USB sockets

[DonkeyApple]

Has anyone found nice usb cigarette sockets that are appropriate for a classic car?

I’ve been looking on eBay and the web in general and they are all black plastic, chunky jobs that seem more suited to caravans or boats.

I just assumed there would be a more elegant product available for changing a cigarette lighter to a usb socket.

[MDMA .]

Have you seen the combined Bluetooth ones? Got one here. Will grab a picture if I can find it.

[schmalex]

I have a very discreet one in one of my cars. It barely protrudes beyond the socket rim (maybe 3mm tops) and has two USB ports.

I think I bought it from Amazon

[Johnspex]

Am I beng dense? Isn't there a temporary plug-in adaptor that will do the job? Unplug it, put it in the glove box and all back to original
Maybe there is more to this than I understand.

[MDMA .]

Handsfree phone, plays your music from your phone through the stereo and 2 USB sockets.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Bluetooth-Car-Kit-W...

Edited by MDMA . on Thursday 1st November 22:05

[DonkeyApple]

Ah, thanks but I don’t mean the plug in things but the actual sockets themselves that replace the traditional cigar lighter socket. There don’t seem to be any elegant ones about, just lots of chunky black plastic ones.

[MDMA .]

Any use?

http://www.simplysplitcharge.co.uk/store/power-soc...

[DonkeyApple]

Thanks. Those are the same ones that flood eBay. The rear fixing is much larger than the conventional cigar lighter diameter. They look like they are more designed for speed boats and caravans.

I’m just surprised that there isn’t a nice, well made metal version designed to replace old cigar lighters.

[MDMA .]

So are you wanting a USB device that will completely replace the existing 12v socket? Not a plug in USB.

[MDMA .]

https://aerpro.com/apusb35e

[DonkeyApple]

That’s the sort of thing. I’d just assumed there would be a nice metal one.

[DonkeyApple]

Thanks. These are all the ones that are listed on eBay.

[anonymous-user]

the reason they arent available is probably because the worldwide demand would be for about 5 of them

[Doofus]

I just added a second lighter socket out of sight behind the dash, and plugged a bog standard 2xUSB adapter into that.

[Yertis]

keirik said:

the reason they arent available is probably because the worldwide demand would be for about 5 of them

Make that six – I too have performed Donkeyapple's fruitless search for such an article.

[DonkeyApple]

keirik said:

the reason they arent available is probably because the worldwide demand would be for about 5 of them

Absolutely. Clearly everyone wants a dashboard that resembles that of a speedboat won on Bullseye.

Sometimes it’s really hard to find things that aren’t churned out plastic and I guess this is one of those times.

The odd thing is that cylinder bore of all of these plastic ones are much larger than a cigar lighter’s. They definitely aren’t meant as direct replacements which is why I thought I must be using the wrong search terms.

Unlike things for the house, I’m not sure nipping down to our local guild of craftsmen is going to work.

[DonkeyApple]

Doofus said:

I just added a second lighter socket out of sight behind the dash, and plugged a bog standard 2xUSB adapter into that.

Those plug in adapters just annoy me. I’ve about a dozen of them and not one works continuously in any of the cigar sockets in any of the cars. You always find they’ve lost their connection. This is why I just want to hard wire the USBs and the cigar lighter is in the centre of the dash with a standard aperture.

These plastic jobs are fine for hiding around the rest of the car out of sight but they are a bit too Bullseye for being on view on a car dash.

[feef]

perhaps : https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/single-usb-...

[Doofus]

DonkeyApple said:

Those plug in adapters just annoy me. I’ve about a dozen of them and not one works continuously in any of the cigar sockets in any of the cars. You always find they’ve lost their connection. This is why I just want to hard wire the USBs and the cigar lighter is in the centre of the dash with a standard aperture.

Understood. I've never had a problem with reliability, TBH. I have a socket in the glovebox and two behind which is where the usb adapter is. It seems to be rock-solid and has never let me down.

[DonkeyApple]

feef said:

perhaps : https://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/single-usb-...

Thanks. Those are just the chubby, plastic speedboat ones.