Hi all,

I realized that this has been answered in the past, but I have gotten a bit of mixed information.

If I want a dedicated power source for my tablet, what would I tap into? I see no fuse boxes in the front of my vehicle, only in my trunk. Where or how would I get a power source that can supply 2.1A at 10W for my Nexus 7 tablet?

Any pictures would be useful as well.

 

I use a dual port 12v usb adaptor in the back lighter socket,
I can't recall the make, but it was a 12v 1.2 Amp adaptor, although you mayn't want to use one of these the rating info should help

 

I didn't think that any lighter sockets were unswitched and constantly giving power even when the car is off. What are you referring to?

 

Bump. Does anyone have a solution for a constantly on power source that is not in the trunk?

 

There should be a fuse you can change to set the lighter socket to always on even when the engine is off. I did it on my w211. It's one of those fuse sockets that have 3 holes, and you move the fuse over to the alternate seating.

 

My friend installed a nexus 7 first gen on his wrx but was using a cheap 1amp charger so his tablet always ran out of battery. Had him switch it to a 2.1amp charger and he hasn't it lose power since. Even with gps and data running simultaneously.

 

An option would be to install a power inverter that is connected to a constant 12v source. The bad thing is that it will probably drain your battery while using your tablet with the engine turned off. I would only use a switched 12v source to prevent draining the battery.

 

Maybe I'll look into that. I thought that my DC inverter was rated at 2.1. My problem has been that I don't drive my car long enough to make up for the 4-6% battery loss over night and the time that it sits at work.

As per the 3 hole fuse and making it constant power, I don't recall ever seeing that, but I'll take a look at it this evening.

As per draining the battery of the vehicle, I appreciate the concern, but I think I have this covered. I can control when the tablet charges, so I will have it charge up to 100%, stop, and wait a few days, then start charging up to 100% again (scheduled charging). Therefore, it would never drain my battery.

Any other thoughts, guys? If the 3 hole fuse option does not work, what else am I left with?

Edit: capt_paul: What 12V source are you talking about that's always on? That's my problem in this thread: where is it, other than the trunk?

 

Unfortunately, none of my fuses have 3 holes as you described to put it in a constant power state. All of my fuses have two holes for each prong.

Does anyone else know where I might be able to tap into a dedicated, always on, power source in the front cabin?

 

If you must have a constant supply, why not just tap directly into the battery as if you were going to install an amp? Short and sweet since you're not running the cable all the way back to the trunk.

Are you permanently installing/integrating the tablet (which one, btw?) into the dash so that you can't remove it? Otherwise, why not just charge it overnight inside the house? Leaving it in the car throughout the day/night would be too attractive for thieves IMO. Also, as tablets these days have very fast boot times, I'd power it down when you arrive at work (not just put it to sleep/turn the screen off by short-pressing the pwr button).

 

I wanted to try and avoid tapping directly to the battery. It would be nice if there was something I could tap into without reaching that far, and under the hood.

This is a permanent install. I'm not too concerned about theft.

I have been turning it off/on each time the car turns off, all controlled by the key in the ignition. Maybe I'm just a bit impatient, but a full minute to start up (from boot to playing Pandora) is a bit too long for me. I would prefer an instant-on solution.

I'm using the Nexus 7 (2013) tablet, by the way.

 

And where would I find this 12v power source you are talking about? The only one mentioned so far is a direct line to the car's battery, which I do not want to touch.

 

Since this thread is probably dead, I'll share my final solution. I ordered a 1500mAh battery that will charge my tablet and be charged while driving. I figure the portable battery will be easier for me to remove and will maybe need to be charged every 2-3 weeks or so. I might do some charging regulation with my tablet as well, and have it pull from the battery for a full charge every time it reaches 50%.