Ciggy lighter vs Leisure battery

[BongoBongo123]

I have just purchased a small inverter so I can play some music through a small but decent set of multi-media speakers. The inverter has a ciggy lighter connector as standard.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fastcar-150-Wat ... B00BPPGYMC

Not immense power 150 Watt and I would expect the speakers to take 10 Watts maximum. Just so we can play a few tunes at a festival without starting the engine and running the radio.

Now I wanted to know the easiest way to find out if the leisure battery is supplying the ciggy lighter or the starting battery. The obvious way would be plug something in and remove the leisure battery lead. (I am being lazy here!) Any quicker way to work that out.

There is a second ciggy lighter in the rear interior over the passenger side wheel arch as well.

If I find they are connected to the start battery I will just take a small 8Ah sealed small leisure battery
and cut the ciggy lighter plug off and put croc clips on so I will just take the small battery with us.

I prefer not to take the separate battery if poss and like the tidy ciggy plug already on it if possible.

cheers (Mr L. Bones)

[helen&tony]

Hi
I can't think of anything quicker than whipping the connectors off the LB... Also, if they are connected to the SB, why not wire them to the LB...???? If you have a spare afternoon, up-rate all the cabling to both sockets, and nip the fusible link off the back off both and put a thick piece of copper wire in it's place. ADD FUSES appropriately. In the mean-time a crock-clip adapter sounds like a plan....and fuse that as well!
Cheers
Helen

[Tony x]

You could measure the voltage across the LB, then SB and finally the voltage at the cig' lighter socket.
Inverters are a handy bit of kit to have in the Bongo but 150 watts is about the most you want to ask of the cig lighter socket in the front and may be more than the rear one, with it's thin wires (so I'm told) and built in fuse can handle.

[Simon Jones]

Might be worth taking a closer look at the multimedia speakers & see what voltage they actually run at. Many, many years ago, I fitted a pair of mains powered Wharfedale Active Diamonds in a car as I discovered that while they had 240V input, this was stepped down to 12V internally so would happily run off the car battery. If you can avoid converting 12Vdc to 240Vac & then back down again, you'll save a lot of power.

[BongoBongo123]

Thanks for replies. I will pop out when I get a bit of time and check where they are wired by pulling a lead off. I only like doing a job if it is critical or get a garage to, basic body work and protective stuff is more my interest. This is a kind of "add on" really so did not want to get too involved in rewiring and what not. Considering the van was professional converted by AVA at what I would call large cost years ago (fortunately not paid by myself !)I would have though they would be on leisure battery given it is a camper.

Come to think of it though I think the ciggy is only live when the key is in the ignition as my temp alarm is in that when I drive and it does not come on till i turn the key and I want to avoid that (leaving keys in ignition and locking them in miles from home = not good, even though Mrs keeps the spares with her). Might have no choice but to use a little battery I think.

I think they will only draw 15watts or so at the absolute max so they are not high power - 2.5 inch drivers in them. It will not exactly be shaking the van with bass output

[BongoBongo123]

No need to worry for now the thing is DOA (dead on arrival) anyway. Beeps suggesting voltage input is high or low and/or connected device is drawing too much current (nothing plugged in) quality bit of kit eh ? Checked both batteries and both above 12 V

Garbage that is going back.

[cmm303]

Just so we can play a few tunes at a festival without starting the engine and running the radio.

Have you considered switching your radio over to run off LB? Then you don't have to switch the engine on or carry extra clobber. The radio shares the same circuit as ? interior lights ? (Somebody will confirm, it's either that or ciggy lighters) so you'll get a win win either way.

[roosmith]

Just switch the radio to the leisure battery, as others have suggested, that will be far easier than all that faffing and the battery will last longer. Inverters are really inefficient with a lot of energy going to waste.

[BongoBongo123]

I find fiddling with wiring etc. when it is actually all working ok right now daunting and unnecessary risk causing for it to not work, or cause another problem, leaving well alone rings in my ears. I don't want to make Bongo jobs they tend to make themselves well enough ! The junk inverter is going back and I have ordered one with 2 outlets for £14.00 with 200 watt rating so it will end up saving me money hopefully for the inconvenience.

I just want a quick easy fix for this as it will be used 4-5 times a year and the power consumption will be very low. I will probably run it off a small sep sealed Lead acid battery which I already own. I can stick croc clips on the new inverter. Then I can set it up on the ground outside the Bongo if I want as well, sitting in my chair or laying in the summer grass.

I do appreciate the advice but suspect you are more able to do such jobs as you are more experienced. I can do some jobs but wiring in electrical circuits is a bit beyond me or at least a bit beyond what I fancy meddling with.