i have a jackery 500 with 100 watt folding panel, but would like to charge while driving. Jackery says it can plug into cig outlet but it blows 15 and 20 amp fuses very quickly. Should i direct wire from van battery to jackery to use while driving.
jackery 500 charging
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Tony's Dream
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I'm interested in your answers too. I have a jackery 250 that is supposed to be allowed to plug into a cigarett lighter. I haven't done it yet, but I wonder if a standard cigarette lighter is wired to charge these jackerys?
DLTooley
Well-known member
You’d think Jackery would be more precise in their documentation, if not design, for this common use case. You might try a test run before going to the trouble of running the wiring. A fuse tap might also work if you can find the right circuit. That would be a simple job for a mechanic that knows his electrical.
That said there is no reason why a direct wire wouldn’t work.
I don’t know the max charge rates of that Li ion chemistry but it might be lower on the 250 and therefore might work.
As I recall vehicle ciggy plugs max out at 300 watts, if that.
That said there is no reason why a direct wire wouldn’t work.
I don’t know the max charge rates of that Li ion chemistry but it might be lower on the 250 and therefore might work.
As I recall vehicle ciggy plugs max out at 300 watts, if that.
MrAlvinDude
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Does the Jackery 500 not show how many watt's are going into the unit, when it is being charged?
How many watt does it say that it is being charged with?
How long does it take before the 15 or 20 amp fuses blow, when you try to charge your Jackery in you vehicle?
The wiring in modern vehicles can sometimes be on the light side of the recommended wire gauge sizes for the max amps that a specific device/outlet is supposed to be able to carry.
This means that the wires themselves get warm, when operated at max capacity.
At the same time, fuses that operate at above 80% of their nominal rating, will also start to get hot.
I have measured car-blade-fuse temperatures, when operating a fuse at about 90-95% of it nominal/fuse value to easily reach 175 - 195 *F ( 80-90*C )
When I used wires that were one to two gauges better than the nominal rating for a wires used in cars, then temperatures of the fuse were lower - because the wires could act as a heat-sinks to the fuse.
But if wires are on the lighter side of the usual/recommended gauge for use in cars, then the fuses are sort of pre-heated, and they are likely to blow at lighter loads, than what they are nominally/stamped to be able to operate at.
With that being said, I have also tested both car-blad-fuses, and other types of fuses used for electronic designs, to typically be able to run for many hours, at amp loads at about 40% over their nominal/stamped amp value.
But the fuses would then get very hot.
I stopped my experiment/measuring when the fuse got above 255*F (125*C) because such temperatures were simply too high for my particular use purposes.
So a separate wire and fuse, going to a high quality charge port for your Jackery 500 , where you also use a higher gauge wire, might very well give you a better chance of having a durable vehicle charge option for your Jackey 500.
Take a look at Blue Sea 12V sockets, for a socket that is designed to be able to last, even when used at the max rated current limits, for hours at a time.
Blue Sea systems also have a good chart for recommende wire gauges, at different amp loads.
https://www.bluesea.com/resources/1437
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But first, look at the watt numbers on the Jackery, when it is being charged.
Take the charge/input watt number, and divide by 12, in order to get the number of amps that your car socket (and fuse) is being loaded at, when the Jackery 500 is being charged.
The Jackery 500 has an MPPT system on the charge input port. MPPT means that the Jackery will internally adjust to what ever is available coming into the charge-input port, , so it will optimize the current pull, to whatever is optimal to reach the fastes charge times that the internal batteries of the Jackery can deal with.
The solar panels, and the AC charge brick, does most likely have their own built-in limiters for what they can survive to deliver (solar panels doesthis by nature, and the AC charge brick will have electronics anyway, in oder to chane AC to DC, so it is inexpensive (and increases safety) to also design a max amp limit for the AC charge brick).
But it is not likely that there is any amp limiting electronics built into the 12V car socket wire.
