Thoughts for how to wire this

[BrianX128]

So in my 7.3 I had made a custom overhead console out of oak like the centurions had. Here is a video, though some things have changed on the truck this thing is the same mostly.

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What I'm changing is that indoor outdoor thermometer part, the old one is small the screen is hard to see and the temps aren't even close. I can get in one day in summer and it says it is 135 which might be right in the sun but a half hour later with the ac blasting enough you've turned it down and it will still say 110 or something. It just isn't good.

I got this one, which I took a pic of by the old mock up we made of the overhead console out of junk wood because I'm not by the truck at the moment.

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Here is just a screenshot of the area it goes so you don't have to watch that old video

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Now my question is, since my new one has optional ac power which keeps the screen lit I'd like to subtly wire that in somehow. It will operate on battery power but you have to press the button for the screen to light up.

I wasn't sure if I could rig a very small power adapter under the dash that is key on only power fed by a relay and hooked to the battery that would feed the plug and I could run the wire up under the trim and up under the corner of the overhead console and just plug it in so when the truck is on the adapter fires up and it doesn't run under battery power then.

But all of the adapters I see run with little fans or plug into cigarette adapters which I really don't want. I mean I could put it in the engine bay and cut the wire that it plugs in with in half in the middle so I can extend it long enough to feed from the engine bay and mount an adapter in there, but I don't want some of these bigger harbor freight ones with 7 outlets that are probably really sapping some juice from the 3g alternator if I can avoid it..

Maybe something like https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DW1PSR...&pd_rd_r=55c7a0e5-4505-11e9-a09e-af4805a7e305 that thing, but cut the cig lighter part off and wire it up to the fuse box so it is switched on with power and I don't have to always have something plugged into my cig lighter and then extend the ac adapter long enough I can hook it up under the dash cleanly?

Suggestions welcome, until then battery power and pressing the button it will be lol..

 

[chillman88]

I'm guessing you already checked but are you sure it's actually AC at the unit? Lots of things like that use a small transformer to step down to 12vdc or so. That would be too easy though...

 

[BrianX128]

Would it say on the adapter thing I plug in the wall?

 

[gandalf]

Does that weather station have a power cord? I have a smaller LaCross unit which is purely battery operated. If you want to run it as a hardwired system you'll probably have to throttle the 12 volt power down to 1.5 volts, in order to match the normal battery power.

 

[BrianX128]

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Yeah it has one here's a picture of the adapter.

 

[gandalf]

Your adapter needs an input of 120 volts. It gives you an output of 5 volts ac, 150 mili-amps. I really can't tell you what will happen when you cut the input from 120 volts ac to 12 volts DC. You're cutting the input voltage by a factor of 10, and changing from AC to DC. It might work, maybe, but what happens to the amperage?

Honestle, I think I'd find a cigarette lighter charger with the right amperage output. That would take a lot of the guesswork out of it.

 

[BrianX128]

So just a 150ma dc charger? I'd still have to make it longer or something to hide the cord. Hmm..

 

[ifrythings]

Your adapter needs an input of 120 volts. It gives you an output of 5 volts ac, 150 mili-amps. I really can't tell you what will happen when you cut the input from 120 volts ac to 12 volts DC. You're cutting the input voltage by a factor of 10, and changing from AC to DC. It might work, maybe, but what happens to the amperage?

You can not put dc into one of those power adapters it won’t do anything (mite warm up though).

I use these little things, https://www.amazon.com/Adjustable-Converter-1-5-35v-Efficiency-Regulator/dp/B07C2QF1T1/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?keywords=buck+converter&qid=1552436661&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&th=1 small and adjustable and can raise or lower the voltage. Only thing is you have to solder the wires on the board which is no big deal. Add some wires, set the output voltage to whatever you need then stick it in a piece of heat shrink and your done.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

Or get a small power inverter and hide it and plug all your toys into it I think that's the route I'd take

 

[BrianX128]

But couldn't I do what I was saying in my first post with the cigarette adapter to ac voltage thing and just plug the adapter that came with the screen thing I bought and just do that? Make the wire longer if needed.

 

[chillman88]

But couldn't I do what I was saying in my first post with the cigarette adapter to ac voltage thing and just plug the adapter that came with the screen thing I bought and just do that? Make the wire longer if needed.

Yes! I was just hoping you could get by easier but the device says "5.0VAC" which means its AC. I've had lots of things like that which say "VDC" which would mean you could just adapt voltage and not need an inverter. Sadly it's not that simple though since it actually needs AC.

Clear as mud?

Your first idea is probably your best bet.

 

[Oledirtypearl86]

Ac inverters are super cheap now days I have one for the kids on long trips that I plug in and run a small DVD player does them I have also used it to run a decent tv andTwife use it for a ****** pump when we were still feeding the youngest I think it puts out 100 watts an has 2 120 plugs and 2 USB plugs and cost 40 bucks American

 

[Desertfireguy]

What about a cell phone charger? Seems like similar output. What kind of end is on the plug? If it's a USB type, this wiuwo be the way to go.