mobile power options

rugbyken

rugbyken

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i’ve recently bought the huawei cube ai it’s advertised as ‘mobile internet router no landline needed’ most of that can’t argue with it’s certainly a powerful device ie jan’s i phone has a 3 sim in and signal in our rural area is 2 or 3 bars on 3g the cube with same sim is 4bar 4g i’m still playing around with the Alexa feature it’s got the full go binge so need to organise the netflix option,
the problem i have is the mobile bit i assumed it was a chargeable device but it req a permanent power source & the plug supplied is a 3pin with built in transformer i’m assuming i could get a 12 volt version but customer services technical services just go duhhh when i ask them any ideas where i could get a 12 volt connector ,

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rugbyken said:
i’ve recently bought the huawei cube ai it’s advertised as ‘mobile internet router no landline needed’ most of that can’t argue with it’s certainly a powerful device ie jan’s i phone has a 3 sim in and signal in our rural area is 2 or 3 bars on 3g the cube with same sim is 4bar 4g i’m still playing around with the Alexa feature it’s got the full go binge so need to organise the netflix option,
the problem i have is the mobile bit i assumed it was a chargeable device but it req a permanent power source & the plug supplied is a 3pin with built in transformer i’m assuming i could get a 12 volt version but customer services technical services just go duhhh when i ask them any ideas where i could get a 12 volt connector ,
Click to expand...
Open it up and then carefully power it on mains ....you could wear rubber gloves, but have it in a socket with a switch ! ... Look to see the output pins of the transformer ... follow the lines from there and you will find either four diodes or a bridge rectifier chip (4 pins) ... measure the output voltage from the rectifier and IF it is 12Volts, that is where you can solder on a couple of wires and take them out through the case. I assume you can then make whatever 12 volt connection arrangements you prefer. IF you can handle a bit of amateur electronics, whatever the DC output voltage you find, you will be able to adapt a 12V source to suit. Hope that helps. Happy camping :)
 
thanks rec 3 have been useless ie will get someone from tech services to call you maybe monday , not our department, & dario’s am i am was a plumber electrics terrify me lost a mate who was changing a thermostat on a cylinder power off when he got there halfway through the job the electrician who had turned it off turned it back on killed him,
 
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It's using 12v, so you could cut the plug off of the power supply and wire it direct to your van 12V. The possible problem is that you'll actually have a slightly higher voltage, especially when charging the leisure battery. It might not actually matter, but it might harm the device. I checked a couple of different cameras by checking the current at 12v and at 14v. One was the same, so got wired direct, and the other the current increased so I got an adapter to limit to 12V. I'll find a link....
 
St
St3v3 said:
It's using 12v, so you could cut the plug off of the power supply and wire it direct to your van 12V. The possible problem is that you'll actually have a slightly higher voltage, especially when charging the leisure battery. It might not actually matter, but it might harm the device. I checked a couple of different cameras by checking the current at 12v and at 14v. One was the same, so got wired direct, and the other the current increased so I got an adapter to limit to 12V. I'll find a link....
Click to expand...
Agree with measure the current. Get a couple of silicone diodes (few pence each) and wire in series with the positive line ... that drops about 2.4 of the volts supplied to the device ... making sure you will not damage it when the vehicle is charging. Now discover it it will operate correctly when it is on parked-up 12 volts...if YES, then problem solved. If NO, then a switch across the diodes will allow for both conditions. Ideally to eliminate forgetting, a normally closed relay across the diodes, powered from a line which becomes live only when the batteries are being charged, would solve it. You already know the current, so choose a relay with more than that capability and CHECK that it is DC capability, NOT AC capability because DC needs much better contacts that AC for all kinds of switches.

