Where do you plug in your 12 Volt Stuff on E35-3
- Thread starter Doug177
- Start date
"More Power"
Back in the 80's when both of our boats left the EY factory, lots of makes and models did not even have a 12 "lighter" outlet. I added one to my boat a decade ago.
After spending over a month cruising and living aboard in 2014, I got tired of the limitations of having to plug an inverter into that socket just to get a source of USB power for our phones and also limited 110 volt AC for the shaver charger and the computer when under way.
Last year I added a second 12 volt outlet and a separate dedicated USB double outlet.
The small appliances will still need the small inverter, but this adds more power options.
All these are wired off the Access. circuit breaker on the panel - that breaker also powers several fans.
(When three of us delivered our boat up and down the Washington coast, we had quite a few phones and power for the MacBook daisy-chained off of that one poor 12 volt outlet...)
So it's not likely that you have much of a way to "plug in stuff" when under way... or perhaps there is a single 12 plug and you have not found it yet.
OTOH, if you have $$$ to spare, a hard-wired inverter will help a lot. I did a delivery a couple years ago on larger newer boat with one and all of the AC outlets were usable when under way. That boat was ten years old, but did not have any stock USB ports, however.
Oh well... in another decade, visitors will ask where your "USB-5" port is located!
Or, your Firewire-4 port......
:nerd:
Cheers,
Loren
Back in the 80's when both of our boats left the EY factory, lots of makes and models did not even have a 12 "lighter" outlet. I added one to my boat a decade ago.
After spending over a month cruising and living aboard in 2014, I got tired of the limitations of having to plug an inverter into that socket just to get a source of USB power for our phones and also limited 110 volt AC for the shaver charger and the computer when under way.
Last year I added a second 12 volt outlet and a separate dedicated USB double outlet.
The small appliances will still need the small inverter, but this adds more power options.
All these are wired off the Access. circuit breaker on the panel - that breaker also powers several fans.
(When three of us delivered our boat up and down the Washington coast, we had quite a few phones and power for the MacBook daisy-chained off of that one poor 12 volt outlet...)
So it's not likely that you have much of a way to "plug in stuff" when under way... or perhaps there is a single 12 plug and you have not found it yet.
OTOH, if you have $$$ to spare, a hard-wired inverter will help a lot. I did a delivery a couple years ago on larger newer boat with one and all of the AC outlets were usable when under way. That boat was ten years old, but did not have any stock USB ports, however.
Oh well... in another decade, visitors will ask where your "USB-5" port is located!
Or, your Firewire-4 port......
:nerd:
Cheers,
Loren
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I don't know if "cigar lighters" were standard, but they're cheap and easy to install and you'll probably like to have more than one. Just wire to a circuit breaker. With a small inverter they come in handy for many battery needs.
These days everybody who comes aboard pulls out their iphone and starts looking around for the charger. What? You only can charge four at once?
These days everybody who comes aboard pulls out their iphone and starts looking around for the charger. What? You only can charge four at once?
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12v receptacles, E35-3
I have two 12V outlets on my E-35, both starboard:
The first forward of the galley on the bulkhead above the small icebox. This is the bulkhead that backs into the "wine cellar" and keeps me from lifting out the 12 bottle wine rack in favor of more pragmatic uses. Btw, the wine rack hole sizes vary to support both bordeaux and tuscany bottle shapes. Pragmatic indeed...
The second is in the v-berth on the forward side of the hanging locker next to the 110 ac outlets. I could use about four more but presume these are original to the boat due to the appearance of the plates and covers. They are controlled by the "acces." breaker on the electrical panel. The kits for adding outlets are in a nearby locker...somewhere...
I also carry a very small 12000 mAH battery for jumpstarting and iPad charging. 12 AH is compact and only charges my iPad 2 to about 65% or so per use. Since the iPad has NavX and iAIS I'm pretty fond of keeping it charged. The tiny brick battery is alleged to be able to jump start a diesel engine but I haven't put it to the test...yet.
