12/24 volt small sockets

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1

I bought a car charger that said it was ok to use 12/24 volt ,when I pluged it in to the ciggy lighter on the lorry it went bang & loads of smoke poured out of it :open_mouth: .
On most trucks that I have driven I have seen an extra 2 small plug sockets that have 12 volt on one & 24 volt on the other,I take it that I should have bought an adaptor to fit these sockets â– â– ? but what also confuses me is that some lorries have 180 watts or 240 watts max stamped above the 12 volt socket ?.
What I would like to know is it okay to plug my phone in to charge on the 12 volt socket with an adaptor (Where can you get an adaptor from ?) & what does the 180/240 watt max mean â– â– ?.
I know these are probably silly questions but I am a newbie & if I can blow up my car charger I certainly don’t what to blow up my small telly :laughing:

2

This subject has been covered before and we came to the conclusion that a phone can be charged with either 12 or 24 volt sockets.

For the TV, make up a small 12v test lamp. If its normal bright, its 12 if its extra bright it is 24

3

mightymart:
I bought a car charger that said it was ok to use 12/24 volt ,when I pluged it in to the ciggy lighter on the lorry it went bang & loads of smoke poured out of it :open_mouth: .

That sounds like the charger was a faulty one, not the socket being faulty, take it back to the shop and get it replaced.

On most trucks that I have driven I have seen an extra 2 small plug sockets that have 12 volt on one & 24 volt on the other,I take it that I should have bought an adaptor to fit these sockets â– â– ?

You would have to make up the adapter yourself.You can buy the Hella plug (the small plug) from alot of places such as Motorworld, then buy a a cigar lighter extension lead and change the plug on the end - et voila - one converted lead.

but what also confuses me is that some lorries have 180 watts or 240 watts max stamped above the 12 volt socket ?.
What I would like to know is it okay to plug my phone in to charge on the 12 volt socket with an adaptor (Where can you get an adaptor from ?) & what does the 180/240 watt max mean â– â– ?.

The wattage is the MAXIMUM amont of power that an item can consume if it is plugged into that socket. Your average phone charger will be drawing very little power, probably no more then a 2 or 3 watts, but larger things like a TV may draw alot more. On the back of most appliances there is a label telling you of the power consumption, this is what the labels above the sockets refer to.

I know these are probably silly questions but I am a newbie & if I can blow up my car charger I certainly don’t what to blow up my small telly :laughing:

Not silly questions, But I still think you had a faulty charger, I have had them go bang before, And I know it was nothing I did, probably just a duff piece of kit, as I said get them to replace it. Check to make sure your telly does not draw over the wattage the cigar lighter is rated for. Also make sure what voltage it is, and if it is 12v make sure the socket is 12v, otherwise you will fry it, different trucks run the cigar lighter at different voltages, and they also run the hella sockets at different voltages. Some Scania have both and they are clearly lablled. Dafs are also clearly laballed, I can’t remember about the rest though.

4

Thanks for putting it all in laymans terms,
I got on to the guy who I got the charger from & he will change it no problem , He just asked did it work ok on 12 volt (Which it did).
I now realise I need hella plugs for all my bits :open_mouth:
I think I have seen simliar leads in camping shops & offen wonder what those Hella plugs were for :laughing:
I will make a lead with the bulb test setup just to be on the safe because knowing my luck the 12 & 24 socket would have been switched round :smiling_imp:

5

I have made a test lead up using 24v bulb (so it doesent blow) and put both types of plug on it so I can check either socket with one lead. I know Motorworld (they bouught out les smith) do a plug that can be used in both sockets for about 3.99, all you do is take off a small plastic cap on the ent to convert it.

6

Cool,
I will look in to that.
I don’t think there is a Motorworld near me so maybe i will check out Maplin. :slight_smile:

7

smcaul:
You would have to make up the adapter yourself.You can buy the Hella plug (the small plug) from alot of places such as Motorworld, then buy a a cigar lighter extension lead and change the plug on the end - et voila - one converted lead.

or get one of these from Roadpro


8

This is the link to the page where they arehttp://www.roadpro.co.uk/products.asp?LID=1391. Did not have such things whenI made my lead up though. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

9

Any auto electrical shop or supplier will have these plug and sockets.

Ask for a DIN socket for a fridge, I think even caravans use them now.

We used to change the sockets in the people carriers my brother sells to these type of plugs

10

It used to be that you very rarley saw the standard/hella socket, but over the last 5 years they seem to have got alot more popular. I suppose they must have their benefits over the normal lighter, but I dont know what it is.

11

smcaul:
This is the link to the page where they arehttp://www.roadpro.co.uk/products.asp?LID=1391. Did not have such things whenI made my lead up though. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

it’s hidden behind the picture I posted - sorry forgot to mention that the picture was live :unamused: :unamused:

12

Thanks for the link to Roadpro.
I’m not so sure it was such a good thing getting the link because they sell loads of goodies (More money to shell out :laughing: )

13

I have found, with phone chargers, that if you get an original from the phone builder, it will be a dual voltage one. If you get a cheap one from the local market, it will more than likely be 12v only. So it’ll burn out/blow up if you put 24v through it.