Having thought about it for a few minutes, the device probably drags only a small current at 230VAC anyway, so a small inverter covering just a little more than that, might be the easiest way to go... AND retain the warranty ! LOL
 
Just get a converter/regulator off Amazon or EBay, I got mine for around £7 and I just set it to 12v with a multi-meter. You can get the round plug and socket connectors there as well, plus12 on centre pin. Job done and you can leave it permanently plugged in like I do, no worry about over voltage
 
I didn't realise it had a separate supply with a 12v lead :) I should have looked it up before commenting ... I saw the little photo and simply assumed the mains plug was part of the unit. Gad its sorted :)
 
i actually have in the back of the garage a small inverter that i abandoned as not enough output to be of any use might just give that a try if you think it’ll be enough

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rugbyken said:
i actually have in the back of the garage a small inverter that i abandoned as not enough output to be of any use might just give that a try if you think it’ll be enough

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I am guessing you want to have the dongle powered up pretty much all the time?
If so, and given it is actually simple enough to run directly off the battery (via a cheapish 12V regulator), I would don't consider the inverter route.

I have nothing against inverters (far from it) but when it comes to devices that actually run off DC voltages natively and you want running for hours and hours, then the inverter is not the best solution in a Motorhome. (and I say this as someone with an inverter that comes on an hourly basis but still adapted an Alexa Echo and a Internet Router to run off DC power rather than 240V AC)
 
Exactly what @wildebus said.

If it's the same as the other Huawei routers (the transformer looks the same), the plug can be cut off and powered from your leisure battery - via a 12v regulator.

The other Huawei routers are definitely voltage sensitive and powering without the regulator will likely damage them. Motorhome WiFi supply them with the regulator for use in a van for this reason - but only if buying the router from them.

I run a Huawei B315 in my van, with 3 unlimited data, and use a regulator like this to regulate the power:

Droking Adjustable DC-DC Boost Buck Converter 12V 24V: Amazon.co.uk: Amazon.co.uk:

Free delivery and returns on eligible orders. Buy Droking Adjustable DC-DC Boost Buck Converter 12V 24V Constant Output Voltage Regulator 5A Power Step-Up Step-down Convertor Volt Regulating Module at Amazon UK.
www.amazon.co.uk

But it was from eBay and less than half the price from memory. Very simple to set the output voltage to 12v with a multi-meter. I used another to power a 19v monitor in my van for 5 years. Worked great :)
 
hi folks have rooted round my garage (i’m a hoarder ) have found a plug transformer & lead from an old samsung tv its output is 12v 2.5a output the original the white is 12v 2a could i safely cut the plug off this & go straight of the leisure batteries or do i ditch the transformer & get the adjustable converter above ?
thanks for your patience i just have a blind spot with electrics
 

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As a way to get the right jack plug to fit into the router, chopping the lead off a old device is perfectly fine way to go. But you chop the lead on the DC out part and you totally lose the black transformer block - you cannot chop the 13Pin Plug off and connect the wires left to the battery (I think that is what you are thinking?)

I personally would strongly recommend you get a 12V regulator (such as the one in the link) to ensure you are putting in exactly 12V into the Router. Devices that use 240V AC - 12V DC transformers are designed to work with exactly 12V. Some may have a bigger tolerance for voltage variation than others, but the only way to know that is don't get a regulator and see if it blows up after a while! Really not worth the risk IMO.

One thing you MUST do is match the +VE and -VE pins. On the Router, the +VE is the inner connector (this you can see from the info on the white transformer in the photo). The other transformer does not tell you this info, so you must not assume Red is +VE when you cut that lead! Check which of the two wires goes to the centre pin and THAT will be the +VE wire, no matter what colour it is (some jackplugs are wired so the OUTER connector is the +VE, but you must match to the device)
Hopefully this makes sense, but it is critical to get this bit right.
 
Darosicam said:
Open it up and then carefully power it on mains ....you could wear rubber gloves, but have it in a socket with a switch ! ... Look to see the output pins of the transformer ... follow the lines from there and you will find either four diodes or a bridge rectifier chip (4 pins) ... measure the output voltage from the rectifier and IF it is 12Volts, that is where you can solder on a couple of wires and take them out through the case. I assume you can then make whatever 12 volt connection arrangements you prefer. IF you can handle a bit of amateur electronics, whatever the DC output voltage you find, you will be able to adapt a 12V source to suit. Hope that helps. Happy camping :)
Click to expand...

Why would you have to take a perfectly good power supply to bits with a pair of rubber g.oves on. It's output is 12v at 2A so all you need is some way of producing 12V at 2A. You certainly should not plug it straight into the vehicle electrics as they are not 12V. A simple voltage stabilizer with the correct plug will do it.

Something like this ..
 
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