12v cable WITHOUT any end bits for iPaq?

Rubsner

Hi

I want to charge my iPaq 3970 from a 12v cable in my car. A few months ago I found a website that had cables with the required iPaq socket on one end but nothing on the other so you can hard wire it into your car. I don't want a permanent cradle as I don't use the sat nav all the time and don't like cradles everywhere! (With and iPod and a bluettoth phone kit I have enough!!!) So I want this cable to be wired, but coiled away under the carpet or somewhere when not needed...

BUT I for the life of me I can't find this UK website anywhere again as I did not put it in my favourites!!! Sad

It was roughly £40 (expensive I know) but would do what I want it to do...

OR can you just buy any other type of cigarette lighter cable and just remove the cigarette lighter bit?

Anyone have any suggestions or a better way of doing it?

:-johann

lbendlin · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 12:54 am Post subject:

you can't connect the cable directly to the iPAQ. You need a converter from the car's 12V to the 5V for the iPAQ. If you connect the cable directly all you will get is a singular Poof!

I would recommend buying a regular cigarette lighter charger for the iPAQ (dirt cheap on ebay) and then take the cigarette lighter adapter apart. This way you can keep the converter logic , and still connect it to the car's network.

I personally would not connect that directly to the permanent plus. It's safer for your car when the 12 V come from the ignition circuitry (like the power for the radio
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Lutz

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Rubsner · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 1:28 am Post subject:

:D hehehe Don't want to blow it up no!

But this website showed a cable with the standard iPaq socket to connect to the iPaq and just loose wires on the other end to connect (as you suggest) to the car... without need to take a cigarette lighter apart!

Rubsner · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 1:29 am Post subject:

... so the topic should have read: without any end bits on ONE side!!!

lbendlin · Posted: Sun Apr 25, 2004 3:21 am Post subject:

you could put some diodes or other circuitry in to limit the voltage but all this gives you is another heating element. Most of the energy will go wasted. As ugly as the cig lighter adapters are, they do sometimes contain swithcing power supply with a pretty high efficiency level - better for your car's battery.
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icsys · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 4:15 pm Post subject:

Why not just buy a cig lighter socket and wire it into the ign circuit and plug in a std car adapter, then hide the socket with the plug inserted somewhere behind the dash?
All you will see then is the lead. Plus there is no need to cut off the plug therefore no worries on frying the PPC.

MikeB · Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2004 5:25 pm Post subject:

You would then guarantee that you get the correct voltage and current required and also be properly fused.

That would be my option.
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Mike Barrett

DavidW · Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2004 8:19 am Post subject:

I'm with Mike - the best option, in my opinion, is to fit a slave cigarette lighter socket, and try and hide it and the cigarette lighter plug somewhere. Make sure that the fusing is correct, too.

I'm fortunate in that on my Zafira there's enough space behind the glove compartment to hide all manner of cigarette lighter sockets, phone car kit control boxes and the like.

David

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