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Re: USB charge points [message #365468 is a reply to message #365399] |
Thu, 15 July 2021 19:37 |
boybach
Messages: 566 Registered: December 2020 Location: Vancouver Island
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Well I managed to run the wiring from just under the table support along behind the wall to the door then up and over the door them down the other side to the entrance switch bank where I'll tap into the power.
Luckily found a 50ft spool of 16 gauge wire at St. Vinnie's this morning for $10, so that sure was timely!
Larry - Victoria BC -
1977 ex-Palm Beach "Ol' Leaky" 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot the word NOT. Atwood helium fridge, water heater & furnace. SS exhaust system, Onan, Iota Converter, R134A, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses
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[GMCnet] Re: USB charge points [message #365470 is a reply to message #365399] |
Thu, 15 July 2021 20:45 |
Dave
Messages: 32 Registered: March 2004
Karma: 3
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Here is what I did 10+ years ago...
Use 12V cigarette lighter sockets. They are pretty much universal.
Connect them to the house battery. Dont forget to fuse them properly.
Usually 10Amps for the cheap outlets. 20Amps for the better quality
ones. Look at the ratings to decide what fuse and wire gauge that you
will need. Be sure that the wiring is robust enough to support the
current limited by the fuses. Use a separate ground wire that has the
same wire gauge that you used for the +12v supply wire. Run the
grounds back to the ground bus at the house batteries. Using the
chassis for ground returns (for sensitive electronics or high current
devices) is usually not a good idea.
I installed two outlets under the driver seat base, two outlets under
the passenger seat base, two outlets above the dining area, two
outlets in the headboard in the bedroom and two outlets below the
overhead cabinet at the foot of the bed.
Over the years I have used them for cell phones, laptops, tablets,
fans, electric blankets, inverters, TV's, coolers, air pumps and
probably other stuff that I cant even remember.
My point is to stick with something that is a universal standard and
install it correctly. The USB standards change very quickly. Since I
installed these outlets USB has evolved through USB1.0, USB2.0,
USB3.0, USB3.1, USB3.2, USB-C, USB-4, Thunderbolt-1, Thunderbolt-2,
Thunderbolt-3 and others. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB). All
of these standards have low cost car chargers that will plug into a
standard "12V cigarette lighter socket" outlet. And many other
devices use this "12V cigarette lighter socket" outlet as a power source...
Hope that helps...
Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EbH/RwI/ThH/HEI/TBI/160°/3.42/100A/Q55G)
99 Gillig 36' Low Floor Bus (work in progress)
At 11:45 AM 13/07/2021, you wrote:
> Thinking of fitting some USB connections to charge my devices etc.
>
> At the moment, doing it from the cig lighter with an adapter but
> it's getting pretty crowded/messy with loose cables. Plan is to
> install a group of
> outlets near the salon table or close to kitchen on opposite side, maybe both.
>
> Would it be best to use the starting battery or the house system for
> the power source? Right now, using the cig lighter on the dash, I believe the
> starting battery is powering the adapter.
>
> Larry
> --
> Larry - Victoria BC -
>
> 1977 Palm Beach 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot
> the word NOT. New Atwood fridge, water heater & furnace. New SS exhaust system,
> 6000w Onan, Iota Converter, R134A A/C, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
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Re: [GMCnet] Re: USB charge points [message #365471 is a reply to message #365470] |
Fri, 16 July 2021 10:47 |
boybach
Messages: 566 Registered: December 2020 Location: Vancouver Island
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Dave wrote on Thu, 15 July 2021 18:45Here is what I did 10+ years ago...
Use 12V cigarette lighter sockets. They are pretty much universal.
Connect them to the house battery. Dont forget to fuse them properly.
Usually 10Amps for the cheap outlets. 20Amps for the better quality
ones. Look at the ratings to decide what fuse and wire gauge that you
will need. Be sure that the wiring is robust enough to support the
current limited by the fuses. Use a separate ground wire that has the
same wire gauge that you used for the +12v supply wire. Run the
grounds back to the ground bus at the house batteries. Using the
chassis for ground returns (for sensitive electronics or high current
devices) is usually not a good idea.
I installed two outlets under the driver seat base, two outlets under
the passenger seat base, two outlets above the dining area, two
outlets in the headboard in the bedroom and two outlets below the
overhead cabinet at the foot of the bed.