Personally I'd put personal use stewardship back on the personal owners "are you still getting a signal?" but that's just me. There are a multitude of small usb appliances that suit this purpose. Besides, I need you to "steer toward the rock over there that looks like an elephant...let me know when you're about ready to hit it with the boat and we'll ready about."
That and "looking out toward the horizon will keep you from getting sea sick. Keep a good watch out for whales, and don't puke on your shoes."
But I digress. The correct jeopardy answer is "what is two?"
Max
September Sun
ERY35240D686
I have two 12V outlets on my E-35, both starboard:
The first forward of the galley on the bulkhead above the small icebox. This is the bulkhead that backs into the "wine cellar" and keeps me from lifting out the 12 bottle wine rack in favor of more pragmatic uses. Btw, the wine rack hole sizes vary to support both bordeaux and tuscany bottle shapes. Pragmatic indeed...
The second is in the v-berth on the forward side of the hanging locker next to the 110 ac outlets. I could use about four more but presume these are original to the boat due to the appearance of the plates and covers. They are controlled by the "acces." breaker on the electrical panel. The kits for adding outlets are in a nearby locker...somewhere...
I also carry a very small 12000 mAH battery for jumpstarting and iPad charging. 12 AH is compact and only charges my iPad 2 to about 65% or so per use. Since the iPad has NavX and iAIS I'm pretty fond of keeping it charged. The tiny brick battery is alleged to be able to jump start a diesel engine but I haven't put it to the test...yet.
Personally I'd put personal use stewardship back on the personal owners "are you still getting a signal?" but that's just me. There are a multitude of small usb appliances that suit this purpose. Besides, I need you to "steer toward the rock over there that looks like an elephant...let me know when you're about ready to hit it with the boat and we'll ready about."
That and "looking out toward the horizon will keep you from getting sea sick. Keep a good watch out for whales, and don't puke on your shoes."
But I digress. The correct jeopardy answer is "what is two?"
Max
September Sun
ERY35240D686
P.S. if I may add...
...it is a bad idea to use a 12v plug-in inverter on a boat. Over time one is likely to melt the receptacle or the appliance or possibly hot glue the two together. A wiser solution is, as recommended by others, to hard wire an inverter into your 12v system.
IMHO, JM2CW...
Max
September Sun
ERY35240D686
...it is a bad idea to use a 12v plug-in inverter on a boat. Over time one is likely to melt the receptacle or the appliance or possibly hot glue the two together. A wiser solution is, as recommended by others, to hard wire an inverter into your 12v system.
IMHO, JM2CW...
Max
September Sun
ERY35240D686
Frank Langer
1984 Ericson 30+, Nanaimo, BC
We had a Heart Freedom 1,000 watt inverter on our E30+ which allowed us to operate computers, small electric appliances and charge cell phones when away from shore power. After 15 years it burnt out when we plugged our shore power cord into a dock outlet with a GFCI, which apparently burns out inverters at times
As a new inverter would cost about $1,800, we decided that we could do without the small appliances but we did need some way to charge our cell phones while underway. So I installed a 12 volt cigarette plug in with USB capability so we can charge our phones off the batteries easily.
This seems like a good solution for us without spending megabucks on an inverter. We'll see how it works in the next year as we adjust. However, this would not work for someone who wants to plug in a tv, coffee maker, computer, electric drill, etc.
But sometimes simple is better on a sailboat!
Frank
As a new inverter would cost about $1,800, we decided that we could do without the small appliances but we did need some way to charge our cell phones while underway. So I installed a 12 volt cigarette plug in with USB capability so we can charge our phones off the batteries easily.
This seems like a good solution for us without spending megabucks on an inverter. We'll see how it works in the next year as we adjust. However, this would not work for someone who wants to plug in a tv, coffee maker, computer, electric drill, etc.
But sometimes simple is better on a sailboat!
Frank
Doug177
Member III
A Couple of these and my Tripp 12volt Inverter from the truck maybe?
I can see it might be time to get creative. Shaver? Loren...my wife would like that. I WILL order a 4 outlet splitter to plug into the one lighter socket for the young-ins. So maybe one in the nav station and one up front in the head or owners (private?) bunk area. Maybe a USB splitter too.
