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--- electrical:12v:power_mix [2024/06/02 21:07]
frater_secessus [the ciggy port]
+++ electrical:12v:power_mix [2024/06/30 10:54] (current)
frater_secessus [alternator]
@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ===== alternator =====
-[[electrical:12v:alternator|Alternator charging]] is usually the biggest bang-for-buck charging offgrid.((bulk stage charging, at least))  It is automatic((unless you are using a manual switch, not recommended)) and will charge whenever you are driving.  **Consider the alternator as the backbone of your charging if you drive daily or near-daily**.
+[[electrical:12v:alternator|Alternator charging]] is usually the biggest bang-for-buck charging offgrid.((bulk stage charging, at least))  It is automatic((unless you are using a manual switch, not recommended)) and will charge whenever you are driving.  **Consider the alternator as the backbone of your charging if you drive daily or near-daily**, or live in an area of poor [[electrical:solar:output|insolation]].
 For many people [[electrical:12v:alternator#combiners|a plain combiner]] (relay, solenoid, VSR, "isolator") will be cheap and highly effective for [[electrical:12v:charging#bulk_stage|Bulk charging]]. Direct charging like this will often be most efficient in early morning [[electrical:12v:alternator#charging_current_patterns|when bank voltage is the lowest]].
@@ Line 28: / Line 28: @@
 {{ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/A-typical-12-volt-car-power-outlet-socket.jpg?125}}
-The vehicle's factory 12v outlet ("cigarette lighter") is typically fused at 10A, so it can provide ~120w of power before the fuse pops (12v x 10A = 120w).((Since chassis voltage will likely be at least 13.6v the actual power available is probably 136w or greater.  But it's best not to push it unless one has a spare fuse handy.))   120w is much lower than the power a normal [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator charging setup]] or [[electrical:12v:b2b|DC-DC charger]] can provide so we have to make maximal use of every opportunity to charge.  To paraphrase [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_%28film%29|Glengarry Glen Ross]]:  "ABC. A, //always//.  B,  //be//. C, //charging//."
+The vehicle's factory 12v outlet ("cigarette lighter") is typically fused at 10A, so it can provide ~120w of power before the fuse pops (12v x 10A = 120w).((Since chassis voltage will likely be at least 13.6v the actual power available is probably 136w or greater.  But it's best not to push it unless one has a spare fuse handy.))
-If you are maxing the outlet at 120w and you drive for half an hour you an harvest 60Wh of energy from the ciggy port.  (120w x 0.5 hours = 60 Watt-hours)
+**Consider the ciggy port as a backbone of your charging setup** if you drive enough, time-wise, to harvest enough energy to run your small loads.
-Still, it's present on most cars so no installation is required.
+w is much lower than the power a normal [[electrical:12v:alternator|alternator charging setup]] or [[electrical:12v:b2b|DC-DC charger]] can provide so we have to make maximal use of every opportunity to charge.  To paraphrase [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glengarry_Glen_Ross_%28film%29|Glengarry Glen Ross]]:  "ABC. A, //always//.  B,  //be//. C, //charging//."
+If you are maxing the outlet at 120w and you drive for half an hour you an harvest 60Wh of energy from the ciggy port.  (120w x 0.5 hours = 60 Watt-hours)  For comparison, on the same drive a 50A DC-DC charger would harvest ~675Wh.
+Still, it's present on most cars so it's free and no installation is required.  DC-DC are $$$ and require some work to install.

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