Cigarette Lighter Adapter- Cessna 172

I've been flying for 7 years now, and a few weeks ago I attempted to
plug in my portable GPS unit into a 2003 172 and ... I couldn't. The
"standard" cigarette adapter has been replaced with a smaller
something. I didn't have time to look too closely as to what the new
outlet is. The GPS was just a backup and I was just going locally .

If anyone else has experienced this, I would appreciate any info on
what adapter I would need to continue to use the "old" cigarette size
plug and who sells them.

Thanks in advance.

What brand and model is the GPS? Is it a smaller size power
adapter that came with the GPS or is the problem a change in
the cigarette lighter in the airplane?


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

wrote in message
ups.com...
| I've been flying for 7 years now, and a few weeks ago I
attempted to
| plug in my portable GPS unit into a 2003 172 and ... I
couldn't. The
| "standard" cigarette adapter has been replaced with a
smaller
| something. I didn't have time to look too closely as to
what the new
| outlet is. The GPS was just a backup and I was just going
locally .
|
| If anyone else has experienced this, I would appreciate
any info on
| what adapter I would need to continue to use the "old"
cigarette size
| plug and who sells them.
|
| Thanks in advance.
|

SPORTY's sells the specific Cessna adaptor.
http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl....ID=9591&DID=19
Now you can plug your handheld GPS into your new Cessna's electrical
system with this handy adapter. Simply insert the small end of the
connector into the airplane's 12 volt cabin power outlet, then plug your
GPS, radio or laptop into the female cigarette adapter end. The adapter
weighs almost nothing, but will stand up to almost any abuse. Measures 8
1/2 in. long.
Ordering Information
12V Cabin Power Connector
Item Number: 7826A
Price: $19.95

I could be wrong, but I think Cessna changed the size of the cigarette
lighter plug strictly because so many people were plugging their 12 volt
equipment into the 24 volt aircraft supply and blowing the supply up.

CAUTION. Cessna changed to a 24 volt system sometime in the late 70s/early
80s.

Jim



wrote in message
ups.com...
I've been flying for 7 years now, and a few weeks ago I attempted to
plug in my portable GPS unit into a 2003 172 and ... I couldn't. The
"standard" cigarette adapter has been replaced with a smaller
something. I didn't have time to look too closely as to what the new
outlet is. The GPS was just a backup and I was just going locally .

If anyone else has experienced this, I would appreciate any info on
what adapter I would need to continue to use the "old" cigarette size
plug and who sells them.

Thanks in advance.

Yea, really annoying thing. Only lasted one or two model years before
they went back to the standard lighter socket.

On Thu, 03 Aug 2006 22:17:58 GMT, john smith wrote:

SPORTY's sells the specific Cessna adaptor.
http://www.sportys.com/acb/showdetl....ID=9591&DID=19
Now you can plug your handheld GPS into your new Cessna's electrical
system with this handy adapter. Simply insert the small end of the
connector into the airplane's 12 volt cabin power outlet, then plug your
GPS, radio or laptop into the female cigarette adapter end. The adapter
weighs almost nothing, but will stand up to almost any abuse. Measures 8
1/2 in. long.
Ordering Information
12V Cabin Power Connector
Item Number: 7826A
Price: $19.95

All the new (since the line started back up) 172R/S models have
transformers. The outlets are 12V.


On Thu, 3 Aug 2006 16:02:08 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote:

I could be wrong, but I think Cessna changed the size of the cigarette
lighter plug strictly because so many people were plugging their 12 volt
equipment into the 24 volt aircraft supply and blowing the supply up.

CAUTION. Cessna changed to a 24 volt system sometime in the late 70s/early
80s.

Jim



wrote in message
oups.com...
I've been flying for 7 years now, and a few weeks ago I attempted to
plug in my portable GPS unit into a 2003 172 and ... I couldn't. The
"standard" cigarette adapter has been replaced with a smaller
something. I didn't have time to look too closely as to what the new
outlet is. The GPS was just a backup and I was just going locally .

If anyone else has experienced this, I would appreciate any info on
what adapter I would need to continue to use the "old" cigarette size
plug and who sells them.

Thanks in advance.

I don't mean to be pedantic, but you can't "transform" a DC voltage;
transformers only work on AC. Do they use a center tap on the battery or a
regulator? If they use a regulator, it had damned well better be a hefty
one to take the slug of current that a cigarette lighter draws.

Jim



"Peter Clark" wrote in message
...
All the new (since the line started back up) 172R/S models have
transformers. The outlets are 12V.

wrote:
I've been flying for 7 years now, and a few weeks ago I attempted to
plug in my portable GPS unit into a 2003 172 and ... I couldn't. The
"standard" cigarette adapter has been replaced with a smaller
something. I didn't have time to look too closely as to what the new
outlet is. The GPS was just a backup and I was just going locally .

If anyone else has experienced this, I would appreciate any info on
what adapter I would need to continue to use the "old" cigarette size
plug and who sells them.

Thanks in advance.

Do people really smoke cigarettes while flying?

Do people really smoke cigarettes while flying?

My instrument flight instructor did, but not when I was in the plane.

Jose
--
The monkey turns the crank and thinks he's making the music.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

agbangsit On 3 Aug 2006 20:40:39 -0700, "Andrew Sarangan"
wrote:
Do people really smoke cigarettes while flying?

If a person is seriously addicted to them, then yeah, I suspect so...
Hell, I've seen people who have had a laryngectomy or tracheostomy due
to cancer from smoking end up later smoking through the hole in their
neck... Even though I've never smoked, I don't want to give up my
lighter plug in my aircraft or any of my cars... I use them for too
many other gadgets that I don't want to do without... I even built my
own 9 Ah power supply box out of a boating dry-box with a bulkhead
mounted lighter-type port for a 12VDC supply... It also has a bulkhead
computer power cord type receptacle so that I can plug it into the
wall for charging... Standard lead acid type battery, but sealed, so I
can carry it on commercial airliners... Lets me have a small portable
DVD player with me and not have to worry about how long the battery
might last... OK, to be more precise, it lets Grace & Kaitlyn have it
with them and I don't have to listen to them complain about not having
enough battery power for an entire day wasted travelling...