I will have an old notebook running OpenCPN with a USB GPS puck for sophisticated chart plotter navigation plus all those cell phones with their GPS's.
Bringing the new boat home is only a couple hundred miles down from Escanaba and across Lake Michigan to Muskegon in the early/foggy Spring. What could go wrong? Oh yes, I invested in a new VHF with AIS (receive and plot and warn) with DSC and GPS too. One of those new Standard Horizon GX2200 jobs (VHF's have come a long way) Those 1000 ft ore carriers are few and far between, but they don't stop easily.
I will have to see how much power my inverter has. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Doug
E35-3 (1987)(#250)
Svenska Flicka
I can see it might be time to get creative. Shaver? Loren...my wife would like that. I WILL order a 4 outlet splitter to plug into the one lighter socket for the young-ins. So maybe one in the nav station and one up front in the head or owners (private?) bunk area. Maybe a USB splitter too.
I will have an old notebook running OpenCPN with a USB GPS puck for sophisticated chart plotter navigation plus all those cell phones with their GPS's.
Bringing the new boat home is only a couple hundred miles down from Escanaba and across Lake Michigan to Muskegon in the early/foggy Spring. What could go wrong? Oh yes, I invested in a new VHF with AIS (receive and plot and warn) with DSC and GPS too. One of those new Standard Horizon GX2200 jobs (VHF's have come a long way) Those 1000 ft ore carriers are few and far between, but they don't stop easily.
I will have to see how much power my inverter has. Thanks for all the great ideas.
Doug
E35-3 (1987)(#250)
Svenska Flicka
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I am not sure what's going on with your attachment process either.
What OS do you use and what image app are you using?
(we have two almost-current versions of OSX on two different Mac's and nowadays just use the baked-in Preview app for everyday image stuff.)
There is info in the FAQ.
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/faq.php?faq=vb3_reading_posting#faq_vb3_attachments
The site's attachment function seems a bit tricky, IMHO, until you have used it several times.
Christian wrote up an excellent article on this --
http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoex...Photos-to-a-Forum-Message&highlight=uploading
Regards,
Loren
ps: given that Sean started this site in his WinOS days, and later switched to a Mac, I do not believe that your OS is at fault. :nerd:
pps: that is a great looking outlet device, as long as you do not mind boring three holes in your teak!
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The workaround, when you see doubled pictures, is to go back and delete the photo in the edit field. Usually this leaves only one set of photos.
The problem is the vBulletin forum software, which is behind on the next version, which we are told will be 2.4--someday.
Sean, the site owner, reverted to 2.2 because 2.3 proved a disaster worldwide.
Nobody more impatient on this issue than me. I type slowly, so as not to overstress the program.
The problem is the vBulletin forum software, which is behind on the next version, which we are told will be 2.4--someday.
Sean, the site owner, reverted to 2.2 because 2.3 proved a disaster worldwide.
Nobody more impatient on this issue than me. I type slowly, so as not to overstress the program.
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Electricians recommend that GFCI's be replaced periodically. That means every 5-7 years in your house. The same parts are used in your boat. Also that cigarette lighter is designed for your car. None of these applications are designed for the salty marine environment that most of our boats sit in. That said, My GFCI was put in the 34 probably around 1492. The cigarette lighter may be slightly newer. I have a new GFCI and lighter plug kicking around the garage. They have been doing this for about the last two years. Perhaps the priority needs to be increased. Also all of the plugs probably should be replaced in our boats at the same time. The expense is minor. The peace of mind is high. 
Regarding inverters, I would like to hear reasons why it is unsafe or undesirable to use a $10 plug-in inverter to charge 110 cables for a laptop, camera battery or smartphone.
woolamaloo
Member III
No 12V plugs onboard
Adding 12V plugs is one of the projects on my list. Besides needing it for phone charging, I was given a great 12V spotlight. I'm not eager to cut several holes anywhere so I'm going to use this:
It's $8 here: http://www.powerwerx.com/batteries-chargers/triple-panel-mounting-pod.html
Along with these three devices http://www.amazon.com/Leegoal-Digital-Voltmeter-Power-Socket/dp/B00WLFU7QY/ and a fuse, it's going to be a pretty straight forward installation.
