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Suggestions for a cigarette lighter USB adapter ?

Hi all

I am interested in buying my own cigarette lighter adapter allowing me to charge via USB-C and USB. Devices charged would include iPad Air, iPad mini and potentially an iphone. It should only be used as a last resort in case my batteries die or the powerbank is really empty.

I heard and read, that not every adapter is working well in aviation, especially because of vhf interference which can be heard? Threads around the internet that I found so far all are partly pretty old and did not really give concrete advice..

Any suggestions or experiences of adapters you can recommend?

Thanks!

Best regards from LOWG & stay safe,
David

LOWG, Austria

The most expensive you can buy ! The cheap ones are very noisy and interference with radio and intercom systems is common.

I use this and haven’t noticed any problems: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B075WT1FK1

EIMH, Ireland

I think the MyGoFlight product is the gold-plated standard in this area.

LSZK, Switzerland

My research led me to this one

EASA BIR Instructor
LO__, Austria

Might be obvious but since it was not mentioned before, be mindful of your airplane(s) electrical system. If it is a 24V system, you need an adapter that can handle it. The previous one, for instances, looks like it can only handle 12V systems:

> Input Voltage: 10-16V

EHLE, Netherlands

I too would go for the most expensive one available. They are at least likely to have been tested for RF emissions, whereas the vast majority of “cheap stuff” on amazon or ebay is chinese junk which has all the right stamps and the right (fake) compliance certificates but has never been tested to comply with anything, and if it is a brand name but cheap it is usually counterfeit.

But you are still likely to get issues on some frequencies, and you won’t find this out until months or years later, when you go somewhere new, tune it in, and get a load of noise.

I have built USB chargers over the years, for my plane, which plug into the cigar lighter socket. These were built absolutely money-no-object, in a diecast box, with loads of filtering, even a shielded input lead, and still one finds interference some time down the line. With a £5 cigar lighter USB outlet in a moulded plastic case, you have no chance other than by sheer luck

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I have one of these, they have a cig lighter adaptor available, works well!
https://charge4.harkwood.co.uk/

EGNS, Other

Peter wrote:

I have built USB chargers over the years, for my plane, which plug into the cigar lighter socket. These were built absolutely money-no-object, in a diecast box, with loads of filtering, even a shielded input lead, and still one finds interference some time down the line.

Why not a linear regulator with a heatsink functioning as a cabin heater?

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

A_and_C wrote:

The most expensive you can buy
I bought the cheapest I could find, and have zero issues with it.
ESMK, Sweden
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