jeremymc7

Does anyone know how stable the 12V power outlet is?

A "common" cigarette lighter doesn't have anywhere near a stable 12V output and fluctuates above and below 12V quite wildly making it less than ideal for electronics, besides perhaps cell phone charging.

Does anyone know if the dedicated 12V power outlets in our Audi's is a regulated, stable, and reasonably pure 12V?

jeremymc7

I ask as I have some DC equipment which has AC/DC convertors for home use, hence any regulation is taking place in the AC/DC adapter.

I'm wondering if I connect something that is 12V DC direct to the car that was originally designed for use with a AC/DC to convert and regulate the 12V if it will work fine, IE the car 12V outlet is stable.

OR will I need to add a regulator in line between the Car's 12V DC and the device's 12V DC because the car isn't stable enough.

Anytime you plug in any of those GPS, Radar Detectors, Etc they has some kind of adapter that has some fuse, surge, regulation, or combination.

The problem is I haven't found any 12V DC powerport to 12V DC powerport that has a regulator and protection on it.

I REALLY want to avoid having to go from DC Car to DC/AC converter AC/DC adapter to DC device. It "should" be more efficient, easier, and cheaper to go straight through.

snagitseven

What equipment are you trying to use in the car?

Would any of these work?
http://www.batteryspace.com/dc-dc-re...d-adapter.aspx

tenspeed

Anything designed to work with the voltage available in a house will work with the power available in the car. The voltages found in a house vary every time the refrigerator, freezer, air conditioner, dishwasher, clothes washer and dryer or furnace power up. They all have single phase motors and pull the voltage down when they draw their start up current. Typical house voltage can be anywhere from 105 to 125 VAC. The devices usually work on an internal voltage lower than 12 volts and have power regulation and smoothing built in.

In a automotive environment, the DC battery acts as a large capacitor which attenuates the pulsating DC from the alternator. If your device is really delicate, you might want to plug it in after the engine has been started. You can also consult with the maker of the device.