Charging Hand Held Transceiver

[skippydiesel]

Hi All,

 

I have a handheld back up  ICOM airband transceiver and a Uniden handheld CB for contacting farming friends (as I overfly).

 

I have 240V charging stations for each unit. I would like to be able to charge them from my aircrafts 12V port - To this end I have done online research - nothing yet. I have also contacted both manufactures for advice (nothing yet).

 

Do any of you have a solution?

[KRviator]

I have an Icom IC-A16 and the powerpack for that takes 240VAC and outputs 12VDC for the plug to the charging dock.

Easiest solution I see is go buy another dock - in my case an Icom BC-213 - and cut the cable from the transformer to the plug and install a 12VDC male plug on it to suit your panel socket. If you're really paranoid about feeding your "12V radio" from a 13.8V system, you can get a LM7812 regulator that'll give you a pure & regulated 12VDC and install that in the circuit for less than a schooner during happy hour.

For your Uniden, have a look at what the powerpack outputs before doing the same. It may be 5V, 12V or something else. But the beauty of that is the LM78xx series of regulators come in a half-dozen different varieties so you can install one of them in the Uniden charging circuit too. 

[spacesailor]

Buy a plug from an electrical shop , solder a length of reasonable thickness. 

( so it doesn't get hot )wire , making sure the centre post is the same as your 12 v port .

simples 

or if nonecompetent , have a L2 make one up for you .

spacesailor

 

 

 

[skippydiesel]

Thanks for responding KR.

 

Both radios have:

• 240v to 12V  charging stations
• Three terminals on their base, that make contact with the charging station terminals (in a cradle arrangement), 
• This is the Uniden  
• Icom(240/12V charger similar to Uniden) & recommended and Icom recommended 12/12V charger ICOM CP-22   
• Both manufactures seem to make 12V car/lighter to plug charging cables - there is no where on the radios to plug this in.
• There are several (12/12v) potential options for both radios. Naturally the most costly seems to be the recommended ones. All appear to have the same cigaret lighter plug  (with stuff inside?) at one end and similar looking plugs at the other (delivery) end, however the recommended unit for ICOM (above) has bulky looking "boxes" ("regulator" ?) incorporated in to the cable. The non recommended (by the same maker) are far cheaper and just have the usual plugs at each end of the cable.
• I assume that the charging stations/cradle (that came with the radios) must be unplugged from the 240/12V supply and the 12/12V plugged in ???

It seems to me that the options are:

 

Purchase

• a cheap 12/12V charging cable and risk damaging an expensive radio - is there much risk?
• an expensive 12/12V charging cable and hope that it can charge both handhelds by just plugging in to their respective charging cradles ?
• an "LM7812 regulator" and wire it in to the cheap cable ?

On the matter of the "LM7812 regulator"  - Not being an electronics person, I Googled the name and came up with two options:

 

JayCar $1.95  and $4 -$33 similar looking, from various online suppliers  

Which way might I jump???

[skippydiesel]

The recommended ICOM 12/12V charging leads are:

 

• CP-23L and the CP-22

 

Aside from one being at least twice the price of the other, (the expensive one having no less than two boxy items, as part of the lead) I am unable to find out what the performance differences may be.

 

It is likely that one of the above leads, would be suitable to charge both my ICOM & Uniden, through their respective charging cradles (shown above).

 

Help to decide the most most cost effective charging lead will be much appreciated.

[skippydiesel]

I noticed that the input plugs, of the same OD may have diffrent coloured rims (black, blue, red)   

 

Obviously ID & OD will effect fit but what do the colours signify ???