lightweight Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) It would be really handy to be able to charge phones and the like in the truck - anybody know where you can get a 6V to 12V voltage booster? I've seen 12V-24V, 24V-12V and even 12V-240V and 24V-240V, but never 6-12. Have tried Maplins and Ebay without success. Edited May 11, 2011 by lightweight Poorly phrased.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 (edited) Found this one: http://www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=407839 Got to think outside the miltary box. There are other colours than green! (Though why?) Try RS Componets. Just found this circuit as well. The WC54 is 6 volt so I need to look at one myself.http://www.aaroncake.net/circuits/6-12conv.asp Edited May 11, 2011 by Tony B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 This place is in UK http://www.adverc.co.uk/batterymanagement/adverc-dcdc-voltage-converters most suppliers seem to be US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted May 11, 2011 Author Share Posted May 11, 2011 Thanks Tony - my googling turned up nothing! That UK site does one for £73.40, which seems a lot for not much if you see what I mean - but at least it proves that they are available Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted May 11, 2011 Share Posted May 11, 2011 Unfortunatley, to change DC to DC is an expensive buisnnes. The old way used to be rotary convertors, basically the base voltage drove a motor which worked a dynamo for the output. The other way was a trembeler, that used a buzzing bar. The resulting oputput was ac then rectified. Modern kit uses solid state switching, and they ain't cheap! Much easier to go up the voltage than down. I'm thinking of asking an electronics guru I know if he can design me a circuit, or maybe someone here has the nessacary Vodoo? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Essex5 Posted May 12, 2011 Share Posted May 12, 2011 Out of interest, tried a little experiment today - connected car-type mobile phone chargers to a variable power supply. Both chargers put out about 6volts when run at 12volt input, tried reducing the input voltage and they both continued to push out 6v until the input voltage went below 7v. A well-charged 6volt battery should sit at about 7volts - it certainly will with the engine running, assuming that the charging circuit is OK. The problem that will occur is the question of polarity - I think that most 6v systems, and many older 12v systems with a dynamo rather than an alternator - will be positive earth. The phone charger will be expecting a negative earth system, where the connexion to the tip of the cigarette-lighter plug is positive, and the outer connexions are negative. The answer would appear to be a cigarette-lighter extension socket, so that you can wire it to a suitable, preferably fused, power feed such that the central connexion is positive. Make sure that the socket is insulated, and remember that its outer connexion will at vehicle battery potential - careful if you screw it to a metal surface! Hope this helps, and is not too confusing!:nut: John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightweight Posted May 13, 2011 Author Share Posted May 13, 2011 Out of interest, tried a little experiment today - connected car-type mobile phone chargers to a variable power supply.Both chargers put out about 6volts when run at 12volt input, tried reducing the input voltage and they both continued to push out 6v until the input voltage went below 7v. A well-charged 6volt battery should sit at about 7volts - it certainly will with the engine running, assuming that the charging circuit is OK. The problem that will occur is the question of polarity - I think that most 6v systems, and many older 12v systems with a dynamo rather than an alternator - will be positive earth. The phone charger will be expecting a negative earth system, where the connexion to the tip of the cigarette-lighter plug is positive, and the outer connexions are negative. The answer would appear to be a cigarette-lighter extension socket, so that you can wire it to a suitable, preferably fused, power feed such that the central connexion is positive. Make sure that the socket is insulated, and remember that its outer connexion will at vehicle battery potential - careful if you screw it to a metal surface! Hope this helps, and is not too confusing!:nut: John Thanks John, electricity is just black magic to me but you've described that so that even I got it! I'll give it a go and see what happens.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiketheBike Posted May 13, 2011 Share Posted May 13, 2011 if its a newish phone that can be charged direct froma USB port, it may be that the charge voltage is 5+ volts anyway. Maybe just snip the USB connector off the lead, or have a USB port in the truck and drop the voltage a bit with a resistor....or is that looking at it too simply? Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1212 Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 if its a newish phone that can be charged direct froma USB port, it may be that the charge voltage is 5+ volts anyway. Maybe just snip the USB connector off the lead, or have a USB port in the truck and drop the voltage a bit with a resistor....or is that looking at it too simply? Mick BE CAREFUL USB is assumed to be 5V +/- a small tolerance maybe 0.25V. If you push 7V in expect your device to fry and I would be wary of just regulating in case of any spikes or forgetting to disconnect when starting causing damage. What is needed is a proper DC/DC converter that can take say 5V - 8V input range and output 12V. A 20/25 Watt module should not be that expensive but then you will have to box it and add probably add a couple of capacitors. Less efficient, but not an issue in a vehicle, is a 5V input to 12V output DC/DC converter with a high power i.e. around 6Amp low-dropout regulator in front. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted May 15, 2011 Share Posted May 15, 2011 May I suggest a simple and safe ( to the mobile) solution for 6v vehicle owners. Carry a well charged 12v battery in a wooden box with a cigarette lighter socket mounted in it. Even a week at Beltring I doubt the battery would drop in voltage that much after charging the phone a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david1212 Posted May 22, 2011 Share Posted May 22, 2011 May I suggest a simple and safe ( to the mobile) solution for 6v vehicle owners. Carry a well charged 12v battery in a wooden box with a cigarette lighter socket mounted in it. Even a week at Beltring I doubt the battery would drop in voltage that much after charging the phone a few times. Indeed if just charging a phone etc the draw from the battery would be little more than the self discharge. If a 12V - 240V inverter was used to power camera chargers etc that are not readily available as 12V the power draw would be more as the current draw by the inverter with no output load could be upto 1A. Running say a laptop the draw from 12V could be 8A. However adding even a small solar charger panel say 10W should keep the battery topped up for intermittent phone, camera etc charging and an hour a day of laptop use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FourFox Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 In a similar soloution, I have one of those portable battery/starter booster thingies which has 3 twelve volt auxilliary cigarette lighter outputs for phone charging etc. Works a treat. It lasts for weeks, and you can re-charge it from any mains outlet or 12v source. Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted May 24, 2011 Share Posted May 24, 2011 Altrrnatly! You can get small quiet 500 to 750 watt generators cheap enough now. Some, like mine have a 12 volt tap, ideal for feild charging. Or get a chore Horse charging set. In keeping and resonably priced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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