Jim
Woolamaloo
1985 E30+ Hull #685
Adding 12V plugs is one of the projects on my list. Besides needing it for phone charging, I was given a great 12V spotlight. I'm not eager to cut several holes anywhere so I'm going to use this:
It's $8 here: http://www.powerwerx.com/batteries-chargers/triple-panel-mounting-pod.html
Along with these three devices http://www.amazon.com/Leegoal-Digital-Voltmeter-Power-Socket/dp/B00WLFU7QY/ and a fuse, it's going to be a pretty straight forward installation.
Jim
Woolamaloo
1985 E30+ Hull #685
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Laptop charging - Direct from DC power
I've been looking for ways to reduce power consumption, and thought this gadget would help avoid the inefficiencies and potential danger of using an inverter for the laptop. This powers it directly from DC, and has a 2.1A USB port as well. I've tried this so far in my car on my 90W laptop running every possible accessory at full brightness. No issues, but haven't measured actual amp draw on it yet. There's other things you can do to save power on a laptop as well: Reducing screen brightness, turning off the wireless radio and/or network interface, and using solid state drives have all significantly reduced power consumption on my laptop (at least on AC).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012FREMNG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I did the same with a seven year old 40W eeePC, which I think is probably the better choice. With a solid state drive and fresh install of Windows XP, Open CPN runs just fine on it....a little slower than my regular laptop, but about the same as the Raymarine chartplotter in the cockpit.
I've been looking for ways to reduce power consumption, and thought this gadget would help avoid the inefficiencies and potential danger of using an inverter for the laptop. This powers it directly from DC, and has a 2.1A USB port as well. I've tried this so far in my car on my 90W laptop running every possible accessory at full brightness. No issues, but haven't measured actual amp draw on it yet. There's other things you can do to save power on a laptop as well: Reducing screen brightness, turning off the wireless radio and/or network interface, and using solid state drives have all significantly reduced power consumption on my laptop (at least on AC).
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B012FREMNG?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00
I did the same with a seven year old 40W eeePC, which I think is probably the better choice. With a solid state drive and fresh install of Windows XP, Open CPN runs just fine on it....a little slower than my regular laptop, but about the same as the Raymarine chartplotter in the cockpit.
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I think I will add a couple more 12V outlets, near each bunk. (I thought I was being "forward-thinking" by putting one at the nav station and a waterproof one by the cockpit instruments.)
One thing I've found is that the cigarette-lighter-insert type of USB adapter doesn't always fit very securely. A small easily-overlooked LED is the only indicator of whether your device is charging or actually running down its battery. So the next iteration will have dedicated USB plugs.
One more problem... I have USB bulkhead sockets that carry data from the AIS to the laptop, and the iThings to the stereo. I don't think these ports supply power, but they could easily be mistaken.
Oh, and re: the handheld spotlight. The one I have (way pre-LED) is so hefty that you need to be sure the wiring and fusing is up to it. It pops the fuses on my farm quad, so I wired up the cockpit in the boat for it. However, in use, it tends to light up the shrouds and the life-lines, which blinds the helmsman, and you run in to whatever it was you were trying to avoid anyway
One thing I've found is that the cigarette-lighter-insert type of USB adapter doesn't always fit very securely. A small easily-overlooked LED is the only indicator of whether your device is charging or actually running down its battery. So the next iteration will have dedicated USB plugs.
One more problem... I have USB bulkhead sockets that carry data from the AIS to the laptop, and the iThings to the stereo. I don't think these ports supply power, but they could easily be mistaken.
