USB ports

Fancy seeing you here. You're missed *over there*.

Like that setup a lot. Looks great.
Thanks!

Yeah, man it just got so monotonous with all the political crap daily that I didn't see the point anymore. Oct is my busiest month of the year, so I'll probably give it another go in Nov. Hope all is well. I still have 2 more football games to attend on the boat in November, no winterizing here.
 
I did this in the salon where the ipod input was.
20180719_111315.jpg
 
I have not installed yet, but it will be this weekend. eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/253837808962
The only issue with those cheap ebay/Chinese units is that they will not charge any higher amperage devices (2.1A is split) and will only "slow charge" phones, like plugging them into a computer. Should be fine for a phone or small draw devices. I personally would be very careful about fusing requirements on those as they may be prone to failure and fire on boats is a big deal :)

$38 for the Blue Sea, with quick charging and peace of mind, is likely worth it.
 
The only issue with those cheap ebay/Chinese units is that they will not charge any higher amperage devices (2.1A is split) and will only "slow charge" phones, like plugging them into a computer. Should be fine for a phone or small draw devices. I personally would be very careful about fusing requirements on those as they may be prone to failure and fire on boats is a big deal :)

$38 for the Blue Sea, with quick charging and peace of mind, is likely worth it.

I hear what you are saying but it comes with an inline fuse and the other 3 have worked flawlessly for the past year. I just ordered this one to replace one of the others because I liked the voltage readout. My cheap China LEDs have 10 years on them now...
 
I hear what you are saying but it comes with an inline fuse and the other 3 have worked flawlessly for the past year. I just ordered this one to replace one of the others because I liked the voltage readout. My cheap China LEDs have 10 years on them now...
Great to hear! Glad they come with the fuse in-line. Would be curious to see the accuracy of the voltage vs. a quality voltmeter.

The 4.8A is a decent reason since most phones can charge quickly these days. 2.1A takes many hours to charge a phone.
 
I did a similar thing down in the cabin of the 300 DA. It's got 3 sockets, one contain USB ports, the second shows voltage and is a nice blue night light. The third is a standard 12 volt socket for 12 volt appliances and inflator. I've removed the 12 volt at the helm and replaced that with USB ports since the gps has the voltage on it. It's a nice modern upgrade to a 30 year old boat!
 
For those of you that wish to keep your boats original, Carling makes a weather proof USB charger socket that fits in the same footprint/cutout as the dash switches that can be mounted on the bidge or helm control stations. Most boats come with a blank plate in the panel for additions and the Carling V-Charger just snaps in place. At the helm, you can easily get to the 12V electronics buss and ground.

http://www.carlingtech.com/sites/default/files/documents/V-Charger_datasheet.pdf
 
For those of you that wish to keep your boats original, Carling makes a weather proof USB charger socket that fits in the same footprint/cutout as the dash switches that can be mounted on the bidge or helm control stations. Most boats come with a blank plate in the panel for additions and the Carling V-Charger just snaps in place. At the helm, you can easily get to the 12V electronics buss and ground.

http://www.carlingtech.com/sites/default/files/documents/V-Charger_datasheet.pdf

If someone finds a good retailer for these, please post.

Bennett
 
Bennett,

Google:”TTI Carling Technologies”......I’m not where I can look up my receipts.

TTI is a large Carling distributor who will sell retail online. Great customer service and quick shipping.

F
 
Bennett,

Google:”TTI Carling Technologies”......I’m not where I can look up my receipts.

TTI is a large Carling distributor who will sell retail online. Great customer service and quick shipping.

F
Another great find by Frank.
If you google the part number, they have them for 42.55 plus tax and 7.50 ground shipping in the USA. I just ordered one from them.
I especially like the idea of the spring loaded doors to keep things clean inside.
Another good reason to crawl under the shrinkwrap and do some bonding with the boat this winter!
 
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Oh, you're here, Jason?

