'Carling' switches: fitting a USB charger in to my Defender 110

[BogMonster]

A quick question which I hope somebody can answer... I should know the answer but not 100% sure!

Looking at adding some USB charging points to my 110 (2006, late-type dash as pictured). The existing USB is an extension from the stereo so permanently in use for music storage.

 

 

I ideally want a double that will fast charge, so this one fits the bill:

https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/sockets-plugs/products/blue-sea-carling-compatible-usb-socket

Which (if any) of the Defender dash switches are "Carling compatible" - is it the electric window switches? The Mud site doesn't make it clear for this product where it will fit, but it looks too big for the smaller switch blanks.

I want something that will go into one of the existing blank switch holes, either one of the electric window switches or one of the other smaller ones along the top row. Wiring needs to be plug and play and piggy back off the cigar lighter, for which Mud appear to do a cable (though it isn't clear which products it is designed for).

They also do a single USB-A socket, but ideally I want a double.

 

 

[L19MUD]

23 minutes ago, BogMonster said:

A quick question which I hope somebody can answer... I should know the answer but not 100% sure!

Looking at adding some USB charging points to my 110 (2006, late-type dash as pictured). The existing USB is an extension from the stereo so permanently in use for music storage.

 

 

I ideally want a double that will fast charge, so this one fits the bill:

https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/sockets-plugs/products/blue-sea-carling-compatible-usb-socket

Which (if any) of the Defender dash switches are "Carling compatible" - is it the electric window switches? The Mud site doesn't make it clear for this product where it will fit, but it looks too big for the smaller switch blanks.

I want something that will go into one of the existing blank switch holes, either one of the electric window switches or one of the other smaller ones along the top row. Wiring needs to be plug and play and piggy back off the cigar lighter, for which Mud appear to do a cable (though it isn't clear which products it is designed for).

They also do a single USB-A socket, but ideally I want a double.

 

 

I can't tell you if it will fit the window blanks (I think it will be too big?) but I can tell you it is the exact same size as a carling contura switch. I have that exact item and it fast charges two phones no problem

[BogMonster]

17 minutes ago, L19MUD said:

I can't tell you if it will fit the window blanks (I think it will be too big?) but I can tell you it is the exact same size as a carling contura switch. I have that exact item and it fast charges two phones no problem

Thanks, that's what I am trying to establish, if the window switches are the same as Carling switches or not. If they aren't then I will have to stick with the single socket, I just don't want to order one of these and find it doesn't fit.

[Retroanaconda]

I’m pretty sure they’re not, or lots of people would be using them in that slot. I’m sure Mud would also advertise it as such.

Ping Mudstuff an email or message, they’ll know for sure. 

[BogMonster]

Yeah, I figured that might be the case, hence the question. Thanks, have already done so, I may have to use the single one that they advertise, I'd just quite like a twin one and I like the idea of a cover to keep the carp out when you aren't using it...

[Retroanaconda]

I have one of their round double sockets in place of the cigarette lighter in mine. Very neat and has a cover if desired.

Forgive the bad photo:

[Retroanaconda]

FFS why is it upside down? 

[Gazzar]

Did you roll it?

[ThreePointFive]

The other option is a two-socket USB like Jame's above but cut into the headlight levelling switch hole so you retain the use of the cigarette lighter socket.

That's what I did, but I'm thinking of swapping the cigarette lighter over to USB too, they're pretty much useless these days.

[Escape]

+1 on using a round double plug and reuse or drill a hole for it. Mine will replace the clock in the P38 center console. 🙂

[Peaklander]

Don’t forget that USB-C is being used more and more. It provides much faster charge rates. I think you can get suitable panel mount outlets now. 

[BogMonster]

I had a reply from Kev at MUD-UK this morning which may be helpful to others so copy it below:

"The socket will fit into the electric window switch apertures. You will need to file out the opening (that the socket fits into) very slightly because the Carling sized hole is slightly larger than the window switch.

Any of the round USB socket options on our site will replace the regular LR 12v socket. Again, the hole diameter will need increasing in size but only by 1mm or the depth of the thread on the round sockets."

So it looks like it will fit with minimal modification

[landroversforever]

13 hours ago, Peaklander said:

Don’t forget that USB-C is being used more and more. It provides much faster charge rates. I think you can get suitable panel mount outlets now. 

Much faster than a normal higher rated USB-A?

 

[elbekko]

16 minutes ago, landroversforever said:

Much faster than a normal higher rated USB-A?

 

USB-C PD goes up to 60Wish, so yes. Needs a chunky cable and a charger that can actually supply it though.

