1/4" audio plug for Battery Tender

1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

I am presently looking at using a 1/4" audio jack (like old fashioned headphones) to plug in the Battery Tender. There isn't a lot of current with these battery maintainers, so I figure that the plug can easliy handle the load. I really don't want some big plug hanging out of the side of the car and this just seems like a simple, unobtrusive way plug in the tender while the car is sitting in the garage.

I just haven't found an effective and attractive way to seal/cap the female receptacle when it's not in use. I plan to put it either down on the rocker panel or on the spyder just in front of the right hand scoop. If anyone (Ross, this is right up your alley) has any ideas, please let me know.

Thanks,
Lynn

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

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I just haven't found an effective and attractive way to seal/cap the female receptacle when it's not in use.

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Have you considered getting another male plug and cutting off the plastic barrel and replacing it with a small cap with an O-ring behind it? You could use it to securely fill the hole.

(This is all theoretical, I've never tried anything like this)

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

take care when you plug the male end which I suppose is on the charger in the female receptable because it can make a short circuit while sliding in. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

I started purchasing these small 12V 1 amp chargers (local auto parts store) that are about 4" long, 1.5" tall and 1" wide. I mounted these to our track cars permanently, in a tidy fashion, and have the 110V AC plug easily accessible in the truck or engine area. This was the car can be charged anywhere I am and can get 110V AC. Just another possible solution. Lynn's idea is a good one and tidy, but I needed a way to charge the car anywhere and didn't want to have to worry about bringing a tender or leaving it at home - this way the charger is always available.

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

Lynn,

I would look at something like the Switchcraft EN3 connectors rather than a phone plug. They're weathertight, and it seems to me that a phone plug is just asking for someone to mess with it.

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

Lynn
Found this page in a catalog from one of my suppliers.Weatherproof screw cap for when not using and 5A rating.I can get them and send them over if you like,doesn't cost much and those switches I sent to Tim arrived within a week.Let me know.
Ross

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

Thanks guys! I ordered the Switchcraft 2 pin female panel mount, the matching 2 pin male cord mount and a protective cap from mouser. (Part nos. EN3P2F, EN3C2M and EN3CAP with a UPS ground shipped price of ~$15.00) These appear to be very similar to the connectors you showed, Ross, so either would work equally well I am sure.

I considered Ron's suggestion of mounting the battery tender in the car (and could still easily do this) because I can see the advantges of doint this in certain situations. I even thought about mounting the status diode just above the connector and sealing it with a dab of clear RTV. But for my use, since the battery tender is meant for keeping the battery "topped up" during long idle periods and given that the Powermaster 140 amp alternator charges the battery quite quickly, the times when I might need this should be rare. The battery tender is quite small, as well, and it will easily fit in a door pocket should I need to take it along.

Regards,
Lynn

Re: 1/4\" audio plug for Battery Tender

As an alternative if you desire to use jumper cables on the car, I purchased red and black power studs from Waytek, installed them so one end of the studs sticks out of the battery box just in front of the rear wheel, and protected them with screw on covers made from the handle of an old Stanley screwdriver. They work great and have been used!

Read seperate post for recent problems with a Powermaster 140 Amp alternator.

Dave