Ciggerate Socket plug help!!

No6

Any reccomendations for good quality lighter socket plug form my Lightforce lamp, It came with a cheap one on it from a friend and I seem to be blowing sockets and melting plugs all the time now. I put a new cheap one on tonight as I wanted to go out and lamp some very hungary foxes and it dosnt fit in the socket, help please. No new snow here only hard hard frost!!

Sparks

You could always connect to a car battery directly if weight's not an issue. If it is and you can wait a little while, you can get 12v sealed lead-acid batteries in quite small and portable sizes...

No6

Tks Sparks, I see some of the lads have posted where to get some of these batteries in another thread, I could still do with a good reliable lighter plug though for saving the battery (when I get one) when we are out in the car.

Sparks

To be honest, for the kind of power you're pulling if you're melting plugs, you may not be able to find something suitable. In fact, if you're actually melting things, odds are that someone screwed up the design of either the lamp or the car's wiring (and it's more likely the lamp).
Personally, I wouldn't go plugging it into the car anymore, I'd hook it up directly. It's a pretty good rule of thumb for electronics to not do things that make things melt when you turn the power on

kakashka

Hey No6,i think you must have a bad connection somewhere in your plug,should'nt have any problem as cig sockets are usually rated for high amps,bad connection will cook,you could go direct as said but be very carefull and fuse at source as a short could leave you with a melted vehicle!!
BTW any elec wholesaler will have a variety of tidy 2pin plug/sockets you could use if going direct

clivej

I replaced all the lighter socket plug stuff with different connections after getting burn outs.

I'm now using a BMW/HELLA type plug and socket and SAE connectors. They will take about 16amps @12volts.
Do a search on the Bay for parts. You can also get them from farm machinery sales.

lucy333springer

Same thing happened to me no6, three burnt out on me, I then went and bought one that you solder the wires to the adpter, got a man that knew what he was doing to connect the two to-gether, hopes this helps slan.

johngalway

I'd go with Sparks suggestion and go direct to the battery.

clivej

It's all well and good connecting the Lightforce directly to a battery until something goes wrong with the wiring or lamp then your in trouble.

ALWAYS put an INLINE fuse in the circiut for safety.

When you get a short circuit the battery can give up all it's power at once and burn out the wiring. And if you have the lamp/battery in the back of the car or in a backpack or wrapped around yourself not only can you set fire to the car but also burn yourself.

Heres my setup:
You can see the white inline fuse and BMW/HELLA type plug and socket rated at 16 amps 12volts




BMW/HELLA type plug and socket rated at 16 amps 12volts

daithi55

buy a sealed bike battery it half the weight of a car battery and cheaper and yal get lots of lamping time with it before it dies and hook it up like clice j has or anyway similar

No6

Tks lads, clive where do I get the plug and socket, I tried ebay but didnt find a bmw plug. I found a marine plug which looks like it. I tried my lamp in the misuses car and it works so I think I've blown a fuse in my car somewhere. Time for the mechanic as I dont know the first things about cars!!!

daithi55

i no in my car there's a separate fuse for the cigarette lighter
if ya don't need the cigarette plug on the lamp cut it off strip the wires a bit and join to the lamp direct that's what I've done ya can buy clips in the auto factor for a few pence but i have a bike battery which is easier to connect to IL post pics tomorrow how i did it if ya like

clivej

No6 wrote: »

Tks lads, clive where do I get the plug and socket, I tried ebay but didnt find a bmw plug. I found a marine plug which looks like it. I tried my lamp in the misuses car and it works so I think I've blown a fuse in my car somewhere. Time for the mechanic as I dont know the first things about cars!!!

Sorry I got the name wrong it should be a HELLA plug and socket, but they are also known as BMW types.

Evil bay search=
http://shop.ebay.ie/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=hella+plug+socket

deerhunter1

No6 wrote: »

Tks Sparks, I see some of the lads have posted where to get some of these batteries in another thread, I could still do with a good reliable lighter plug though for saving the battery (when I get one) when we are out in the car.

Make sure you fuse it

No6

can you use that plug then in the car clive or do you always run it from the battery?

No6

ok now i've ordered that, any reccomendations for a good low cost battery and a charger next!!!:D Links by all means gratefully accecpted!!!!.:D

clivej

No6 wrote: »

ok now i've ordered that, any reccomendations for a good low cost battery and a charger next!!!:D Links by all means gratefully accecpted!!!!.:D

A charger from Aldi when in stock.

Any Electrical Wholesalers for a 7ampHour emergency lighting backup supply about €17. You will get about 3-4 hours from that battery WHEN used with the in line dimmer or at best about 3/4 hour on full output. That is the easiest weight of battery to carry off the shoulder. One battery shown above is a motor bike 19ampHour and weights a tonn.

The bigger battery runs a 170 size hand held lamp and is used by the lamper to scan the fields and locate the fox. I use the 7aH battery with the scope mounted Lightforce 170 with dimmer and battery in the small camera bag on the shoulder. This all takes over when the shot is to be taken.

clivej

No6 wrote: »

can you use that plug then in the car clive or do you always run it from the battery?

You could put a socket in the car and connect it up to the car battery.

Many builders contractors use them for the magnetic flashing orange lights that are on the van roofs.