[Peaklander]

1 hour ago, landroversforever said:

Much faster than a normal higher rated USB-A?

Yes, it's a huge difference charging my iPhone 12mini. I often use a Powerbank, which has outlets with both USB type and there's a huge difference. Also (for info) USB-C is bi-directional and so is also used as the charge input from a mains power supply. I use my Mac supply to charge it.

Just don't try to charge a phone that can't handle the current - cough.

[landroversforever]

Ahh I see. bidirectional bit makes sense too, especially for a powerbank. 

[Nonimouse]

USB C on my phone for charging other phones - 12500mAh; and charges up in half an hour

[elbekko]

56 minutes ago, Peaklander said:

Just don't try to charge a phone that can't handle the current - cough.

That shouldn't matter, as the devices should communicate about the supported current.

[Peaklander]

5 hours ago, elbekko said:

That shouldn't matter

It seemed to. I bought the powerbank and started charging my then iPhone 6SE. Within a few days the battery would die when it had dropped to about 60% and the phone switch off. Just a few days later this rose to about 80% and the phone was effectively useless away from power.

The battery started to swell and had to be removed.

I always assumed that for some reason the USB-C was the cause.

[elbekko]

58 minutes ago, Peaklander said:

It seemed to. I bought the powerbank and started charging my then iPhone 6SE. Within a few days the battery would die when it had dropped to about 60% and the phone switch off. Just a few days later this rose to about 80% and the phone was effectively useless away from power.

The battery started to swell and had to be removed.

I always assumed that for some reason the USB-C was the cause.

That's... scary. I've plugged my phone into my 35W USB-C PD charger without issue. But none of that is Apple, so who knows what they get up to.

[landroversforever]

I wonder how old it is? I've charged my iPhone XS from new mostly on the ipad charger and the car which is the same power without issue. 

[Bowie69]

There's no chance the charger caused it, devices are filled with electronics to specifically control the charge rate of the battery -the charger won't deliver stuff the electronics won't allow, much the same as putting a resistor inline with the wires.

I'd suggest it was just coincidence.

[davie]

i have a charger in 2003 td5 same dash and best thing i reckon was take out cigarette lighter and got a double one for there,   also does volts for batt   

 

perfect fit have to effectively screw into hole its as snug and a locking ring on back.   

charges iphone xr no worries with a super demanding app running  - actually works better than portable battery pack to keep up and its same cable

[BogMonster]

Just to close this out for other people who may be interested in doing the same - I ordered the double Bluesea one from MUD-UK and the cigar lighter adaptor flylead that they supply. Links are:

Bluesea socket: https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/sockets-plugs/products/blue-sea-carling-compatible-usb-socket

Adaptor lead: https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/sockets-plugs/products/mud-12v-cigar-lighter-piggy-back-loom

As advised by MUD, the Bluesea socket needs the window switch hole filed out slightly to allow the switch to slide in and lock. I also found that the foam backing piece (it's like a foam seal) needed to be discarded for it to click in properly, and the corners of the Bluesea body needed to be rounded off slightly for it to fit in the aperture properly. None of that is visible once it's in the hole. Then it's just a case of taking out the radio so you can get access to the space behind, undoing the two screws at the bottom of the centre console so you can swing the bottom out and access the back of the cigar lighter, plug in the harness, terminate the positive and negative ends of the harness, and feed them up to the socket. I discarded the third wire from the harness, as the Bluesea doesn't have a terminal for illumination, and also put some spiral wrap on the harness for good measure. Because it is wired to the cigar lighter, it now comes on when the ignition is in the accessory position or on, but is isolated when the ignition is off, though the parasitic drain is only supposed to be 1mA anyway.

The socket comes with a fairly tight fitting cover which could be omitted, but I left it there to keep the carp out. The finished result, which is just what I wanted:

Socket with the cover open:

 

Socket with the cover closed:

[BogMonster]

Supplementary: I've now got another one of these to fit to the Puma.

I want to also put it in the front electric window switch hole (left or right of the CD player, not bothered which), Two questions:

1) How does the OEM Alpine CD come out (2015 Puma, original stereo as far as I know), does it need a couple of long flat 'keys' inserted along either side, are there hidden Allen key clamps, or what is the removal process?

2) What's the physical access like inside the Puma dash - I need to access the back of the cig lighter socket (off the bottom right of the photo) in order to attach the MUD accessory harness to the back of that and route the harness up to the USB socket. Is this realistic without taking the whole dash off? I've never had a Puma dash centre out so not sure how hard it is to take the whole centre out, and I suspect there is lots of heater-related rubbish that will be in the way if you just try and feed the harness down through from the stereo hole?