Okay, so this should be an easy one, just can't pin down any particular thread with the relevant info.

 

After seeing a USB socket installed in one of the centre console blanks where the AIRBAG OFF and TPS buttons usually are, I thought I might install this for sticking a phone into, etc. Anyway, from what I can see, the metal surround has to be fed from the front before securing because of the natural lip of the female USB socket, otherwise you need to drill a hole big enough to push through from the back and then secure it to stop it falling back through again. Got that bit cracked as I've found a cigarette charger which will have all the necessary electrics to power it down from 12v, BUT... can you guys tell me;

 

1) looking at the picture of the opened up ciggy charger, I'm presuming the positive and negative are sent through the two areas I've ringed in red, basically the pin at the base and the spring winged bits on the side. Am I correct in this and is it positive on the bottom pin and negative on the two springs?

 

 

2) Can anyone think of a reason why this doesn't work universally if it's hard wired into something like the cigarette lighter as loads of these things on ebay say 'does not work on i-phone' or something similar.

 

3) If I just wanted it switched live on the ignition, where's the easiest place to connect to and are there any spare switched places on the fuseboard itself?

 

Cheers guys, appreciate any help.

Just seen one of these on ebay for a couple of quid; thinking of unsoldering the silver USB external cover on the left (as it's just a soldered pin on either side of the pcb), pushing it through the hole cut in the blank, and then resoldering it back in place on the pcb. Seems a simple case of wiring up the positive & negative after that...

 

 

... what do you guys reckon, is it really that simple??

Edited 13 April, 201511 yr by blackspaven

Wouldn't it be easier to use one of these?

You then don't have to pick anything apart.

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&id=121473300443&alt=web

I hard wired one of them in for my dashcam.

How would you suggest you make one of those usb ports flush mounted on a centre console blank plate?