Accessory power source issue

[Barber31]

For you electrical savvy folks, I recently added a 2 port accessory for charging my cellphone. I used the converter to switch positive 6 to negative 12 volts. My issue is when the car is not running it charges perfect but when the car IS running, it charges intermittently. Just a nonstop off and on charging. Thanks for any help.

[newshirt]

You really should consider using something like Pocket Juice instead. That eliminates all the ugly wires, and can be carried around in your pocket. We run our phone apps like GPS and iHeart Radio and YouTube for hours. Recharge at the hotel at night.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pocket-Juice-Solo-4-000mAh-Black/47194699

[tbirdtbird]

Tom W, where are you!?

[JtownJoe]

That's actually a great idea. Sold me.

[Barber31]

[QUOTE=newshirt;n154]You really should consider using something like Pocket Juice instead. That eliminates all the ugly wires, and can be carried around in your pocket. We run our phone apps like GPS and iHeart Radio and YouTube for hours. Recharge at the hotel at night.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Pocket-Juice-Solo-4-000mAh-Black/47194699

[/QUOTE

Im actually pretty happy with my install. I'd say the wires are almost completely hidden. You'd have really look under the tank to see them but the other reason for keeping this setup is I plan to use other plugin accessories down the road. Maybe a fan during our hot summers or a heater during the winter. Although your suggestion is pretty convenient, Having it hard wired into the car is one less thing I have to remember on my trips.

[jmeckel]

Make sure all of the connections on your generator are clean and tight, all the way to the battery. Also if you are using one of those fuses that attach to the starter make sure the fuse holder, fuse, and rivets that hold it all together are tight. It sounds to me like you may be getting high voltage spikes from a poor connection that is opening up. When the load goes away this then causes the generator to put out high voltage. The best answer is to use an dual trace oscilloscope and watch the voltage and noise on the input side of the converter as well as the output of the converter, if you have one or know someone who does.

It is also possible you just have a bad one that does not like 7-9 volts when the engine is running, I have a converter and it work perfectly, puts out a very clean +12 volts on my -6 volt car.

[CarlG]

My rig is 12v neg ground. I have a handy little device installed in my pickup. It provides 2 cigar lighter outlets and 2 USB charging outlets. My wife uses it for charging phones, iPad, GPS, etc. It's wired direct to the battery and ground, so it's live all the time. Tried to attach a picture, but I need to practice more.

[Big hammer]

I'm no Tom W, but wired liked Carl has done, wired directly to the battery, the battery would act like a filter for our noisy ignitions?

[WMWS]

I don't know about other devices but my Garmin GPS works fine on 6 volts. You just have to get the polarity correct at the plug. Works great and I get lots of comments about GPS in an old car. Like was that an option in 1928.

[Mike V. Florida]

For you electrical savvy folks, I recently added a 2 port accessory for charging my cellphone. I used the converter to switch positive 6 to negative 12 volts. My issue is when the car is not running it charges perfect but when the car IS running, it charges intermittently. Just a nonstop off and on charging. Thanks for any help.

How do you have it wired? You need it directly to the battery for best results.

[Barber31]

I guess that's my next quick project. I currently have it wired in through the terminal box. The power is coming from the driver side terminal and the ground is attached to the firewall.

[Mike V. Florida]

I guess that's my next quick project. I currently have it wired in through the terminal box. The power is coming from the driver side terminal and the ground is attached to the firewall.

That should work as that wire goes directly to the battery. The down side is that the only way to turn it off is with a "master" battery switch.

[jmeckel]

Most of the new isolated converters are what is called a switching supply. The best quick way to describe them is they convert the DC to high frequency AC, send it through a small transformer then rectify it back to DC and regulate it. This is an important fact, as it means if there is power supplied to them, they are ON, and will draw some current even if they are not powering another device. So you really want to put an on - off switch on the input side so you do not drain your battery if the car sits for some time. A car / battery master switch will do the same thing, assuming you do not hook the converter directly to the battery.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I bought some insulated lighter sockets so I can make the center electrode + and the case -, and these 6 volt outlets work my GPS fine. Most of these devices run on about 5 volts, and the power supplies simply drop the incoming voltage down to 5 volts, whether it be 6 volts or 12 volts going in.

I just got my first cell phone the other day, so when I get my car out, I will see if it works for that also.

I can't find the 6 volt LED lights I wanted to use for turn signals, so I did buy a 6 to 12 volt converter to supply power for them, whenever I get them made.

[01A]

Hi Barber31, The vendors sell a Power Converter that converts the 6-volt positive ground to 12-volt negative ground. You may already have this or something similar. They are about 1 inch x 1 inch square. Like you I also run a 2 port accessory and use it to charge my cell phone and run a GPS when needed. I have mine hooked up to the main power cutoff switch so that when I turn that switch on the converter is live. In this configuration it is basically running from the negative battery terminal to a good chassis ground. These connections need to be secure for these devices to put out clean voltage with no drop outs or spikes. You may be getting spikes or drop out from a poor connection. I have been running mine for over a year with no issues. They work very well.

[Barber31]

Hello O1A. I do currently have the power converter installed. Would anyone happen to know if a bad cutout could have any affect on this converter working correctly? I recently replaced my bad cutout because amp meter would intermittently stop showing a charge till I would polarize the gen. Hopefully tomorrow I can take it for a ride and see if there's any change with the new diode cutout.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Hello O1A. I do currently have the power converter installed. Would anyone happen to know if a bad cutout could have any affect on this converter working correctly? I recently replaced my bad cutout because amp meter would intermittently stop showing a charge till I would polarize the gen. Hopefully tomorrow I can take it for a ride and see if there's any change with the new diode cutout.

If you have to repolarize quite often to get the generator charging, I think the generator has a problem.
The cutout should not give the converter any problem, and I agree with the others, that it should be connected directly to the battery.
Actually the starter switch should be as good as the battery post.

A few years ago I worked on a generator that needed to be polarized each time the car started. I changed the armature, and the problem was fixed.

[Barber31]

If you have to repolarize quite often to get the generator charging, I think the generator has a problem.
The cutout should not give the converter any problem, and I agree with the others, that it should be connected directly to the battery.
Actually the starter switch should be as good as the battery post.

A few years ago I worked on a generator that needed to be polarized each time the car started. I changed the armature, and the problem was fixed.

Thanks Tom. I tried searching another forum for that very info. What would cause the gen to need to be re polarized often, but never found an answer. Now I know. Thank you.