Prepping for Colorado

dave11

I have decided to embark on a 1500 mile adventure next month and load my 52 Hornet with a set of tools, some spare parts, a copy of the HET club roster, then point the front bumper south east in the direction of Colorada springs.

 One thing I will be sure to include is my cell phone.

 As my car has the 6 volt system, does any one know if there is gadget that will convert 6 volts to 12 volts for the purpose of changing these small hand held devices?, I have to admit I am a bit of a Ludite when comes to this stuff.

Dave Eddie

Hornet54

Dave, If you can find an 110 VAC inverter that will operate on 6 VDC, you can charge off your wall charger. Check the internet for an inverter.

Good luck with your adventure and hope to see you in Colorado Springs,

Bob

48rob

Dave,

 You can buy and install a converter, but it can be expensive...
Here is a link to a decent unit;
http://www.powerstream.com/dc6-12.htm
Another less expensive option is to place a 12 volt battery in the trunk or backseat floorboard, and wire a triple 12 volt outlet with an inline fuse.
That should run closer to $75-$100
Would have to recharge it every few days.
The battery in the back seat should be a sealed type, trunk is a better place for safety.
The new Lifepo4 charger packs may be yet another option, though not inexpensive...
And finally, something I was considering but passed on as I went to full 12 volts, was a dual voltage battery.
You have to change your generator/charging system to 12 volts. The new 12 volt generator or alternator charges the 12 volt battery, which feeds whatever 12 volt accessories you have, but it also has a 6 volt terminal to run everything on the car you choose to leave 6 volts.
http://www.antiqueautobattery.com/accessories.html

Rob

lostmind

There are thousands of motorists that have cell phones. Most will make an emergency call

for you.

My phone stays charged for days. I don't see the need for a converter.

I went to the National meet in Colorado from Ohio in the 70's.

No phone . no need. Just like a Sunday ride if your car is prepared and maintained,

no worries.

bob ward

The two most important tools to carry in any old car are a credit card and a mobile phone.

Glowplug

Today is no different than the past. I drove Hudsons as everyday transportation for much of my life. You get to know the idiosyncrasies of each vehicle and plan your use according to them. One of those cars was powered by a worn out 232. It took me to and from my work (100 miles each way) slow and steady. So get the candidate out and run it for a shake down now. You will be glad you did. Drive your Hudson!

JFromm

Don't forget the most important piece for your trip- your national roster.

48rob

Dave,

 If having a charged cell phone is the big reason for a charger, you can just charge it up at night at your hotel/motel.
While on a trip though, most phones spend a lot of battery searching for signals. If you put it on airplane mode it will save the battery, just switch airplane mode off to make a call or check for messages.

Rob

Commodore_254

Dave
I like to have the option of charging my cell phone , gps etc. but also my kids travel with me on long trips and they enjoy watching DVDs. My solution is buying a battery jump pack that has a USB and 110v outlets. The one I have now came from menards and didn't cost more than $75.00. I tracked form Chicago to Columbus with continued dvd playing on one charge. The tool serves many purposes, is compact easy to operate and relatively inexpensive.

Joe

dave11

Joe,....good idea! I have a jump starter I use at my place of business,... your right they will run 12 volt gadgets for a long time.

 Now if only some one would ake one that has a 12V / 6V output so you could jump start a 6 volt car as well.

 

Dave

Commodore_254

Dave - I could be wrong but you can jump start a 6v car with a 12v jump pack. My 110v battery charger has a 6v low setting and a 6v high/12v low position. I've had to jump my Hudson one time. When I did, I made sure all the lights, radio, and heater were turned off and with the help of my dad only momentarily touched the battery post as the other end of the jumper cables were attached to a modern 12v truck. Not sure how a jump pack would work but I assume it would be similar.
Hope you have a great trip. Write about it along the way and if you are in Chicago look me up.
Joe

dave11

Thanks Joe,

I suppose in a pinch you could start the 6 volt system with 12 volts, although I worry about damaging the starter particularly the bendix drive, as the Hudson starters engage via inertia. Doubling the voltage puts a huge strain on the drive gear and flywheel ring gear.

 Maybe someone out there has had some experiance positive or negative.

I'd love to stop in for a visit but I am leaving from Lillooet,  a small town in the area of Whistler BC,....Chicago is a bit out of the way,....maybe on my next trip LOL !

bob ward

12V through a 6V system is not ideal for all the reasons you mention, but the starter system is pretty rugged, it has to be for the duty it performs. Some on here have been putting 12V through their 6V starter for years, I'm not advocating that, just pointing it out.

Over time, 12V through a 6V starter will accelerate wear but you will get away with it now and then if your 6V battery dies. Make sure everything electrical is off bar the ignition system.

  

Elrod

Copied from another site:

I recently made a 1600 mile round trip in my stock '49 Ford F-2 3/4 ton pickup. For added convenience and safety I wanted to use my GPS system and charge my cell phone but I thought I had to add some kind of 12 volt converter. I started to research the subject on the above boards and found that the new electronic devices run off of 5 volts, they use a smart charger and as long as they can sense a voltage source as low as 6-7 they'll send out the needed 5 volts to charge the device.

Here's my contribution to the subject. I started with a dual port power port I found at my local farm supply store. I liked this unit for a few reasons. First it's made of metal, I've had problems in the past with plastic ones that the mounting ears broke off after inserting and pulling out the plug. Second, it had two ports, one for my GPS and one for my cell phone. I could have both plugged in at the same time. Third, I thought it looked kind of period correct and it tucked under the dash it wasn't as noticeable as the larger, clunkier plastic ones I found.

Here's what I started with:
Custom Accessories dual cigarette lighter receptacle part#49997
Custom Accessories - DUAL CIGARETTE LIGHTER RECEPTACLES
Two 1/4" round head nylon round headed bolts
Two 1/4" Keps nuts, eliminates the need for a lock washer
One crimp on ring terminal with a 1/4"
One crimp on ring terminal with a #10 hole
One plastic insulator, I just cut a piece of 1/8" thick piece of plastic to fit
Solder iron and solder
Heat shrink tube

If your truck/car is like mine and has the stock positive ground system you will have to maintain a negative ground in the power receptacle. You will have to insulate the case of the power receptacle from the metal of the dashboard. 

I cut the red wire coming from the center post of the receptacle, keeping the fuse holder for later use, attached the 1/4" crimp ring terminal. 
I soldered the fuse terminal to the black wire coming from the receptacle and covered it with a piece of heat shrink tubing. On the other end of the fuse I crimped on smaller #10 ring terminal to attach to the accessory post on the ignition switch. 
I cut the piece of plastic to fit and inserted it between the receptacle and the bottom of the dashboard, using the 1/4" nylon bolts and Keps nuts to fasten it to the underside of the dashboard. I also inserted the 1/4" ring terminal between one of the Keps nuts and the metal dashboard.

I used this set up on my 1600 mile trip without a problem. Both my GPS and cell phone worked great. Whenever my cell phone got low I'd plug it into the receptacle and it would charge to full. I didn't notice if it took longer to charge in my F-2 than it did in my daily driver but I doubt if it did it was much longer.

 

Bob Jones--Fat Fender Aficionado--
http://fatfenderedtrucks.com

Glowplug

Bob Jones- Great Post!