Sky 12v engine heater

[Cj 1939]

Hi can I use a car cigarette lighter socket to power my sky engine heater?

 

[tntpoof]

as long as it doesn't exceed cl lighter amps.. Id have a extra fuse and make sure your car battery is up to the task..id start car often.and have the ability to jump car another way

 

[Cj 1939]

as long as it doesn't exceed cl lighter amps.. Id have a extra fuse and make sure your car battery is up to the task..id start car often.and have the ability to jump car another way

Great thanks I've checked the spec's of the heater and it says 90 watts which converts to 7.5 amps and the cigarette lighter is 15 amp fuse so should be ok

 

[tntpoof]

its a 6.25 amp draw but whos counting

 

[tudordewolf]

its a 6.25 amp draw but whos counting

Looks like CJ used 12V, which makes sense if the car is off, and you used 14.4V, which makes sense if it's running. Point is that socket is good for at least 10A.

Great thanks I've checked the spec's of the heater and it says 90 watts which converts to 7.5 amps and the cigarette lighter is 15 amp fuse so should be ok

You car battery should be able to handle that no problem, just make sure you don't leave the rest of the electronics running after you start your nitro, or that might wind up draining your battery while you're bashing around. This is assuming you're talking about doing it with the engine off.

I carry a batteryless jump starter next to my spare tire, just in case I find myself at the middle-of-nowhere flying field with a flat battery and nobody around to jump it. That way, even a nearly flat 3S (if not the car's own battery) will have enough power to get the car going. It's pretty nifty, basically a big bank of super capacitors that can jump a car.

 

[Cj 1939]

Looks like CJ used 12V, which makes sense if the car is off, and you used 14.4V, which makes sense if it's running. Point is that socket is good for at least 10A.



You car battery should be able to handle that no problem, just make sure you don't leave the rest of the electronics running after you start your nitro, or that might wind up draining your battery while you're bashing around. This is assuming you're talking about doing it with the engine off.

I carry a batteryless jump starter next to my spare tire, just in case I find myself at the middle-of-nowhere flying field with a flat battery and nobody around to jump it. That way, even a nearly flat 3S (if not the car's own battery) will have enough power to get the car going. It's pretty nifty, basically a big bank of super capacitors that can jump a car.

Yeah I was going to put the car in the foot well and heat it up on route then it will be good to go when I get there

 

[tntpoof]

that would ne fine no lose of battery voltage so car wont start..

 

[Greywolf74]

I carry a batteryless jump starter next to my spare tire,

How does that work? Do you have to pedal it?

 

[tudordewolf]

How does that work? Do you have to pedal it?

I've considered buying a hand crank dynamo for that purpose, just so I could say I've hand-started my car.

It's a capacitor bank that can charge itself up from a nearly-dead car battery that's too flat to crank the starter, but still has some voltage left, and then it provides the surge of current needed to start the engine. I got the Schumacher "DSR108" for under $60, worth it for the backup.

 

[Greywolf74]

I've considered buying a hand crank dynamo for that purpose, just so I could say I've hand-started my car.

It's a capacitor bank that can charge itself up from a nearly-dead car battery that's too flat to crank the starter, but still has some voltage left, and then it provides the surge of current needed to start the engine. I got the Schumacher "DSR108" for under $60, worth it for the backup.

Interesting. I didnt know they made such a critter. I have those lithium powered starter boxes in my vehichles. Will yours still work if the battery is really dead, like when you leave your lights on?

 

[tudordewolf]

Interesting. I didnt know they made such a critter. I have those lithium powered starter boxes in my vehichles. Will yours still work if the battery is really dead, like when you leave your lights on?

If the battery has been drained flat, then no, but my car has surprised me once by having enough power to light up the dash but not crank the engine.

It has a USB input so a power bank or even most recent phones could juice it up for at least one start, though it may take longer. A 3-cell lipo from my planes or the transmitter battery from my radio could also juice it up, if I somehow run my battery flat at the field.

I could also carry a pack of lithium type double-A batteries, which have a 25-year shelf life, that I only open up in case nothing else works, and just a 4-pack would be enough to charge the jumpstarter.

It could be a cool video for a hip tech YouTuber, "I jump started my car with my phone" (shocked YouTuber face thumbnail), testing all the different small power sources that could provide a start.

 

[Greywolf74]

If the battery has been drained flat, then no, but my car has surprised me once by having enough power to light up the dash but not crank the engine.

It has a USB input so a power bank or even most recent phones could juice it up for at least once start, though it may take longer. A 3-cell lipo from my planes or the transmitter battery from my radio could also juice it up, if I somehow run my battery flat at the field.

I could also carry a pack of lithium type double-A batteries, which have a 25-year shelf life, that I only open up in case nothing else works, and just a 4-pack would be enough to charge the jumpstarter.

It could be a cool video for a hip tech YouTuber, "I jump started my car with my phone" (shocked YouTuber face thumbnail), testing all the different small power sources that could provide a start.

That's really cool. Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for that type as opposed to one of the lithium battery packs? Just so you don't have the maintenance of having to tend the lithium pack occasionally?

 

[tudordewolf]

That's really cool. Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for that type as opposed to one of the lithium battery packs? Just so you don't have the maintenance of having to tend the lithium pack occasionally?

I feel like I can keep that next to the spare tire and forget about it. I like that it stores "empty", I wouldn't be enthusiastic about keeping a fully-charged lipo pack in the trunk of my car 24/7, since that's not how I'd treat the high-current packs I use for my RC's. Even if I compromised and figured out how to store it at 4.1v/cell or something, I'd still wonder about capacity loss and degradation over time, not to mention the potential for swelling & exposure to heat. I could take it out of the car when I'm not driving it, but that would completely defeat the point of convenience.

After 1 year or 5, the batteryless jumpstarter will be just as "good" as it was new, sitting on top of my spare tire.

 

[Greywolf74]

I feel like I can keep that next to the spare tire and forget about it. I like that it stores "empty", I wouldn't be enthusiastic about keeping a fully-charged lipo pack in the trunk of my car 24/7, since that's not how I'd treat the high-current packs I use for my RC's. Even if I compromised and figured out how to store it at 4.1v/cell or something, I'd still wonder about capacity loss and degradation over time, not to mention the potential for swelling & exposure to heat. I could take it out of the car when I'm not driving it, but that would completely defeat the point of convenience.

After 1 year or 5, the batteryless jumpstarter will be just as "good" as it was new, sitting on top of my spare tire.

Gotchya. I've been using the lithium packs for 2 or 3 years now with no issue. I just have to remember to take them out and charge them once a year or so before winter. They are lithium ion packs I believe which are a bit more stable than LiPo but Id be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned in the beginning.