Replacing Cigarette Lighters for USB Ports on a Boat
We like streaming our shows aboard Yara. Devin is constantly streaming something (lately it has been Survivor, Big Brother, and the standard go-to's of Harry Potter and Vampire Diaries). And ever since Seinfeld hit Netflix, Matt has it playing when doing chores or boat work. Seinfeld premiered in 1989 and some of the references and technologies in the show are of the same era as Yara’s build (1984) and when the original owners outfitted her for their circumnavigation (the mid-1990s).
We’re old enough (well, Matt is…) to remember growing up with some of those references and technologies (to name a few: landlines with tape-recorded answering machines, going to a library to vote in person, fax machines, and cigarette smoking in restaurants). Some of the lifestyle choices and technologies from those days still remain onboard Yara (we still have a fax machine…). And we also have cigarette lighter style outlets and while in the day of Seinfeld they may have served a purpose, we're non-smokers and more interested in charging our devices to stream our shows.
Therefore, we have decided to replace the original 12v cigarette lighters with 12v powered USB ports. We opted for Blue Sea Systems’ 12/24V Dual USB Charger 4.8A:
The 4.8 amp rating is the total amp rating for both USB ports. So 2.4 amps max per port when charging two devices. Which actually pairs quite nicely with the fan we purchased to help blow away hot-foot-season.
Because the space we have at the foot of the v-berth is so small, originally Matt had planned on installing hardwired fans such as those little square fans that are designed to cool a CPU inside a computer case. But with further research, we found this similar sized fan that is designed to sit on a dashboard inside a car and plugs into the car’s USB port (or cigarette lighter with a converter).
We chose this specific fan for three main reasons: 1) it is powered by USB (and not hardwired so we can take it with us to other areas in the boat, the dock, or even in the car), 2) the push-button on/off speed selector so that we don’t need to reach down and turn a dial, and 3) it’s a single unit which made installation very easy.
The fan manufacturer is VERY specific about the fan requiring 2 amps for proper functionality. Matt finds this funny because first of all, the average person who is going to use this in their car isn’t going to know if their USB port can supply 2 amps. And second, even if the person knows their car cannot supply a full two amps, what is the buyer going to do? Would they replace the USB port in their car? Not likely. But aboard a boat, it is very important to know the voltage and amp draw for our devices. We must make sure to size the wiring appropriately, select a properly sized fuse and be able to track our power consumption based on use duration.
Clearly, a good portion of our power consumption is going towards fans and streaming. But hot-feet-season so far is losing and team Yara is winning. We’re both glad this project is done because now it’s time to kick back in bed, click on the fan with a toe, and get back to our shows.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/0-bWitjKARk
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