[slackline]

Quick question regarding plugs/charging.

I'm off to Verdon this weekend and realised I might want to charge my camera battery whilst out there.  We're camping so euro-plug adapters aren't an option.  We are however hiring a car, so I was wondering if there is such a thing as a cigarette adapter for figure-eight type plugs that are required to plug into my Nikon battery charger..



The charger is Nikon Mh-18A and the description indicates its 100-240v input.  I know close to nothing about all the voltage stuff, but have a suspicion the output on fag chargers is ~12V and won't cut the mustard, but are there smart gadgets that up this (something to do with voltage/amplitude/impedence and their relationship to each other, shit I didn't pay attention to in Physics 'cause Biology/Genetics was far more interesting  ).

Have spent a while trying to find such an item but with little joy/success.

Or should I just fork out for a spare battery? 

[Paul B]

why not take an adapter plug and ask nicely when in the bar?

[GCW]

You could buy an inverter, not the most efficient and you'd need to be driving to avoid killing your battery.  But then you could just plug any 240V chargers into it.  Can be a bit costly though.

[Paul B]

La Palud to the Belverdere isn't going to charge anything.

[slackline]

why not take an adapter plug and ask nicely when in the bar?

That had crossed my mind and will likely try it (although my French extends to the essentials, i.e. ordering beer; asking for a lighter; asking for an ash-tray.  Know a selection of random words but can't string sentences together to save my life).

[GCW]

La Palud to the Belverdere isn't going to charge anything.

No, but if it's just a camera battery there shouldn't be too much of an issue as it's low drain, so you could charge with the engine off for a while.  And if you charge each time you drive (including supermarket etc trips) you should get enough charge.

[Paul B]

why not take an adapter plug and ask nicely when in the bar?

That had crossed my mind and will likely try it (although my French extends to the essentials, i.e. ordering beer; asking for a lighter; asking for an ash-tray.  Know a selection of random words but can't string sentences together to save my life).

I seriously wouldn't forsee it being a problem and if you are on the camp site I'm pretty sure there were plugs that people were using. Come to think of it the guy that works in the tourist info (think simpsons here) will give you a hand.

[butters]

I have got an inverter you can borrow if you want - it's going in the van eventually but haven't got round to fitting it yet. Comes with two handy crocodile clips to connect to the battery in the car which could prove interesting if you wish to charge while driving but as GCW has already said the amount of drain you will be pulling should be low so charging while parked up could be an option.

[ben]

I have got an inverter you can borrow if you want - it's going in the van eventually but haven't got round to fitting it yet. Comes with two handy crocodile clips to connect to the battery in the car which could prove interesting if you wish to charge while driving but as GCW has already said the amount of drain you will be pulling should be low so charging while parked up could be an option.

I'd be careful running an inverter off the car battery without the engine running. You're right that the camera charger probably only draws a few mA, but the inverter will draw a lot more and flatten your battery reasonably quickly.

I'd go with the campsite adaptor option, something like "excuse-moi, puis je...."  (whilst pointing your plug adaptor at the nearest power socket...

[SA Chris]

You might even find there is a power socket for razors in the toilet blocks, but then you are at the mercy of tea leaves. Hve you got a spare battery just in case?

[slackline]

@Paul B & ben : Cheers, think I'll use my best pigeon french and some gesturing should needs be.

@SA Chris : Think I'll grab a spare battery too just in case, never a bad thing to have.

@bluebrad : Cheers for the offer, no idea how big the inverter is but we're heading down by train so have plenty of stuff to carry and the other options sound a bit easier.


May come back to this problem in the future as its a problem I envisage encountering again and there may not always be a friendly hostilery to help out.

[SteG]

this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?moduleno=225610 will do the job, just need make sure it's not plugged in when you start the engine or the fuse might blow. £18 online.

[slackline]

Cheers SteG 

[Paul B]

but thats just an inverter...

[slackline]

I had no idea how big inverters were and with the talk of them higher in the thread had (deluded) visions of a box about the size of a car battery 

Anyway, spare battery bought, will consider one of these tiny inverters for future, but for this trip will rely on the kindness of bar owners if needs be.

[Paul B]

Does anyone run a Berlingo/Partner/Caddy as a weekender?

We did make the right choice selling our t4 as Nat commutes daily but we're leaning towards something of this size as we seem to be spending every weekend away.

[robertostallioni]

Drews just got, and boarded out an old Berlingo van 1.9D. He's managed to reduce the top speed to 55mph but likes the vehicle itself. When I got my Partner I remember being recommended the 2.0HDi as the 1.9D was underpowered....FACT. QED. Loads of space as a weekender, The car version(mine) is a little noisier than a normal car, probably as there is so much glass....

[Paul B]

I'd probably be looking at the 1.9TDI 104 in the Caddy. Should be far from underpowered. Sick of flattening the seats and piling the punto high with pad, gear, ropes etc.

[robertostallioni]

Fair enough. That was an old S reg 1.9D if i remember rightly, and contains more wood and foil than the right hand one below.

[butters]

I'd probably be looking at the 1.9TDI 104 in the Caddy. Should be far from underpowered. Sick of flattening the seats and piling the punto high with pad, gear, ropes etc.

That will go like a beast - same engine as in my T5 and that will sit at 80 without complaining. Just replied to your PM BTW but depending on how the Caddy is set up (ie if it is the same as the T5) throwing £50 at it and blanking off the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) and putting a decent air filter on it will make it a far better thing to drive. Just done it on my van and the difference it makes is amazing.

[Paul B]

Obviously this:



is what we need (yellow beast MKII)

[butters]

Looking at the drop on that it's not very crag friendly - it's a shit shed in the background as well!

[Paul B]

Oh don't get all practical.

[Bonjoy]

Quick question regarding plugs/charging.

I'm off to Verdon this weekend and realised I might want to charge my camera battery whilst out there.  We're camping so euro-plug adapters aren't an option.  We are however hiring a car, so I was wondering if there is such a thing as a cigarette adapter for figure-eight type plugs that are required to plug into my Nikon battery charger..



The charger is Nikon Mh-18A and the description indicates its 100-240v input.  I know close to nothing about all the voltage stuff, but have a suspicion the output on fag chargers is ~12V and won't cut the mustard, but are there smart gadgets that up this (something to do with voltage/amplitude/impedence and their relationship to each other, shit I didn't pay attention to in Physics 'cause Biology/Genetics was far more interesting  ).

Have spent a while trying to find such an item but with little joy/success.

Or should I just fork out for a spare battery? 

Worth finding out what the output voltage of your charger is. Often phone/camera chargers which plug into mains (AC 240v) have a transformer on them which converts the electricity to DC 12V or lower. In which case it’s a nonsense to plug it into an inverter as you are draining your car battery by converting 12V to 240V then back down to 12V again. When I was on my euro trip I got round this by wiring the jack plug cut off a mains charger onto the output lead of a cheapo universal charger, i.e. one you can plug into the 12v cig lighter and then set the output voltage to anything from 12-1V.

Universal adaptor:

[SA Chris]

I'd probably be looking at the 1.9TDI 104 in the Caddy. Should be far from underpowered. Sick of flattening the seats and piling the punto high with pad, gear, ropes etc.

That will go like a beast - same engine as in my T5 and that will sit at 80 without complaining.

Word. Surprising acceleration as well.