Date: Tue, 6 Sep 2011 17:55:26 -0700
Reply-To: Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Subject: Re: USB power?
In-Reply-To: <4E669222.2080904@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 02:35 PM 9/6/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>Does anyone have a suggestion for a two or three outlet USB power
>"strip" that can be mounted to a surface, such as behind the
>driver's seat, and which operates off 12 VDC?
The plug-in adapters are the best choice. They're inexpensive, and
they consume essentially no power when idle.
I installed two extra cigarette lighters in the back so I'd have both
USB and 12V available.
http://mira.sbw.org/photos/20110808/P1000387/
For most USB devices, I prefer this Griffin dual adapter that gives a
completely flush look:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0042B9U8Q/sbw/
But I also carry this Kensington dual adapter, with one 2-amp socket
to keep my visitors with iPads happy:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B003PU01M4/sbw/
The trouble with the USB "strips" (hubs) I tried is that they don't
reliably charge devices unless the hub is plugged into a
computer. That's just stupid, in my opinion. I'm still thinking
about fabricating a passive USB hub with several 2-amp outputs, buck
converters for efficiency, and proper idle power management.
https://twitter.com/sbw/statuses/2522118294
Originally, I fabricated a 7805 adapter and buried it in the dash,
with a cable coming out to hook up USB devices. But it consumed more
power when idle than I liked, so I took it out.
>... it's an annoyance to find the stupid 12VDC > 5 VDC USB converter
>to plug into the socket.
I leave mine plugged in all the time so they don't get lost. I
installed extra cigarette lighters so 12V is still available.
In fact, I have two cigarette lighters buried in the dash, one with a
Griffin USB adapter and one with the Garmin power adapter/traffic
receiver. I bring those cables out through slots I cut at the edge
of the ash tray, to power the dash-mounted devices:
http://mira.sbw.org/photos/20091122/SN852283/
>Everything I do is switchable. I like managing my power. I have an
>ammeter mounted in the cabin and I'm not afraid to use it.
The best switch is one you can't forget to turn off.
But I like my ammeter, too:
http://mira.sbw.org/photos/20110809/P1000402/