I had two cigarette lighter ports down below my steering wheel that were pointless, so I found a solution to cover the holes and provide much better value. I have the 1741 temp meter as well and will install it in my dash where a cig lighter socket currently resides.

Here's my $100 (whoops Blue Sea is money) setup which is awesome. Everything can be had here: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Mini-Voltmeter/dp/B0737LDS4L/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540492462&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+sea+voltmeter&th=1

Panel: ($20)


64343XL_2048x.jpg


First (right) port is the 4.8A dual 1045: ($38)
1045.jpg


Second (middle) port is this badazz voltmeter: ($40)
1733.jpg


Old and busted 2 sockets (bottom left of steering wheel):
IMAG0333.jpg


New hotness:
IMAG0804.jpg


IMAG1627-20180508-105838657.jpg

Cool job.

MM
 
For those of you that wish to keep your boats original, Carling makes a weather proof USB charger socket that fits in the same footprint/cutout as the dash switches that can be mounted on the bidge or helm control stations. Most boats come with a blank plate in the panel for additions and the Carling V-Charger just snaps in place. At the helm, you can easily get to the 12V electronics buss and ground.

http://www.carlingtech.com/sites/default/files/documents/V-Charger_datasheet.pdf

Many of the "cheap" ones are not "marine grade", meaning they are not built to handle the voltage variances of a boat. The Carling offers "12V/24V DC power systems (9 to 29 VDC)" operating range, not sure if the Blue Sea does or not.

MM
 
For those of you that ordered the Carling USB chargers, when hey arrive, terminal #1 is negative; Terminal #3 is positive. Mine were not labeled or marked.
Thanks!
 
Many of the "cheap" ones are not "marine grade", meaning they are not built to handle the voltage variances of a boat. The Carling offers "12V/24V DC power systems (9 to 29 VDC)" operating range, not sure if the Blue Sea does or not.

MM
Good call. The cheap Chinese eBay units are certainly not marine grade. They may work for a while, or they may not. For me, it's worth fixing it right the first time and then forgetting about it. I just think about whether I want to waste time messing with it every few seasons, or use it without worrying about failure.

Blue Sea is one of the foremost marine electrical component manufacturers. Their rigorous testing methods are noted in their reliability of their products (and cost). They do list 9-32VDC as their range, which is even wider than the Carling. You can't really go wrong with either Blue Sea or Carling.

That being said, it's great that somebody posted an alternative unit, the Carling model, but, unfortunately, the Carling is inferior to the Blue Sea unit bracketracer posted in nearly every performance metric. And, with the units being about the same price, the Blue Sea 1039 is a clear winner in comparison.
  • First, the Carling unit has an output of 3.15A, or only 1.57A per port. The Blue Sea is at 4.8A total, which is 2.4A per port, enough power to charge larger devices, some at quick charge levels, such as an iPad or other tablet/phablet.
  • Second, the Blue Sea unit has intelligent device recognition capability, which allow more devices (phone/tablet/etc) to draw power in their quick charge modes and pull the full amperage. The Carling unit does not have any device recognition listed, or any Qualcomm protocol. The Carling unit will never quick charge a device.
  • Third, the mounting depth of the Blue Sea unit is far shallower than the Carling. The Blue Sea only requires 1.83" of mounting depth from the face of the panel. The Carling requires 3.33", nearly double! That's huge. Someone without a lot of headspace behind their mounting panel may not be able to fit the Carling unit. Blue Sea's form factor is more compact.
  • Fourth, the parasitic draw (unused draw) of the Blue Sea is slightly lower at 1.0mA, versus 1.5mA for the Carling. Nearly negligible, but worth noting.
  • Fifth (subjective), the rubber cover on the Blue Sea seems like it may be easier to use than the spring loaded doors on the Carling, the Blue Sea also may allow easier one-handed plug in. Carling typically requires two hands, one to hold the door open, the other to insert the plug.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/1039/Fast_Charge_-_Dual_USB_Charger_Switch_Mount
 

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