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| | | | Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 135 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 135 | Will installing a step up converter to the cigar lighter harm the socket in any way?
I'm only going to use it to power my Navigation system so I have a speedometer.
It works as it is but does not stay charged. I drive the truck almost everyday but not
far(2-5 miles) and almost exclusively in the city. I have the element for the lighter but
it stays in the glove box and will not be used.
Jackie | | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 80 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 80 | What's the purpose of the converter? | | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,271 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,271 | I am assuming you are currently running 6 volts. Your navigation system may well work on 6 volts.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 135 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2015 Posts: 135 | The truck is a 6 volt system. The power cord for the Garmin Nuvi 3597 shows Input:10-30 volts and Output: 5 volts so is the output going to be less than 5 volts because of the too low input voltage?
Last edited by JackieC; 08/04/2017 11:55 AM.
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2016 Posts: 264 | So the 6v charge level is slightly less than the overall draw of your GPS. A 12v converter will help, however it will then always be drawing on your truck's battery, even when truck and GPS is off. If the truck is run regularly then this won't be a problem. If not a battery maintainer hooked to the truck battery would also be a good investment, to be plugged in during its downtime. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 916 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2016 Posts: 916 | This just made me think of something- I am converting my truck to 12V. Will the old 6V lighter get too hot if it's wired to a 12V system? (Shows how much I know about electricity, right...?)
~ Dave
1950 Chevrolet 3600 3/4-ton with 261 engine & T5 Transmission
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,749 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,749 | A lighter's resistance is very close to a dead short- - - -that's what makes the heater element get red hot. A 6V lighter will get very hot, very fast on 12 volts. Most of the time the heater element itself can be changed while keeping the original knob for appearance sake.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
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| | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 1,214 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 1,214 | I added a 10a 6v to 12v converter to my 49. To keep it from drawing with the key off, I wired the inverters input off of the spare switched terminal on the ign switch and also wired it's output through one of those inexpensive 12v auto relay's and fused it. This way the input and output is switched and fused.
So far the only devices I'm powering w/12v is a tach and cig lighter/power port. The rest of the truck's electrics is 6v.
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,271 Renaissance Man | | Renaissance Man Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 10,271 | The truck is a 6 volt system. The power cord for the Garmin Nuvi 3597 shows Input:10-30 volts and Output: 5 volts so is the output going to be less than 5 volts because of the too low input voltage? Unplug the wire from the unit, plug the other end into the cigar lighter hole and measure the voltage at the output end with a meter.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 6,377 Ex Hall Monitor | | Ex Hall Monitor Joined: Aug 2005 Posts: 6,377 | To answer your original question using a step-up to power a GPS will not hurt your lighter socket in any way. I use one regularly on my '38 to power my GPS. Since I've spoken with folks who run their GPS's on 6v, if and when my step-up dies, I'll run it directly on 6v.
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