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USB Power Plugs?

Lionclaw

Well Known Member
I have usb chargers for my gps, cell phone, and PDA. It'd be nice to have charging ports that aren't attached to big 12v accessory adapters. Has anyone tried to mount a powered usb hub or other product to power usb devices?
 
GRT?

I wonder if the USB ports on the Grands Rapids EFII would do it. Don't see why not.

Hans
 
Certainly not a bad idea, although I just use a usb charger in my cigar lighter socket and it works fine. I say "use" but what I really mean is "once used". Yeah, I haven't charged that much with it.

If I were to do it again, I maybe would put a cigar light outlet between the seats. That seems to be the common gathering spot for things like cell phones, handheld radios, etc.
 
If you wanted to panel (or elsewhere) mount it, you could a jack like this, and the run an internal cable to a powered hub. (Or build the power part yourself...somewhat like this and this.)

Also, a decent "industrial" USB hub that runs off 12-24V if you wanted to actually be able to use the USB port for more than power, etc. (Of course, breaking down a car USB charger would work just as well for just power.)
 
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I noticed my local AutoZone stocks an adapter with 3 12v holes and 1 USB port. I don't know for sure if the device has circuitry to step the 12v down to 5v for the usb port. Cost is $18.00.
 
Panel Mounted USBs in a Cessna172

Does anyone know if an STC is required to panel mount a bank of USB power outlets in a 172? (C172SP with G1000.) We usually have 2 iPhones (5V, 1A draw), an iPad (5V, 2.1A draw) and a hand-held ICOM radio (? draw) on board. The iPad gets a lot of use due to the ForeFlight app and we're always swapping cords back and forth to juice up the iPhones or ICOM before landing. It'd be nice to just plug them all in and forget them.

I envision at least 3 USBs banked together and labeled 5V OUT (with some smarts to the circuit that will give proper amperage based on the device plugged in to it) and 1 traditional barrel type 12V OUT socket. I'd also be willing to build something between the seats if this gets around a required STC.

Note: The iPad wants 10W (5V, 2.1A) to charge quickly. Anything less takes forever to charge this thing up... as much as 8 hours if only given 1A.

The link to the L-Com sight was nice to see. This place has a ton of connectors that you're hard pressed to find anywhere else. I've used them for all sorts of things in the past. Especially nice for home theater builds.
 
Source for 5VDC

The power provided via USB is 5vdc @ 500ma.

Pin #18 on the 37 pin DB on the Dynon D10 EMS is regulated 5V dc. The installation guide says that provisions should be made to connect this output to several devices such as engine manifold pressure sensor, etc. This would be a good source for the USB power port.

Wiring diagram shows location of 5V+ to VCC.
usb_skta.gif


edit: Dynon Support says (in a later post on this thread)
The 5V out on a Dynon EMS cannot do the 500mA that most USB devices want. Please don't do that
 
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I don't think using the DYNON 5 volt excitation voltage as a USB power source would be a very good idea. The purpose of this voltage is to excite sensors that require excitation and this typically is a very low current circuit. I seriously doubt if this 5 volt source would be able to provide enough current to charge devices via a USB connection. Trying to do so may also damage the DYNON instrument and/or cause invalid or erratic engine sensor readings.
 
The 5V out on a Dynon EMS cannot do the 500mA that most USB devices want. Please don't do that.
 
The ports on a Dynon SkyView will work for anything that is a USB device too. But you have to ask yourself if you want a $5 LED light or a $100 cell phone plugged in to your $4000+ primary flight display, causing it to run hotter and possibly making it less stable.

If you need to charge a phone as a one off thing, it's handy to have, and I've done it. But if you want a permanent USB power source in your plane, I'd really put a $10 12V to USB adapter in the plane. Hide it behind the panel and run an extension to the panel or somewhere handy.
 
Maybe something professionally engineered?

Try looking into a DC/DC switching power supply and wiring it (fused, of course) to the 12v bus. The outputs could then be wired to the Common and VCC pins on a panel mounted USB port mentioned earlier in this thread.

Try looking at something like this...


Being encased and professionally designed, it should be low noise, efficient and at 10 watts, capable of running anything you plug into it, including USB lights or fans.
 
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I have a cigarette lighter jack in my plane, and a universal charger available in auto parts stores that has about 12 jacks and can select almost any voltage between 0-12v.

If I needed a different jack, I could splice one off a spare charger for the device in question.

You could also use this setup wired to a bulkhead USB jack (keeping all of the unsightlies on the back side of the panel) to provide a place for passengers to plug in their USB devices that can charge from it.
 
Be extra careful if you intend to charge an iPad - you need an iPad ready 2A USB plug.

If you try to charge the iPad from a 'normal' USB power plug then it will say 'not charging' (which is not quite true, it does charge slowly once you let the display go to sleep).
 
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No Smoking, Please...

