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Easy to do if your car is negative earth Mark.  A bit iffy if it is positive earth, as anything with exposed metal parts which you connect must not touch any of the car's metalwork else there would be a short circuit. 

I fitted a cigar-lighter socket on the support bracket below the glovebox on my 3A, wired direct to the battery via a fuse so it works with the ignition off.  I can use that for an electric jack as well as with a plug-in USB adaptor.  I can even use it in reverse for keeping the battery topped up with a battery conditioner. 

There are also wired-in USB sockets available but a lot of those have led lights which are on all the time there is power. That means they need to be connected to an ignition-switched supply and can't be used with the ignition off. If you wire those in to an unswitched supply, not only is the light on permanently but the small current drawn can drain the battery if the car is left standing unused for a few weeks. 

 

 

Edited by RobH
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I have an accessory cigar lighter socket  Fused and ignition controlled Power feed

 

Meaning I have both ammeter and voltmeter to interpret what the alternator and battery might be doing.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-20A-CIGAR-CIGARETTE-LIGHTER-POWER-SUPPLY-CAR-ACCESSORY-SOCKET/221264885765?hash=item33846a3805:g:~XUAAMXQQtNR3TxW

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With this sort of thing plugged into it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-1A-USB-Car-Cigarette-Phone-Charger-Lighter-Digital-LED-Voltmeter-Accessories/293643118626?hash=item445e7e6822:g:Tq0AAOSwGUde~djm

image.thumb.png.ed596193d2ff956bc079748046893e1c.png

 

Edited by BlueTR3A-5EKT
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Like Rob, I fitted one of these under my glove compartment. On the left, two USB ports. On the right, one cigar lighter type socket. Both wired to an 'ignition on' supply (because the USB socket has a small LED light) but they could have been wired separately if I had wanted. All in all, very useful as Rob has indicated.

1406789513_Version3.thumb.jpg.6f7fcc1aa9c11a03f3f5e5040578d3ba.jpg

 

Miles

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I made a small plate to fix under the dash, this holds a "cigar" lighter socket into which I can plug phone charger, sat nav power cable, air bed inflater, USB adapter etc.

Bob.

615460233_UnderdashLHS.jpg.d3d18622cb729f13eae30afd4e54f2f2.jpg

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