Charging in car

[shawnster]

I've got an Uniden SC-150B scanner that I'm thinking about using in my car. I have an extra plug that will fit into the scanner. If it cut that plug and wire it into my car (12VDC) will it work and charge my scanner battery too???

Shawn

 

[Viper43]

I use an inverter from Radio Shack and just use the regular wall charger. I also use it for the laptop and my camera battery charger. I have extra large batteries in both my vehicles (1100+ CCA)so even if I leave the the inverter and my mobile amature radio on all night and all day they start right up. Heck, I have even left the headlights on all day and they start. I think I paid $79 for the inverter and it's run everything I have tried to run on it, even a large destop computer and monitor. It's a 300Watt inverter with 600w peak.

V

 

[shawnster]

That would be a great idea, but I don't have my AC adaptor. I lost it in a move a few months ago and if I can charge my battery in my car then I'll do that. I don't use the scanner very often. Thanks.

Shawn

 

[Viper43]

Well when you buy the inverter buy an adaptor, you can't just charge the batteries directly connecting them to the cars 12v system, you'll blow up the batteries and probably burn the car up too. The adaptor has a cicuit to protect the batteries during charging, they do not put 12v straight to the batteries. Depending on the scanner it may not take 12v. many are 9v now, and again, putting 12v to the scanner could cause serious damage to the scanner and car if it's only a 9v scanner.

V

 

[slicerwizard]

I have an extra plug that will fit into the scanner. If it cut that plug and wire it into my car (12VDC) will it work and charge my scanner battery too???

Yes, it'll work just fine as long as you don't get the polarity wrong. An inline fuse (0.5 to 1 amp) would be a good idea.

Ignore Viper43; he seems to have no clue about this. The stock adapter puts out well over 12 volts, yet nothing blows up. At least your automotive electrical system has some regulation built in to it (not that the scanner cares one way or the other).

 

[glide]

Yes, it'll work just fine as long as you don't get the polarity wrong. An inline fuse (0.5 to 1 amp) would be a good idea.

Ignore Viper43; he seems to have no clue about this. The stock adapter puts out well over 12 volts, yet nothing blows up. At least your automotive electrical system has some regulation built in to it (not that the scanner cares one way or the other).

The ac charger that came with my scanner puts out 6 volts. Why would I want to put a cars 12 volts into it?? Viper 43 is correct.It's you that's confused.

 

[slicerwizard]

Since you don't have an SC-150B, the output voltage of your AC adapter has no relevance to this discussion. Why don't you step up and tell us what model you have?

 

[glide]

Since you don't have an SC-150B, the output voltage of your AC adapter has no relevance to this discussion. Why don't you step up and tell us what model you have?

Forget about it. I don't intend to get into a pissing contest on a forum I joined for enjoyment.

 

[dovaka]

plugging the sc-150b right into 12v is fine to charge it as the charing circuitry is inside the radio itself not the power plug
this is true for alot of radios but not all i have some that are 6v 9v and 12v and obviously plugging 12v into a radio that runs off of 6v or 9v will end up bad

 

[slicerwizard]

obviously plugging 12v into a radio that runs off of 6v or 9v will end up bad

Not entirely true. For example, a 246T runs off a "6 volt" adapter, but running it directly off 12 volts will not hurt it.

 

[dovaka]

Not entirely true. For example, a 246T runs off a "6 volt" adapter, but running it directly off 12 volts will not hurt it.

thats interesting that they would have it setup to use variable input instead of just letting it run off of 12v all the time

 

[slicerwizard]

Indeed. It's the only scanner I've owned that doesn't use a linear regulator. As supply voltage goes up, the current draw goes down, so it's using a charge pump or a switching regulator.

 

[radio50]

Not entirely true. For example, a 246T runs off a "6 volt" adapter, but running it directly off 12 volts will not hurt it.

I'm not sure what will or won't work, but FWIW Uniden now puts this sticker on the back of the 246T.

 

[danimac67]

I'm not sure what will or won't work, but FWIW Uniden now puts this sticker on the back of the 246T.

It's also on my 396t