12V Power Port

[johndemar]

Have any of you added a power port to your spider? I thought it would be nice to have for charging the cell phone and running a portable satellite radio, etc. The ports themselves are readily available at any auto store, but I'm just not certain the best way to wire one in. Could it be as simple as replacing the cigar lighter with one and using the existing power feed?

[courtenay]

Can you not just use the cigar lighter?

[JammerX19]

Have any of you added a power port to your spider? I thought it would be nice to have for charging the cell phone and running a portable satellite radio, etc. The ports themselves are readily available at any auto store, but I'm just not certain the best way to wire one in. Could it be as simple as replacing the cigar lighter with one and using the existing power feed?

Run a line to the back of the alternator with an inline fuse, ground the other end. Should be easy.

[spider2081]

I added one to my 1981 Spider. A power plug is better to use than an actual Cigar lighter because the plug seats more solid in a power plug. Power plugs don't have the heat element and spring that a cigar light have.
If my wire diagram for a 1976 is correct you can pick up a "hot all the time" wire at Fuse A. One side of the fuse is connected direct to the alternator and battery. The other is fused. The fuse panel internally jumps the un-fused side of fuse A to fuse B. If there is no wire on that terminal of fuse B you could add an inline fuse there for your power plug. I mounted mine just to the right of the center console and set toward firewall so when an adapter cable is plugged in its not in passengers way. This makes it more difficult to plug something in but more user friendly other than that.

[johndemar]

Can you not just use the cigar lighter?

I wasn't able to get any of the various plugs I have to power up using the lighter, even though the lighter works.

[johndemar]

Thanks for the advise guys. I think I'll try and mount it in the center console.

[Zippy]

Mine is mounted to the right side of the upper console. It is high enough that I have never received any complaints about it being in the way. It is easy to get to and powered all the time.

[courtenay]

How did you wire it, Zippy?

[Zippy]

How did you wire it, Zippy?

If I remember correctly it's connected to the hot wire to the fuse block with a 10 amp in-line fuse. I haven't been under the dash in over 10 years. That's a good thing, right?

[bradartigue]

Mine is mounted to the right side of the upper console. It is high enough that I have never received any complaints about it being in the way. It is easy to get to and powered all the time.

A Jensen equalizer! That is painfully awesome.

[dmwhiteoak]

I was thinking the same thingabout the EQ. Must be at least 150 amps. Do they still make those?