Anyone tried using a portable 12v cooler in your plane?

While cruising through Wal-Mart this evening, I saw a couple of those 12
volt electric coolers designed for use in a car and I started wondering
if anyone has used one in your plane? If so, how good/bad did it work?
Any issues with the plane's electrical system? Was it worth not
having to deal with ice?

Thanks!

--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:37:42 -0800, Jack Allison
wrote:

While cruising through Wal-Mart this evening, I saw a couple of those 12
volt electric coolers designed for use in a car and I started wondering
if anyone has used one in your plane? If so, how good/bad did it work?
Any issues with the plane's electrical system? Was it worth not
having to deal with ice?

I used one in my Warrior once or twice. This was a Koolatron. As
nearly as I could tell, it worked just as well in the air as it did in
a car. Strapped it down in the baggage compartment and threaded the
cord up front to the lighter socket. You just need to make sure the
vents are clear so it can get cooling air. It doesn't appear to make
any electrical noise that might constitute a hazard to radio
navigation. DC current flows through the semiconductor thermoelectric
device and the small electric fan is very quiet, both electrically and
audibly. There appear to be no problems at all.

If there's an AC converter then it will keep your stuff cool (or warm,
if it's reversible) indefinitely while in a hotel room. No extra
weight for ice or water. No pouring off water or spilling water all
over everything. No water dripping from whatever you take out of it.
No chasing around looking for replacement ice. It works better if it's
pre-cooled though and it can take quite a while for it to cool down a
load of room-temperature sodas, but if they're already cold it'll do
fine keeping them that way. That's where the AC converter can help,
you can start it cooling down the night before you leave.

This assumes that the electrical system is 12 volt. For a 24 volt
airplane you'd probably have to work something out. I suppose if the
lighter socket is already powering a computer or GPS then that might
also be an issue.

RK Henry

On Wed, 02 Nov 2005 21:37:42 -0800, Jack Allison
wrote:

While cruising through Wal-Mart this evening, I saw a couple of those 12
volt electric coolers designed for use in a car and I started wondering
if anyone has used one in your plane? If so, how good/bad did it work?
Any issues with the plane's electrical system? Was it worth not
having to deal with ice?

I would check the current draw on the cooler. Coleman lists their
PowerChill40 at 4 amps @ 12V. Most cig lighters on light GA have ~ a
5 amp circuit breaker, so not much margin.

Also, I have spent some time messing with peltier coolers. The unit
that I had required about 50% higher current than steady state during
initial temperature ramp.

-Nathan

How many cans of beer do you consume per hour of flight?

Like the boaters, just hang a mesh bag full of soda out your window.
You can secure it to your seat with some rope, about 20-30 feet should
be enough to dangle the drinks beneath and below your aircraft for wind
maximum cooling.

Don't forget to retract it before landing or any heavy maneuvering,
otherwise adverse reactions may occur.

Ben Hallert
PP-ASEL

Jack Allison wrote:

While cruising through Wal-Mart this evening, I saw a couple of those 12
volt electric coolers designed for use in a car and I started wondering
if anyone has used one in your plane? If so, how good/bad did it work?
Any issues with the plane's electrical system? Was it worth not
having to deal with ice?

I've used one in a car before and not been real impressed with the
cooling capacity.

In article . com,
"Paul kgyy" wrote:

How many cans of beer do you consume per hour of flight?

I was going to say it doesn't keep the six pack of beer cold enough. ;-)

On 2005-11-03, Jack Allison wrote:
While cruising through Wal-Mart this evening, I saw a couple of those 12
volt electric coolers designed for use in a car and I started wondering
if anyone has used one in your plane? If so, how good/bad did it work?

I got one for plane use, but never actually used it for fear of draining
the battery by forgetting to turn it off. I also don't take many flights
where ice is insufficient. My experience using it with the AC power
supply is that it will not cool down warm cans -- it will only keep cold
cans cold. A good icepack will keep your drinks cold durin a layover,
but I suspect the mini fridge will just let them warm up and then be
unable to chill them.

--
Ben Jackson

http://www.ben.com/

john smith wrote:

I was going to say it doesn't keep the six pack of beer cold enough. ;-)
When compared to MontBlack's PMC, *nothing* keeps beverages of any sort
cold enough. So, Paul...care to enlighten us on PMC v2.0? Wheels?
Hinged lid? Padded seat on the top? All of the above? :-)


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)

Ben Hallert wrote:
Like the boaters, just hang a mesh bag full of soda out your window.
You can secure it to your seat with some rope, about 20-30 feet should
be enough to dangle the drinks beneath and below your aircraft for wind
maximum cooling.
Hmmm, didn't consider this as one of the disadvantages of a low wing :-)
Well, that and the storm window on a piper would be a one can at a
time deal.


--
Jack Allison
PP-ASEL-IA Student
Arrow N2104T

"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth
with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there
you will always long to return"
- Leonardo Da Vinci

(Remove the obvious from address to reply via e-mail)