So how many watts does the Jackey say that is going into the unit, when it is being charged via a car socket?
How many watt does it say that it is being charged with?
How long does it take before the 15 or 20 amp fuses blow, when you try to charge your Jackery in you vehicle?
The wiring in modern vehicles can sometimes be on the light side of the recommended wire gauge sizes for the max amps that a specific device/outlet is supposed to be able to carry.
This means that the wires themselves get warm, when operated at max capacity.
At the same time, fuses that operate at above 80% of their nominal rating, will also start to get hot.
I have measured car-blade-fuse temperatures, when operating a fuse at about 90-95% of it nominal/fuse value to easily reach 175 - 195 *F ( 80-90*C )
When I used wires that were one to two gauges better than the nominal rating for a wires used in cars, then temperatures of the fuse were lower - because the wires could act as a heat-sinks to the fuse.
But if wires are on the lighter side of the usual/recommended gauge for use in cars, then the fuses are sort of pre-heated, and they are likely to blow at lighter loads, than what they are nominally/stamped to be able to operate at.
With that being said, I have also tested both car-blad-fuses, and other types of fuses used for electronic designs, to typically be able to run for many hours, at amp loads at about 40% over their nominal/stamped amp value.
But the fuses would then get very hot.
I stopped my experiment/measuring when the fuse got above 255*F (125*C) because such temperatures were simply too high for my particular use purposes.
So a separate wire and fuse, going to a high quality charge port for your Jackery 500 , where you also use a higher gauge wire, might very well give you a better chance of having a durable vehicle charge option for your Jackey 500.
Take a look at Blue Sea 12V sockets, for a socket that is designed to be able to last, even when used at the max rated current limits, for hours at a time.
Blue Sea systems also have a good chart for recommende wire gauges, at different amp loads.
https://www.bluesea.com/resources/1437
---
But first, look at the watt numbers on the Jackery, when it is being charged.
Take the charge/input watt number, and divide by 12, in order to get the number of amps that your car socket (and fuse) is being loaded at, when the Jackery 500 is being charged.
The Jackery 500 has an MPPT system on the charge input port. MPPT means that the Jackery will internally adjust to what ever is available coming into the charge-input port, , so it will optimize the current pull, to whatever is optimal to reach the fastes charge times that the internal batteries of the Jackery can deal with.
The solar panels, and the AC charge brick, does most likely have their own built-in limiters for what they can survive to deliver (solar panels doesthis by nature, and the AC charge brick will have electronics anyway, in oder to chane AC to DC, so it is inexpensive (and increases safety) to also design a max amp limit for the AC charge brick).
But it is not likely that there is any amp limiting electronics built into the 12V car socket wire.
So how many watts does the Jackey say that is going into the unit, when it is being charged via a car socket?
I looked on the amazon page for the jackery 500 and it says that it supports DC input from 12 to 30 volts with a max of 100 watts.
That's where their description gets confusing.
It will charge from the AC adapter in 7.5 hours.
From the cigarette lighter in 16 hours.
From a 100 watt solar panel in 9.5 hours.
If all of these chargers are providing 100 watts constantly then the charge times would in theory be the same.
The images on the listing say it will charge from 0 to 80% in 5.5 hours from AC or cigarette lighter plug and 7.5 hours from a 100 watt solar panel.
That directly contradicts the text description if it charges the same rate from AC or cigarette lighter.
The description also says that the battery is 24Ah, 21.6V. So to charge that from a 12v ciggy port would require that it uses a buck/boost converter in order to convert 12v DC to whatever bulk charge and float voltage it is programmed for.
I'm thinking that the AC plug is probably a smart charger of sorts that has a variable output voltage from 12-30 volts and that's why it charges so quickly from AC and that they designed their branded solar panel to output 30 volts DC and that's why solar charges quicker than from a ciggy port at 12v.
If I were to try and charge this thing from the ciggy port I would probably use an inverter and the provided AC adapter. 7.5h instead of 16h.
