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

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

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.

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.

"RST Engineering" wrote:

I don't mean to be pedantic...

LOL

RST Engineering wrote:
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


Only if it is indeed a cigarette lighter and not just a cylindrical 12V
power outlet. My plane has the latter (it just has a plastic cap on
it). I would blow the breaker if I tried to stick a cigarette lighter
in there.

On Thu, 3 Aug 2006 20:05:39 -0700, "RST Engineering"
wrote in
:

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.

That would be about 10 amps if it's similar to an automobile.