Oh, and re: the handheld spotlight. The one I have (way pre-LED) is so hefty that you need to be sure the wiring and fusing is up to it. It pops the fuses on my farm quad, so I wired up the cockpit in the boat for it. However, in use, it tends to light up the shrouds and the life-lines, which blinds the helmsman, and you run in to whatever it was you were trying to avoid anyway
supersailor
Contributing Partner
Ericsons are way under batteried for inverters. The power draw for most inverters is very high and the battery bank very small. If you want a hardwired inverter for the "conveniences", start thinking about where to put a real battery bank or become used to low batteries and short battery life.
markvone
Sustaining Member
Blue Sea Systems 12vdc outlets
I added 3 12vdc "cigar" outlets sold by Blue Sea at the Nav Station when I re-wired the boat one winter. This board originally held a weather fax but I re-purposed it for the new stereo and then I had the thought to add one outlet to charge my handheld. The teak board spans between two shelves just aft of the Nav station. Once I decided to add the side panel to hide the stereo wiring, I realized two more outlets would be useful. It also happens to share a bulkhead with the back of the 12vdc power panel -BONUS! I wired all 3 outlets up to an unused breaker on my aux 12vdc panel.
I don't have any specific USB outlets or needed any outlets in any other part of the boat (yet).
Mark
I added 3 12vdc "cigar" outlets sold by Blue Sea at the Nav Station when I re-wired the boat one winter. This board originally held a weather fax but I re-purposed it for the new stereo and then I had the thought to add one outlet to charge my handheld. The teak board spans between two shelves just aft of the Nav station. Once I decided to add the side panel to hide the stereo wiring, I realized two more outlets would be useful. It also happens to share a bulkhead with the back of the 12vdc power panel -BONUS! I wired all 3 outlets up to an unused breaker on my aux 12vdc panel.
I don't have any specific USB outlets or needed any outlets in any other part of the boat (yet).
Mark
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Alan's links (above) are great info. Essentially, a $10 cigar-lighter plug-in inverter is underwired for its potential, may not trip the breaker if it fails, and has an unreliable internal fuse.
Of course, I haven't been on a boat without one in years, used one every day for 48 days on Thelonious to charge a laptop, and the new E38 came with SIX.
However, they're simply not good practice, even for iPhones (it says here).
.
Maine Sail's solution is easy: use a USB insert, not an inverter:
f you want a high quality long life USB insert, that actually works, consider the SCOSCHE USBC242M. This model, and it's 10W predecessor, have proven to be the most reliable USB inserts I have come across. The SCOSCHE USBC242M can charge two iPad Air's simultaneously at virtually the same speed as your 120V Apple wall charger. Amazon Prime usually has them for $11.50.
More on this in the links above.
Of course, I haven't been on a boat without one in years, used one every day for 48 days on Thelonious to charge a laptop, and the new E38 came with SIX.
However, they're simply not good practice, even for iPhones (it says here).
.
Maine Sail's solution is easy: use a USB insert, not an inverter:
f you want a high quality long life USB insert, that actually works, consider the SCOSCHE USBC242M. This model, and it's 10W predecessor, have proven to be the most reliable USB inserts I have come across. The SCOSCHE USBC242M can charge two iPad Air's simultaneously at virtually the same speed as your 120V Apple wall charger. Amazon Prime usually has them for $11.50.
More on this in the links above.
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Ah, yes. But switching to USB power is step two of that process. Step one is giving up the laptop in favor of a tablet.
Which I'm in the process of doing, since the (wifi/bluetooth) radio card in my old macbook appears to be dead. iPad air with a 3rd-party keyboard/cover goes a couple of days on a charge, as opposed to a couple of hours for the laptop. I haven't got it actually talking to the boat yet. And I'm still not fully comfortable with storing most of my data "in the cloud." Where is "the cloud" when you get off-shore? Or behind a mountain?
Which I'm in the process of doing, since the (wifi/bluetooth) radio card in my old macbook appears to be dead. iPad air with a 3rd-party keyboard/cover goes a couple of days on a charge, as opposed to a couple of hours for the laptop. I haven't got it actually talking to the boat yet. And I'm still not fully comfortable with storing most of my data "in the cloud." Where is "the cloud" when you get off-shore? Or behind a mountain?