I'm looking for a 12V USB charger that's not a big clunky cigarette lighter plug. Just a little box with two wires to hardwire.

What do you mean? You're looking for something that plugs into the 12V sockets in your car that has a USB outlet (like the one pictured below)? Or are you looking for something to actually hard wire that is just a USB outlet?

he probably means a DC-DC converter, input 9-18V, output 5V, maybe with a low voltage shut-off feature so not to drain the battery.

Chuck Tribolet wrote:I'm looking for a 12V USB charger that's not a big clunky cigarette lighter plug. Just a little box with two wires to hardwire.

most dc/dc converters are more expensive than buying one of those plugs. If you buy one of those, you can probably take the housing off and solder wires to the circuit board (depending on how good you are with a soldering iron) of that usb adapter. Then you can tap into the cigarette lighter wires behind the dash to power the unit. you can hide all these items behind the dash. drill a hole in the dash where you want the usb plug and use this (http://www.cablestogo.com/product.asp?c ... &sku=28061) to mount on the dash.

$30-$40 and you have an in dash usb charger

I want to hard wire.

Yes, I could disassemble a plug and put it in a box, but I'd just as soon buysomething.

You can buy a cigarette lighter socket at any auto parts store with the two wires hanging off of it (such as the one in the image below). You can just get one of those, hard wire it to your car, and then get the Belkin thing above and plug it into the socket and you have a hard wired USB charging outlet. I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find just a USB hub that can be hard wired into a vehicles 12V electrical system.

Pwnin O’Brien wrote:You can buy a cigarette lighter socket at any auto parts store with the two wires hanging off of it (such as the one in the image below). You can just get one of those, hard wire it to your car, and then get the Belkin thing above and plug it into the socket and you have a hard wired USB charging outlet. I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find just a USB hub that can be hard wired into a vehicles 12V electrical system.

It would still be big and clunky. I'll looking for something small.

do you have an after market cd player thats not a double din? you could be creative and hard wire two cigarette lighter plug, one of them plug one of those adapters in like that blekin adapter. and have another empty one for cell charger use or something and make a plate to cover the top of the little cubby hole and flush mount both of them, that way you have some kind of balance. you could just use the one and center it or whatever you prefer. it would cost maybe $40 for all the materials, and take an hour at most.. plus it would be different. just a thought.

What I have is a hands-free speaker phone that I want to mount on the sunvisor and power from the tempearture/compass unit. But there's not a lot ofroom up there.

ah...i would just suggest hard wiring a usb cigarette charger to one of the map lights. your phone wont be pulling much power so the wires are plenty large enough. ive hard wired two radar detectors its not very hard. you would just have to find somewhere to mount the usb port. if you hard wire it you probably have all the plastic taken off so cut the male plug part off and flush mount the flat piece in an empty spot on the roof console.

You shopped around for awhile looking for a Bluetooth speakerphone that was portable, and now you are trying to hard wire it to your car?

Your best bet is to buy the Belkin charger, open it up and just hard wire it to an ignition 12V source (so the Bluetooth unit doesn't stay powered with the vehicle off) and a ground up in the overhead console.

Pwnin: Thanx for the pointer to the Belkin unit. UPS delivered it today, and itis indeed tiny. So the problem is how to get 12V to it without the big clunky socket. The ground side is easy: I can cut down a 3/4" copper pipe union (one you would solder the pipe to) and leave a tab to solder a wire to. I'mstill scratching my head about the +12V side. The unit appears to have beenultrasonically welded, or glued, together. No screws, no snap tabs. If I stillhad access to a lathe, I'd machine a plastic plug for the pipe union, and puta brass machine screw through the cap and an solder lug. But I don't haveaccess to a lathe any more. And 3/4" PVC caps are too big, 1/2" way toosmall

Once Ifigure out how to get the +12V to the nose, the whole shebang will get put inAncor hot-melt-glue-lined heat shrink (this is COOL stuff from the boating industry).

And I'll post pictures.

And I'm not planning on hard-wiring the speaker phone. I just want aconvenient source of power in the PF. The speaker phone will move occasionallyto the 'vette or Adm. Linda's Passat wagon for a road trip.

I'm sure there's some way to crack open that case. Can you get a mini-screwdriver in between those seams on the side? You could also try scoring down the seams with an Xacto knife very carefully until you cut through enough to pull it open.

I wasn't absolute sure I had enough room for the whole unit, so Ifinally bit the bullet and cut it open. I used a Dremel tool with an abrasive cutoffwheel and just went slowly. The picture below shows the pieces after I gotdone cutting. The case pieces are organized in the order that I'd cut them ifI did it again. First the front (the bit that says Belkin, then the back (the bit withthe silver center contact), then the roof at about the 11 and 1 o'clock posistions, Then one side down to even with the top of the side contacts,then broke out the plastic above the other side contact.and finally cut a groove down the bottom of what's left (don't cut all the waythrough, there's a little coil or transformer that touches the inside on thebottom. The groove let me spread the remainder of the cylinder enough thatthe circuit board came out.

Then I cut back the spring (it was about a half inch long, and soldered onthe wires. Be sure to heat sink between where you are soldering and thecircuit board (I used a couple of hemostats).