I personally have serious reservations about using automotive ?cigar lighter? type power sockets. To be blunt, I feel they have no business in an airplane. I have seen far too many instances of them (used in cars) causing an overheat condition sufficient to begin melting the plug inserted into them.

The design is grossly inadequate as a power port in that they do not have a latching mechanism. To exacerbate matters, the positive pole of the plug is spring loaded. It continually tries to push itself out of the socket. Combine that spring force and the non-latching socket with a big slug of current and a good measure of vibration and you have a perfect storm for a meltdown. It happens often enough on the ground. I suppose I should point out that I am not speculating ? I?m in a position to know this.

Consider that this device began life as a cigar lighter. For that purpose it works as designed. It was soon discovered that the socket would be a good power port for everything up to and including refrigerators, and so it has snowballed. It still does not latch, and now they are allowing current draws of up to 20 amps (again, in cars).

That said, if anyone just has to have this kind of power jack, please do yourselves a favor and check into one that I have purchased several times from Digi-Key, part number AS212-ND. It is intended for outdoor and marine use, and has internal indents that afford a little bit of retention force. There may be others on the market that are higher quality and have similar retention features. I am aware only of the one mentioned.

In my work with these types of devices, I?ve noted that the very worst kind are the multiple outlet splitters sold in auto parts stores. I wouldn?t even use one in somebody else?s car. If you just gotta have one of these puppies in your plane, please check into the thread about fire extinguishers.

Sorry about the length of this. I hope it helps someone avoid a bad experience.


John in SoCal
New Old Guy
Preview plans
 
I personally have serious reservations about using automotive “cigar lighter” type power sockets... ...If you just gotta have one of these puppies in your plane, please check into the thread about fire extinguishers.

John in SoCal
New Old Guy
Preview plans

I'm with you on that, John.

If you had to have "the best" solution and were still in the experimental world, you might try this:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=945-1285-ND

It's $125! It must be the best. But seriously, it's a medical grade, 20 watt, 2kVDC isolated, high temp, 6 side shielded, 28 gram piece of beauty!

Match it with a panel or console mounted receptacle:

http://www.amphenolcanada.com/ProductSearch/pdf/MUSB_BRO.pdf

...and you have a very expensive and clean install. That and it would run 2 iPads while only dissipating 2 watts of heat. Some of those cheap cigar plug power supplies would melt trying to cope with that type of load.
 
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1.5 vs. 2 Amps

I'm with you on that, John.

If you had to have "the best" solution and were still in the experimental world, you might try this:

http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Detail&name=945-1285-ND

It's $125! It must be the best. But seriously, it's a medical grade, 20 watt, 2kVDC isolated, high temp, 6 side shielded, 28 gram piece of beauty!

Match it with a panel or console mounted receptacle:

http://www.amphenolcanada.com/ProductSearch/pdf/MUSB_BRO.pdf

...and you have a very expensive and clean install. That and it would run 2 iPads while only dissipating 2 watts of heat. Some of those cheap cigar plug power supplies would melt trying to cope with that type of load.

This looks nice, but the USB plugs are only rated 1.5 A and an Ipad wants 2 A?

Hans
 
I already have the Griffin Power Jolt but I think I will also get one of these Scosche DUAL power adapters. I can charge the iPad and the phone from the same adapter.
$14.90 from Amazon.

41zWJIBXweL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
Just received this unit I ordered from Amazon and it works great for charging the iPad. Unlike the Griffin unit, it does not get warm to the touch when deep charging the iPad. The additional benefit I did not know prior to ordering is that it operates from 12-24 volts. This will come in handy flying in late model Cessna's or Cirrus. Additionally, it also charges my Blackberry and other USB devices.

$4.99 plus $3 shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003QBJTKM/ref=oss_product

310b1plaQZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
SteinAir is now selling USB Chargers for Ipads, Iphones, Ipods, etc.. They offer two types of chargers: a black DC power plug insert charger for and a black Panel Mount charger.

12vdc adapter, 5v @ 1.5a output
 
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Just an FYI - There is an Apple Technote on charging for the iPad.

The long and short of it is that to charge *and* use the iPad, you need to adhere to the 10W requirement. Even that "just barely" charges if you have full brightness, GPS, etc running.

10 watts at 5 volts is 2 amps. The Apple charger is rated at 2.1 amps.
 
USB powered hub

Just to throw in my 2 cents, I added a 12-v 4-port powered USB hub connecting/powering a number of things in my plane (laptop connections to mouse, XM weather box, etc.), just spliced its power input onto the E-bus (with a low amp fuse). Works great, except somehow I lose connection with the laptop it's connected to when I leave the laptop on but shut down the aircraft power for a short period (like quick-turn stops). Haven't figured that out yet, but easy enough to work around... Bought hub off Amazon, only 12v unit on there I think.

Dwight
 
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