Over the years I have used them for cell phones, laptops, tablets,
fans, electric blankets, inverters, TV's, coolers, air pumps and
probably other stuff that I cant even remember.
My point is to stick with something that is a universal standard and
install it correctly. The USB standards change very quickly. Since I
installed these outlets USB has evolved through USB1.0, USB2.0,
USB3.0, USB3.1, USB3.2, USB-C, USB-4, Thunderbolt-1, Thunderbolt-2,
Thunderbolt-3 and others. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB). All
of these standards have low cost car chargers that will plug into a
standard "12V cigarette lighter socket" outlet. And many other
devices use this "12V cigarette lighter socket" outlet as a power source...
Hope that helps...
Dave
Ann Arbor, MI.
73 Sequoia (26'/455/EbH/RwI/ThH/HEI/TBI/160°/3.42/100A/Q55G)
99 Gillig 36' Low Floor Bus (work in progress)
Hey Dave, If I had the interior cabinetry or floor/carpet etc out or in flux, I'd consider all sorts of installations and wiring changes, but my coach is sort of finished as much as it's going to be for now, so I can't see how I can run the wiring required to approximate your installation without much dis-assembly. Your fitments sound good, but for my simple needs, the USB connectors will be fine.
I have added one cigarette lighter style combination panel, this one:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07JHH5YP4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
so I will have that additional plug-ability near the entrance if I need to run something like an inflator.
As far as the USB standard changing, well of course it does but there again all I need these ports for are to charge my phone, e-reader, and to run/charge my computer. I'm sure they'll be able to do that for a very long time and as I will NEVER own a piece of Apple technology I have zero need for Thunderbolt ports.
BTW, I do have a Apple-style and newer Android phone USB charging cables on board in case a guest needs to use them.
So for now, the USB ports are going to be it and if indeed they do get deprecated I'll change them out at that time, along with every other device that used to use them too, I suppose!
cheers
Larry
Larry - Victoria BC -
1977 ex-Palm Beach "Ol' Leaky" 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot the word NOT. Atwood helium fridge, water heater & furnace. SS exhaust system, Onan, Iota Converter, R134A, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses
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Re: USB charge points [message #365472 is a reply to message #365399] |
Fri, 16 July 2021 12:35 |
lw8000
Messages: 201 Registered: July 2012 Location: S.E. Michigan
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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Others may correct me on this, but if I remember right, one option to get to the dinette wall is to go down just behind the passenger window behind the panel as there is a channel there. You can also run it across there as there is also a channel between the plastic headliner and the regular roof panel. Once you get down to below the level of the side window, there are small holes in the frame (behind the paneling) to run the wire. But you'll probably have to take off that paneling to get to those small holes easily.
Chris
Chris S. -
77 Kingsley, 3.70 FD, mostly OEM -
S.E. Michigan
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Re: USB charge points [message #365505 is a reply to message #365489] |
Sat, 17 July 2021 21:39 |
boybach
Messages: 566 Registered: December 2020 Location: Vancouver Island
Karma: 4
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Senior Member |
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Christo wrote on Sat, 17 July 2021 09:15I have installed two sets of USB ports at my dinette. The first is a replacement 110vac receptacle with integrated USB ports (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076ZTMM8N/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). The second is a dual USB outlet that’s connected to the 12v feed of the under-cabinet light fixture (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LBLYTST/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1). It’s installed in the bottom of the overhead cabinet.
The 110 receptacle looks good but I need power when drycamping and maybe late at night where I might not be able to have the Onan running ......so I went all 12v house power for my charge points.
I thought about installing in the bottom of the cabinet too ...I might do something like that in the bedroom but for now I have a pair of 2-slot USB sockets, a voltmeter and a master switch mounted on the 4 unit plate I posted earlier. All the components are the same diameter so I swapped out the cig lighter with a second USB component and used the cig socket on a modified vinyl blanking plate under the table support. The installation is fused and switched so the whole thing can be turned off when I don't need it.
Larry
Larry - Victoria BC -
1977 ex-Palm Beach "Ol' Leaky" 40,000 miles, PO said everything working but forgot the word NOT. Atwood helium fridge, water heater & furnace. SS exhaust system, Onan, Iota Converter, R134A, New fuel lines & heat exchange hoses
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