Here's a close up (MMM, all the pictures of the circuit board show it lying on itsback):

Then I put on some marine-grade heat shrink (It's lined with hot-melt glue soit stays put (and seals out water on the boat, though that's not an issuehere)). I used 3/16" on the red wire and 1/4" on the side contacts.



The next step will be to insulate the outside, probably with heat shrink (probably not glue-lined because I'm afraid of the glue messing up the USB socket), maybe (if I can't find big heat shrink easily) with a couple of turnsof electrical tape.

Watch this space.

Modified by Chuck Tribolet at 1:53 PM 2/22/2010

Modified by Chuck Tribolet at 5:10 PM 2/22/2010
Modified by Chuck Tribolet at 4:02 PM 2/23/2010

Nice work! I am gonna have to try that!

I decided to cut off the side contact that didn't have the black wire on it. I usedthe Dremel tool with an abrasive cut-off wheel again. I went slowly so nothing got hot.

Then I put some 3/4" heat shrink (Home Depot) on:



I then tested it with a 12V wall wart I have, and the LED still lights and themagic smoke stayed inside. So far, so good.
Modified by Chuck Tribolet at 5:04 AM 2/24/2010

I got the project installed in the truck this morning.

Note: this was done on a 2001 Pathfinder SE. Your details may vary wildly,or not at all. Measure twice (or more), cut once.

The ceiling console is held in with one phillips-head screw inside the sunglassescompartment, and four metal clips. Remove the screw, then pop off the ceiling console with a gasket scraper or stiff putty knife. It will then dangledown on three cables. Disconnect the three plugs by pressing in on the release tab with a small screwdriver. Trace the wires from the compass unit.The wires on the compass side are all black, so check the color code at thecorresponding truck-side connector. In my, green with red stripe was 12Vswitched with the ignition, and black was ground. Mark the compass-sideconnector. I used red and black Sharpies.

Now take ceiling console to a comfortable place to work. The plug is securedto the ceiling console with a phillips head screw. Remove the screw, and carefully trim away about 3/8" of insulation on the 12V and ground wires, wrap the wires from the USB plug around where you stripped, and solder. Here's what it will look like:



Now wrap the solder joint with about 1.5" of electrical tape running the longway along the wire. This is called a cigarette wrap. Here's what it will looklike:



Now put it all back together.

Reattach the plug with the phillips head screw.

Tape the USB cord to the USB charger with some electrical tape. You can route the cord out the area around the rear-view mirror. I tucked the cord behind the head liner over to where the sun visor pivots, took a couple of loose turns around the sun visor pivot, the across the leading edge of the sun visor to the hands-free unit.

There's about an extra foot of cord bundled on top of the sun visor that I'llprobably tuck inside the ceiling console sometime, but first I need to figuresome sort of nice clip to secure cord along the leading edge of the sunvisor.

Chuck

This is the old but closest thread I could find.

I wonder if someone used the blank insert next to the gear shifter to install a USB charge? I found online there are a few USB charger inserts for Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. Some Nissans size don't seem to match my insert size. I like to know if there is one USB charger of the exact size to plug in.

My second choice is replace the cigarettes lighter with the USB charge of the same size.

Thank you.

QX4ME wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 27, 2021 8:52 am

This is the old but closest thread I could find.

I wonder if someone used the blank insert next to the gear shifter to install a USB charge? I found online there are a few USB charger inserts for Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans. Some Nissans size don't seem to match my insert size. I like to know if there is one USB charger of the exact size to plug in.

My second choice is replace the cigarettes lighter with the USB charge of the same size.

Thank you.

The blank slots pop out really easily and you just have to find something that could/would fit in it's place.

If want strictly USB charging, something like this would work https://www.ebay.ca/itm/373735994842?ha ... SwjRtbNfzx

I got something similar for the bezel blanks to work with my android auto and it is a USB datacable/charging cable in one

Thanks for the quick reply.
I already took inserts out and replaced then with coin holder insert. The eBay link is not what I am looking for. I prefer USB charger with the exact insert outline . I am trying to not modify, to make it like a factory charger. I have many ways of modifying if I have to.

Most of the lighter-plug types are easily disassembled. I'd just gut one, glue it into a modified insert and hardwire the supply.

Yes, I will probably do your way. I will buy a Nissan insert. If fits great if not gut it out.

doode wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 27, 2021 11:34 am

The blank slots pop out really easily and you just have to find something that could/would fit in it's place.

If want strictly USB charging, something like this would work https://www.ebay.ca/itm/373735994842?ha ... SwjRtbNfzx

I got something similar for the bezel blanks to work with my android auto and it is a USB datacable/charging cable in one

What have you got those switches hooked up to?

I have one of these at our off grid location. Amazon DC Converter with Battery Clip 12V 24V to 5V 8A USB Power Adapter Buck Regulator Charger, 4 Ports Automatically Identify shunt Charging, Suitable for iPhone Android Samsung Galaxy S10 s9 Plus

Fosty wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 27, 2021 9:16 pm

What have you got those switches hooked up to?

Power Antenna
LED spot lights
LED light bar