12 volt residential outlets

[Shadow Catcher]

I do not have room for the big plate so I bought a number of the little metal plates/holders and made my own. I needed an outlet in the galley area to plug in the Waeco refer and quite frankly I have run out of places to put switches and plugs I needed a 120 switch for the heating element in the hot water tank and I needed the 12V outlet so I bought a plain plastic outlet box cover and drilled the hole for the switch and carved out the opening for the PowerPole. I bought a package of 50 power poles 25 red 25 black and since have bought more.
One of the side issues is that it makes it a bit less attractive for items to be "borrowed" when they have a funny looking connector

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Have you looked at the DC plugs and sockets that are used on trolling motors? Check out the Marinco catalog. It's available as a free PDF download from their website.

Regards
John

[H.A.]

[q
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[Engineer Guy]

Look at the +12 VDC Output on a Honda Generator and consider using that Receptacle. They're inherently polarized, and can't be connected wrong. The 2 slots are like 'Cat's Eyes', and each one is on a ~45 degree slant.

At the Big Box Stores, there's a Modular Receptacle System that can capture Electrical, Audio/Video and Phone Outlets in square, standardized Face Plates. Thus, you can mix-and-match what Outlets coexist in a Plate. I suspect you'll find that the Cat's Eye Receptacle mentioned above is also this standard square cutout form factor. So, you could put 2 of them together in one of these Modular Faceplates, etc.. Or, you could mix-and-match and have a USB Receptacle in one space.

[eamarquardt]

Look at the +12 VDC Output on a Honda Generator and consider using that Receptacle. They're inherently polarized, and can't be connected wrong. The 2 slots are like 'Cat's Eyes', and each one is on a ~45 degree slant.

At the Big Box Stores, there's a Modular Receptacle System that can capture Electrical, Audio/Video and Phone Outlets in square, standardized Face Plates. Thus, you can mix-and-match what Outlets coexist in a Plate. I suspect you'll find that the Cat's Eye Receptacle mentioned above is also this standard square cutout form factor. So, you could put 2 of them together in one of these Modular Faceplates, etc.. Or, you could mix-and-match and have a USB Receptacle in one space.

I've been unable to find a plug to fit the Honda short of going to a Honda dealer. If anyone has a source or link I'd appreciate it being posted. Around here, power pole connectors are about as close to a "standard" for 12 volts connectors with amateur radio operators as there is. The power pole connectors aren't really that expensive (IMHO), there are a couple of options for permanently mounting them from cheap to realitively expensive.

Here is a link to a fairly inexpensive clip that would allow one, with a bit of effort, to mount power poles in any piece of thin material.

http://www.powerwerx.com/powerpole-acce ... p-set.html

If one were so inclined, they could be duplicated w/o much effort.

All of the power pole doo dads one needs can be found on that site.

As we've discussed in the past, cigarette plugs/sockets are not a great design, particularly for higher currents. The power pole connectors are a much better design and choice.

However, at the self service junkyard one can pull nice cigarette lighter sockets for little expense and quality plugs are about $5. Perhaps a combination of PP and cigarette plugs/sockets for the best of both worlds.

Spending a little extra once, IMHO, beats frustration on a recurring basis.

Cheers,

Gus

[bobhenry]

I really like this setup It is a type "E" foreign outlet.




That begs another question is there a need or even a good reason to provide a auxilary ground for the 12 volt over and above the
ground ( negative) side as this outlet has

This style outlet is also offered in a 2 pin without ground.

[Engineer Guy]

Gus raises an excellent point re: matching Plug availability. It's not a good option if one 'side' of the connection is not readily available! The 'Cat's Eye' Receptacle/Plug is all over Asia, but we're not in Asia.

Personally, I like the HD Plugs listed above; I just wanted to toss out other options. I built Pro Sound Systems, and always went 'overboard' on Connectors and on everything being Idiot Proof. I tested my own Designs.