As far as popping fuses I'm thinking it has something to do with the sorcery they use internally to make a 12 volt power supply charge a 21 volt battery.
That's where their description gets confusing.
It will charge from the AC adapter in 7.5 hours.
From the cigarette lighter in 16 hours.
From a 100 watt solar panel in 9.5 hours.
If all of these chargers are providing 100 watts constantly then the charge times would in theory be the same.
The images on the listing say it will charge from 0 to 80% in 5.5 hours from AC or cigarette lighter plug and 7.5 hours from a 100 watt solar panel.
That directly contradicts the text description if it charges the same rate from AC or cigarette lighter.
The description also says that the battery is 24Ah, 21.6V. So to charge that from a 12v ciggy port would require that it uses a buck/boost converter in order to convert 12v DC to whatever bulk charge and float voltage it is programmed for.
I'm thinking that the AC plug is probably a smart charger of sorts that has a variable output voltage from 12-30 volts and that's why it charges so quickly from AC and that they designed their branded solar panel to output 30 volts DC and that's why solar charges quicker than from a ciggy port at 12v.
If I were to try and charge this thing from the ciggy port I would probably use an inverter and the provided AC adapter. 7.5h instead of 16h.
As far as popping fuses I'm thinking it has something to do with the sorcery they use internally to make a 12 volt power supply charge a 21 volt battery.
MrAlvinDude
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The different types of charge sources/methods for the Jackery, does NOT all provide 100W of power.
This is why it will take a different number of hours to charge the battery, depending on the type of power source being plugged into the Jackery charge port/socket.
The MPPT stage of the Jacker charge port, does indeed have the ability to boost/buck whatever voltage is presented to the charge port, to fit the voltage that is needed to safely charge the battery in the Jackery.
This is why it will take a different number of hours to charge the battery, depending on the type of power source being plugged into the Jackery charge port/socket.
The MPPT stage of the Jacker charge port, does indeed have the ability to boost/buck whatever voltage is presented to the charge port, to fit the voltage that is needed to safely charge the battery in the Jackery.
the watts going in say 85 both with an wall outlet and cig outlet until it blows. I think you are saying to get a heavier wire and socket. If correct do i come up under the van and the socket gets plugged in and then into the jackery input.
MrAlvinDude
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Hmmm... 85W (at 12V) gives a current of about 7-8 amp through the car 12V socket.
Fuses of 15 to 20 amp for the car 12V socket should not result in a blown fuse. Something else is a-foot here.
I wonder if anything else, but the car/cig 12V socket, also gets its power from/via that fuse?
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Either way, if you decide to do a separate wire and fuse, to a cig 12V socket for charging the Jackery, then you will know for sure, that the only thing/device that will draw amps/power through that fuse and that cig 12V socket, is the Jackery. And at that point a 10-15 amp fuse should do just fine.
And yes, you go from (use a wire from) the battery to a fuse, and then from the fuse to a cig socket. You plug the Jackery into that cig socket, using the car charge cable that came with the Jackery.
A note: A rule of thumb is, that any wire connected to the battery, should have a fuse on that wire, and the fuse should be placed as close to the battery as practically possible.
Fuses of 15 to 20 amp for the car 12V socket should not result in a blown fuse. Something else is a-foot here.
I wonder if anything else, but the car/cig 12V socket, also gets its power from/via that fuse?
---
Either way, if you decide to do a separate wire and fuse, to a cig 12V socket for charging the Jackery, then you will know for sure, that the only thing/device that will draw amps/power through that fuse and that cig 12V socket, is the Jackery. And at that point a 10-15 amp fuse should do just fine.
And yes, you go from (use a wire from) the battery to a fuse, and then from the fuse to a cig socket. You plug the Jackery into that cig socket, using the car charge cable that came with the Jackery.
A note: A rule of thumb is, that any wire connected to the battery, should have a fuse on that wire, and the fuse should be placed as close to the battery as practically possible.
