bargain solar charger

[Sancho]

If the fag lighter isn't live with the ignition off, it wont work as there's no path to the battery. You could easily wire it to a permanent live though.

Nothing is too easy for old sh1t-for-brains here.

I suppose I should go and see whether the lighter's live with the ignition off....

[Sancho]

Right, sh1t-for-brains is back. No current from the fag lighter with the ignition off (not that I have a meter or anything, I just plugged a 12v hoover in and nothing happened).

As for finding a permanent feed, I'm guessing the easiest thing for me to do would be to get the interior light down, find the wire that goes into the 'on' position and hook it up to that (with the negative hooked up to whatever wire is neither 'on' nor 'door').

How does that sound? I don't like it when smoke comes out and I get molten plastic on my fingers....

[Chillitt]

Right, sh1t-for-brains is back. No current from the fag lighter with the ignition off (not that I have a meter or anything, I just plugged a 12v hoover in and nothing happened).

As for finding a permanent feed, I'm guessing the easiest thing for me to do would be to get the interior light down, find the wire that goes into the 'on' position and hook it up to that (with the negative hooked up to whatever wire is neither 'on' nor 'door').

How does that sound? I don't like it when smoke comes out and I get molten plastic on my fingers....

that will probably burn out the wiring to the light. if you want the fag lighter on all the time, just run a new fused feed direct from the battery

[Apache]

that will probably burn out the wiring to the light. if you want the fag lighter on all the time, just run a new fused feed direct from the battery

Yep, Chillit's right.

[Sancho]

Bear with me here....

I don't want the fag lighter on all the time. I gave up smoking over a year ago. Even if I start again, I don't have the mental capacity to drive and smoke simultaneously so it's useless to me.

I was talking about finding a permanent feed to hook this solar thing into. Is it really gonna burn the light out? 1.5w @ 17.5v? If so, so be it, just wanted to make sure I was being an idiot in the right context.

And is it actually going to blow up when I start the engine?

[BUSHWHACKER]

Mine says you should disconnect it before starting engine.

[Sancho]

Well in that case, I shall stop making a dick of myself and do as the instructions say. It comes with crocodile clips so I've just hooked it direct to the battery and stuck the thing on the windscreen in front of the driver's seat so I don't forget

Thanks for the patient answers chaps

[da SLUG man]

Mine says you should disconnect it before starting engine.

that's so the power from the alternator doesn't start back feeding and re-charging the sun... adding to the problem of global warming!

[Apache]

that's so the power from the alternator doesn't start back feeding and re-charging the sun... adding to the problem of global warming!

[BUSHWHACKER]

Ah, so that would explain the week of 98 degree + temps back in June this summer!

[MattF]

Well in that case, I shall stop making a dick of myself and do as the instructions say. It comes with crocodile clips so I've just hooked it direct to the battery and stuck the thing on the windscreen in front of the driver's seat so I don't forget

Thanks for the patient answers chaps

You could use a diode inline so that you could leave it permanently
connected.

Edit: Just having looked at that link, it says it has an inbuilt blocking diode,
so it shouldn't be a problem leaving it connected. ( Don't blame me if it does
explode, though. )

[Apache]

You could use a diode inline so that you could leave it permanently
connected.

They *must* have one already, or you'd get reverse current flow in dark conditions.

[MattF]

They *must* have one already, or you'd get reverse current flow in dark conditions.

Yeah, just noticed that. I learn't a long time ago to never trust certain
suppliers for logical circuit designs, however.

[BUSHWHACKER]

They *must* have one already, or you'd get reverse current flow in dark conditions.

And the battery would go flat.

[Apache]

And the battery would go flat.

It would be a nice design for a battery eliminator.