In Manufacturing here for 'rest of World', I often ran into the Euro Plug that Bob Henry references. They're 'the standard' throughout Europe and S. America in my Int'l Travels, and carry 240 VAC 'ordinary' Wall Voltage. 120 VAC [or 100 VAC in Japan] is the 'odd' Wall Voltage Worldwide. 240 VAC is far more typical. It allows for ~1/2 the amperage on a Circuit to supply the same wattage to, say, a Toaster.

Be careful to get a Plug version that's polarized, and cannot be connected 'backwards'. Being meant to carry AC, the typical Euro Plug is not polarized; it doesn't matter. Thus, even if not connected, the version with 3rd Pin Ground would be good to prevent wrong connections.

There are small, round Twist Loks at the Big Box Stores. The intrinsically-polarized Plug diameter is about like a Half Dollar Coin, and has strain relief. In terms of availability, it might be an option once you're going with anything non-Cig Lighter 'standard'. And, the Plug Blades have plenty of surface area to avoid overheating; the main problem causing me to dislike Cig Lighter Plugs originally designed only for intermittent use [lighting Cigs].

Worldwide Electrical Info

[eamarquardt]

That begs another question is there a need or even a good reason to provide a auxilary ground for the 12 volt over and above the
ground ( negative) side as this outlet has

As the only place for the "juice" to return to is the negative pole of the battery, a ground is not required on DC circuits and would serve no useful purpose if one were provided.

Cheers,

Gus

[Breytie]

I'll most probably be dragged to the firing squad for this, but I use RCA (line audio) connectors for most of my 12V load side connections. The cheap plastic bodied type includes inline males and females that can be massaged into cold or hot side duty on panels too. Males must never be used in situations where they may become hot (live) else bad short circuits could happen should they touch anything metal. Neither would I trust them at more than 1A.

Long time ago a found a bunch of polarized speaker connectors rated at (I think) 5A. One flat and one round pin makes sure things stay correctly polarized. I know there are some hefty coaxial speaker connections out there but they are quite pricey.

Polyfuses (self resetting solid-state fuses) are fitted to each supply point to cut supply if 1A is exceeded. Some outlets get 3A polyfuses so I can run heavier loads.

Normal 0.5mm2 (sorry don't know the gauge) ripcord carry the juice to where it will do the job on 1A ports and 1.5mm2 for the 3A loads.

I hope this gives some ideas.

[zipz71]

Shadow Catcher

Do you need to use their crimping tool for the powerpole connectors?

[Shadow Catcher]

Jeff
the 30/40 connectors can be crimped easily but I prefer soldering.

Bob
I just picked up a one port wall plate a Home Depot for $.67 which fits PP's perfectly using either the small metal plates or you could glue them.

[pmowers]

A friend has a Featherlite TT which has what we originally thought were headphone jacks on the reading lights. Turns out that they are actually for 12 V fans that can be mounted and plugged in through the jacks. I am actually thinking about doing that as they can be discrete, are not terribly expensive, plates are easily available and the connections seem heavy enough to handle some serious current.

Just a thought.

[BC Dave]

I really like this setup It is a type "E" foreign outlet.




That begs another question is there a need or even a good reason to provide a auxilary ground for the 12 volt over and above the
ground ( negative) side as this outlet has

This style outlet is also offered in a 2 pin without ground.

Iv seen some like this in marine stores; it may be an older application; but the round style plugs are also in some overseas electrical systems; so see if you can source something from overseas suppliers;

there has to be; isnt here a 12V standard plug????

[eamarquardt]

Jeff
the 30/40 connectors can be crimped easily but I prefer soldering.

I have found that with connections that will be flexing a bit when used that crimps hold up better over time than soldered connections. The soldered wires tend to break where the crimped connections still have the wired stranded and the wire is better able to flex w/o breaking.

I think it is money well spent to invest in a high quality ratcheting crimper versus the inexpensive ones.

Cheers,

Gus

[CarlLaFong]

I wonder if audio jacks would work well as plugs for DC use. They are readily available and the gold plated ones are pretty high quality, as a rule.