Since I have had my ipad I have found more and more uses for it aboard the boat and use it not just for the obviously things like watching movies and playing music but also as an invaluable navigation tool. On my ipad I have loaded both the Jeppesen and Navionics cartography and I like them both for different reasons and for slightly different applications but the one problem with using the ipad as a navigation tool is keeping it charged on board. At the chart table I installed a couple of the 12 volt cigarette style sockets and these are great for plugging in some stuff like MP3 players, cameras and such like. However more and more portable electronics are using USB plugs not just for the transfer of data which was there original intent but also for supply charging voltage to the device.
For the most part the USB plugs are a better, more secure fit that most of the 12 volt cigarette lighter type plugs. Not only are they less prone to fall out while underway but they look neater. But not all USB sockets are created equal. As an interim measure I was given a couple of the excellent Zantrex inverters which plug into the 12 volt sockets. These are very secure at both the receptacle and the USB sides and are much less prone to disconnect themselves at an inopportune moment like some other manufacturers products. However what is not universally recognized and this is something that I personally did not realize is that the Zantrex units only have an output of 750 milliamps which is sufficient for charging up an iphone or ipod but not enough for the ipad which requires 2amps.
To make sure that enough power is available during the coming season I am installing one of the
dedicated USB sockets from Blue Sea. These have two stacked outlets one above the other but the total load cannot exceed 2.2 amps so although you can charge and run an iphone and ipod at the same time you can only charge and use one ipad or the socket will be overloaded. Swapping out the socket is a simple affair as the hole cutout in the panel is the same.
Comments