Charging phones in fore cabin

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   With today's need to charge your mobile phone overnight I have been thinking of fitting sockets in the fore cabin for some time. My daughter often plays on her iPad when we are sailing and I use my mobile phone as an alarm clock and I need it to be fully charged in the morning before going to work. 

After having contemplated whether to use a cigarette socket or USB I decided to go for the latter and would like to share my experience with you. 

I have one USB socket on each side and I take the electricity from the two reading lamps. The cabinets are built in such a way that there is 50 mm space between the outer wall and the inner one. This can be seen in the below picture where I have drilled the hole, so there is room for the cable and the socket itself. There was no need to drill a hole all the way through into the cabinet. 

I plan to add switches to the sockets as I don't want and idle current. 

Johan

Edited by Johan Hackman - 03 December 2016 at 10:39

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Johan Hackman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 24 August 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 4361	Post Options Post Reply Quote Johan Hackman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Charging phones in fore cabin Posted: 03 December 2016 at 10:37
	With today's need to charge your mobile phone overnight I have been thinking of fitting sockets in the fore cabin for some time. My daughter often plays on her iPad when we are sailing and I use my mobile phone as an alarm clock and I need it to be fully charged in the morning before going to work. After having contemplated whether to use a cigarette socket or USB I decided to go for the latter and would like to share my experience with you. I have one USB socket on each side and I take the electricity from the two reading lamps. The cabinets are built in such a way that there is 50 mm space between the outer wall and the inner one. This can be seen in the below picture where I have drilled the hole, so there is room for the cable and the socket itself. There was no need to drill a hole all the way through into the cabinet. I plan to add switches to the sockets as I don't want and idle current. Johan Edited by Johan Hackman - 03 December 2016 at 10:39
	http://www.johanhackman.se

Johan Hackman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 24 August 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 4361	Post Options Post Reply Quote Johan Hackman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 December 2016 at 10:42
	This is the result: Johan
	http://www.johanhackman.se

r schupak Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Commander Joined: 14 February 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 138	Post Options Post Reply Quote r schupak Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 December 2016 at 12:29
	Hi Johan--Interesting idea & one that I was also thinking of (& adding an additional 12 v outlet in the cockpit). More & more I am using Wifi with my Raymarine a7 GPS / chartplotter which can transmit anywhere to my ipad. I use it on my pedestal but have been limited by the ipads battery. I can control the GPS with the ipad & have also done so while in the cabin (waiting to try it from the head LOL). If any one has installed an outlet in the cockpit (especially of a type 341) or has any ideas please let me know. Robert
	Robert Schupak Mamaroneck,NY 2004 341 Getting old is inevitable;growing up is optional !!

skipper Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Vice Admiral Joined: 16 February 2008 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 825	Post Options Post Reply Quote skipper Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 December 2016 at 16:45
	Hi Johan, thanks for sharing this idea, like the simple solution and agree on that we don't want to waste el. energy so a switch is needed. Searched and to my big surprise does Hjertmans in Sweden have one USB outlet with a switch from Båtsystem (model called Frilight). Cost around 58 Euro
	Cheers, Skipper Former owner of Hanse 342 2005 (Sparcraft mast, white hull, wheel steering, deep draft keel, short rudder)

robh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 30 March 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 251	Post Options Post Reply Quote robh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 December 2016 at 20:00
	Great idea Johan, I have a mains socket in the forward cabin for fast charging my Samsung android phone and tablet. I also have a 12volt socket for using a car type charger with a USB lead and have been thinking for a while of installing a mains socket with a USB socket. This option gives me the USB outlet that I can then use when not connected to the mains, however, I need to find a surface mount USB like you have fitted that has the adaptive fast charging facility.
	Cheers, Rob "Blue Horizon" Hanse 341#113 Portsmouth Harbour UK

robh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 30 March 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 251	Post Options Post Reply Quote robh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 December 2016 at 20:36
	Robert, I have a car cigar lighter socket and LED lamp installed on the back of the instrument pod on my wheel pedestal that work fine. I like the cigar socket better in the cockpit as it is useful for a variety of things giving 12volts where the USB only provides 5volts. I suppose you could have both once you have run in the cables, if that suited your needs. I run the 12 volt feed from the saloon power board (12volt power plug fused switch position on bottom right) using a mousing wire in the ducting that runs from the saloon to the port rear cockpit locker at the same time as I run the control wire for the bow thruster. Once in this locker its fairly easy to run these wires under the cockpit floor to the pedestal pod. However, you will have to push a mousing wire from the hole in the port side tube of the pedestal, which is inside the pod down and under the floor into the rear cockpit locker. Once you have done this you can tape the feed wires to the mousing wire and pull them the rest of the way into the pod. There is only one little issue you may come across and that is you will most likely need to loosen the wires in the pedestal tube as in my pedestal the factory had injected a quantity of sealant into this tube around the wires. This took a while to dig out but dependent on the size of the wire you want to install you may be able to get through without a fight.
	Cheers, Rob "Blue Horizon" Hanse 341#113 Portsmouth Harbour UK

Johan Hackman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 24 August 2005 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 4361	Post Options Post Reply Quote Johan Hackman Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 December 2016 at 16:47
	I just measured the idle current of my USB-sockets and it is just 0.01 Amps. I don't think this small current requires separate switches, or do they? If you want to turn them off you turn them off with the same two buttons for the cabin lights (starboard and port) on the switchboard at the chart table. What would you guys do? Johan
	http://www.johanhackman.se

Konstantin Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 24 August 2014 Status: Offline Points: 223	Post Options Post Reply Quote Konstantin Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 04 December 2016 at 19:41
	I wouldn't bother with switches. I've got 2 USB chargers on Wurst panel and they are always on. But thank you for sharing! I will certainly do this next time I'm on the boat.

Fendant Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 03 November 2012 Location: Switzerland Status: Offline Points: 1671	Post Options Post Reply Quote Fendant Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 December 2016 at 00:10
	Same here, I have installed two additional double USB sockets without switches.
	Frank

robh Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 30 March 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 251	Post Options Post Reply Quote robh Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 05 December 2016 at 00:38
	The USB sockets you've installed in the Cabin light feed are fuse protected from the cabin light switch/fuse on the main panel but the one I have installed in my cabin is run directly back to the 12 volt switch/supply as is the one I have installed in the cockpit. These separate supplies require protection so connecting to the dedicated switch/fuse on the panel that Hanse installed when your boat was built provides that protection and keeps all your supplies in one place and on a fuse you can reset. I certainly would not run in an additional separate electrical feed without installing circuit some form of protection, either a panel fuse or a separate inline one. This is more important with the 12volt connection in the cockpit as you never know what you or one of your crew may connect to this that may overload the circuit. This is the safest option ensuring that should you get a fault the fuse will blow rather than overheat the wiring with the possibility of setting your boat on fire. As I have said by installing the low voltage/current USB sockets in the cabin light feed that was already installed by Hanse at the factory you have effected a fused USB connection at whatever rate the lights are fused, so these are protected. Fusing other circuits is obviously your choice but don't you think your boat and your life is worth a little extra effort? Stay safe.
	Cheers, Rob "Blue Horizon" Hanse 341#113 Portsmouth Harbour UK



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