market for 12V  3 pin 5A plugs macbook chargers is tiny. Highly unlikely anyone would commercially make exactly what you want, so you are down to home made solutions of some sort to interface it with your boat. Either replacing the 3 pin socket with a fag lighter socket, or making a 3 pin plug to fag lighter socket converter lead. Either solution gets round the electronics in the fag lighter plug problem.

Jen

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39 minutes ago, Tasemu said:

Here is an example for the main issue i'm having. I have a macbook pro which i charge off a usb-c cable. This cable can plug into a usb-c Anker cigar charger and works great, but I cannot for the life of me find anything that supports charging my macbook with a 3-pin 5a plug. Also my wifi router also runs off a cigar charger, and it definitely has electronics in the plug, its pretty large.

Get some usb outlets and wire them into the 12v. Worth asking if you have any 12v devices which aren't converted to usb. Plenty of surface mount usb sockets on eBay. Make sure that they'll deliver 2A in or more.

 

Also, check that they are 5a outlets. There are also 15 a and 2a (and a very rare and old 10 a). It's not obvious from the photo what you have.

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26 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

Get some usb outlets and wire them into the 12v. Worth asking if you have any 12v devices which aren't converted to usb. Plenty of surface mount usb sockets on eBay. Make sure that they'll deliver 2A in or more.

 

Also, check that they are 5a outlets. There are also 15 a and 2a (and a very rare and old 10 a). It's not obvious from the photo what you have.

Would it just be a matter of finding a cable in the wall somehow and snipping it and putting in the new socket? Not too clued up about retrofitting sockets into finished boats... I'd have to take the wall out wouldn't i?

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