Plugging radio into power supply into car's AC outlet - bad idea?

[WA7PRC]

Thank god I live in Europe...

Many likely agree.

[KC8QVO]

I use the accessory plugs in work trucks all the time. I have a 3-way power splitter I use to power my GPS, cell phone charger, and my HT. I've used it with my power inverter to run my laptop before, but ever since upgrading to a 1000w inverter I run that off the battery directly. In years past I've used the accessory plugs for radios also - both CB and Ham with no problems, except for popping a fuse on occasion.

In a pinch using the accessory plugs will get you by. I wouldn't have any issue using one. Of course the best route is to directly wire something to the battery, but in many cases that can be more of a pain than its worth.

Something else I'll throw out there is you can get a line directly to the vehicle battery without doing much work in some vehicles. In all the trucks I've had I have been able to pass a wire from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment through the hood/door jam. See below:


The red and black wires there are 12 gauge I believe. I laid them across the crack between the side panel and the A pillar (right above the F-350 emblem there and before the black plastic under the window). I used a flat blade screwdriver to push the wire in to place and move the plastic around so the wire would pass through. Inside the door I just ran the wire down under the floor mat so it would be out of my feet then on to the rear of the cab where my radio was in the back seat. I've used this method several times. A pair of alligator clamps (bigger than your hobby variety, but don't have to be the size of jumper cable clamps) are great. Make up a pair with Powerpole connectors about 10" from the clamps, a fuse holder (with no more than a 25 amp fuse), and a run of wire however long you need it to get to where your radio is. This will give you a bit of head room on current so you can run other accessories too. Everything I have from my air compressor and search light to all my radio gear uses Powerpoles for ease of interconnectivity.

[K0BG]

Let us see.

The most popular vehicle in the British Isles is the Ford Escort, and later versions of same. They're wired the same as their American counterparts. You can use the Japanese system, the EU version, AWG, whatever, the size is still about #14 AWG.

To heck with the wiring size. Do a bit of measuring, and see where the accessory socket's power is fed from. No matter! Let's just assume it is directly to the battery as the proverbial crow flies. It isn', but we'll assume. Okay?

Then, since it is #14, calculate the voltage drop at 10 amps (the usual amperage rating of the outlet—if you can call it that).

Duh!