12 Volt Euro Socket

[dave6330]

On CIRRUS, my beloved Omega 36, I have two 12 volt power jacks, one just behind the helm (as part of the YANMAR control panel) and another at the NAV station. The round plugs are about 31mm across with two posts, slightly offset from the middle and about 9mm apart from each other. I'm having trouble locating a replacement male plug to fit these bad boys and I thought I'd seek advice here before giving up and converting both power connectors to standard American cigarette lighter jacks. I took the jack into an electronics specialty store in Anchorage and the guy just looked at me and said he'd never seen anything like that before.

ARRGGHHH!!!!

[max-on]

Dave, I have an adapter that plugs into the euro plug, it came with the boat though, so I do not know where to get one here, but they do exist. For cost of the adapter it may be easier to change the plug.

[camaraderie]

Is this what you are looking for?
Plug - Male - 2-Pin* - *DC Connectors & Plugs* - *Electrical* - *Downwind Marine Inc
I have a couple of similar 2 pin female conectors on my boat and was able to buy the male screw on connectors down island but not here in the states. This site has a bunch of similar connectors so check out the whole category page if this is not what you need.

[negrini]

You could also contact any BMW Motorrad dealer, as some of those bikes comes with such connectors. You could then adapt. But I believe on Max, as probably is far cheaper and painless if you change it to a standard cigarret.

[tdw]

As slight sidestep rather than a complete hijack ........

We have one of those cigarette jacks on Raven and the damn thing overloads all the time with anything heavier than a phone charger.

Possibly due to it being old and not making a good connection but as I've never had any problems with the plug in types it makes me wonder .....

Ripping it out this wekend and putting in a new one so it'll be interesting to see how that goes.

[jbondy]

With you on the sidestep - I've heard that the cigarette lighter style connectors are very inefficient, which would explain ther overloads. I had to replace both the plug on a coffee maker and put in a heavy duty socket to handle the 300w it draws. I also had to install a dedicated 25A circuit for it, but that's another topic.

I've also had problems with some socket/plug combinations not staying connected very well. I'd love to see a better standard 12v connector. If the one that Dave has is indeed a european standard and it's anything like the one that camaraderie posted, it looks much better on both counts. I'd be an early adopter of a new standard, i.e. replace the plugs on my 12v appliances to match something like that and buy european when I can. We can do better.

[chucklesR]

My 12v worked just fine on Giulietta in Portugal last month, I didn't realize there is a difference.

[camaraderie]

Joel...I have the female version of that plug in my cockpit and have adapted my cockpit bimini light, anchor light and search light all to that standard. I find it much better than the cigarette lighter plugs in that it provides an always solid connection and the screw thread is mechanically much better to keep moisture out. Go for it!

[jbondy]

Camaraderie - Good input. Thanks. Do you know whwere we could look at the specs of these devices? For example, as I mwentioned, I had to upgrade the plug and socket for the coffee maker to ones that could handle the 25A it is rated to draw. These things look solid, but you don't want to use them in an application that exceeds their ratings.

Dave - I'm curious to find out if this is what you are looking for.

[75R20]

Marinco makes a nice 12volt lighter/socket and plug that mate and lock together and work very well. I would think that they could handle the 25amp load that was suggested without a problem. I got mine off Ebay for much less then WM.
No association with the company but they make good products.

Kary
#49080