6v to 12v step up converter

E

engine103

Member
I have a 1953 Mercury still 6 volt positive and would like to add a 6 to 12 volt step up converter for cell phone use. Do I wire the converter to the positive ground, as the rest of the car is, or something different? Thanks, Jim
 
First, are you sure you need a converter? I looked into this a few years ago and at that time many cell phone chargers cut the voltage down to 6 before charging the phone. I had a friend with a 47 sedan that just used the stock cigarette lighter socket for charging.


If you do need to convert 6V negative to 12V positive you are probably purchasing a converter specifically for this. Recognize that is an 18V change so don't expect a lot of amps. Make sure the converter you purchase is rated for this, and comes with good wiring instructions.


Edit: the part about 18V change is wrong, read below. Statement left in this post so the following post makes sense.
 
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I have found that most modern stuff you want to use is well isolated, mainly because they were designed that way and also because almost everything is in plastic cases. This makes polarity almost a non-problem. I like experimenting with stuff like this, and have a CD player, Backup Camera, Tire Pressure Monitor, and a "Hands-Free" Cell Phone Gadget in my '51 which is still 6 volts (plus I've got a panel with extra lighter sockets and USB ports in it). Just wire it up and go. You do have to observe polarity when setting up the connections, but after that, you're home free. Most of this stuff uses USB or lighter plugs, so once you have your panel set up, just plug in your new stuff. Anything with two wires going into it and a plastic case is fair game. Just don't use the car itself as a ground.

Generators are known to produce "dirty" power that can raise hell with electronics, but on a practical basis, I haven't had much in the way of problems. The new stuff seems to be pretty tolerant in most cases. The "Hands-Free" cell phone gadget just quit working after a week or so, but I haven't replaced it because it didn't work very well anyway. The one thing that won't work is a 12 volt electric tach. Since it gets a signal from the engine, polarity is important, and it takes complicated electronic circuitry to accomplish the task. I did it, but it's too complicated and expensive for general use.
 
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38 coupe said:
First, are you sure you need a converter? I looked into this a few years ago and at that time many cell phone chargers cut the voltage down to 6 before charging the phone. I had a friend with a 47 sedan that just used the stock cigarette lighter socket for charging.


If you do need to convert 6V negative to 12V positive you are probably purchasing a converter specifically for this. Recognize that is an 18V change so don't expect a lot of amps. Make sure the converter you purchase is rated for this, and comes with good wiring instructions.
Click to expand...

This is not true, but it really doesn't matter. All of the new stuff (including the CD player) require only milli-amps of power. I have a custom made converter that raises the voltage, switches the polarity, and "cleans up" the power in my car that also monitors voltage in and out, as well as amps used. With everything going, I haven't seen it over 1 amp on output. My generator works just fine, and with an Optima battery, load has never been a problem.

Also, I think just plugging a standard 12 V USB "charger" into the lighter socket would produce the wrong polarity needed for the phone's battery. I've never tried it, but it seems obvious. Rewiring would be a simple task (just swap leads).
 
tubman said:
I have a custom made converter that raises the voltage, switches the polarity, and "cleans up" the power in my car that also monitors voltage in and out, as well as amps used. With everything going, I haven't seen it over 1 amp on output. My generator works just fine, and with an Optima battery, load has never been a problem.
Click to expand...


I would love to see the schematic, parts list, and pictures of your converter. I find several different plans when I do an internet search, but prefer a version from someone who can answer questions. I understand if you don't have the schematics and/or just prefer not to post something that could be misunderstood.
 
38 coupe said:
I would love to see the schematic, parts list, and pictures of your converter. I find several different plans when I do an internet search, but prefer a version from someone who can answer questions. I understand if you don't have the schematics and/or just prefer not to post something that could be misunderstood.
Click to expand...

The problem is, the device was designed and built by a very old friend of mine who is an EE. When I see him tomorrow, I'll ask him (since it's his design), but generally, he is pretty protective of his designs. He's the same guy who designed and built the 6 to 12 volt tachometer driver that I am using that nobody said could be built. He also helped me out with the "Trash Can" condensers.

I will take a picture and post it up.
 
Thank you all for your input, hoping to see more. So if I run the converter input wires directly from the battery post, I should be okay and not have to worry about using the car body as a ground? Thanks, Jim
 
Correct. The one thing you have to do is avoid "using the car body as a ground" after the converter. Before is OK, but after, everything needs two dedicated leads.

There are probably more convenient places to connect it than the battery posts.
 
Inverters generally use the system voltage to generate a higher voltage. I used them a lot when performing helicopter maintenance on the road. They allowed the limited use of 110-volts from a 12-volt vehicle system. They are rated in the wattage that they can sustain so a person has to make sure that it doesn't get abused by trying to operate to much off of it. The higher the wattage, the more electrical power it takes to run them. If the car has a limited output generator then you can't use much wattage to run this kind of stuff.

Some are simple units that likely use an electronic half wave generation to step up voltage through an inductor coil like radio amplifiers use to increase DC power. Larger ones actually have a full sine wave generator in them for AC current. We also carried Honda motor generators to have more wattage capability during heavy maintenance.
 
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rotorwrench said:
Inverters generally use the system voltage to generate a higher voltage. I used them a lot when performing helicopter maintenance on the road. They allowed the limited use of 110-volts from a 12-volt vehicle system. They are rated in the wattage that they can sustain so a person has to make sure that it doesn't get abused by trying to operate to much off of it. The higher the wattage, the more electrical power it takes to run them. If the car has a limited output generator then you can't use much wattage to run this kind of stuff.

Some are simple units that likely use an electronic half wave generation to step up voltage through an inductor coil like radio amplifiers use to increase DC power. Larger ones actually have a full sine wave generator in them for AC current. We also carried Honda motor generators to have more wattage capability during heavy maintenance.
Click to expand...

Technology has come a long time in a short time. 7 or 8 years ago there wasn't much for the end consumer. This is when my friend and I decided to develop one specifically for old car "junkies". We developed a unit that bumped the voltage, switched the polarity, and cleaned up the power. My buddy (who is an experienced EE) did a hell of a good job, but by the time he finished, comparable products started showing up on Amazon in the $10 range. They didn't switch polarity or clean up the power, but in the end, that wasn't needed because of the very nature of the end devices. Now, anyone with a multimeter and a soldering iron is in the game.
 
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I have the above noted Amazon 6 to 12 volt step up converter in my 54 Meteor. Have used it about four years, it works great! I hid it under the dash, and put inside my ashtray the 12v socket. This device here is hidden in my ashtray: https://www.amazon.ca/LENCENT-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Wireless-Hands-Free/dp/B0CQVN2M9D?sr=8-28

I had my AM radio converted to AM/FM so using the bluetooth adapter, I can listen to my own music from my phone, and also take phone calls handsfree! I call it my 6 volt bluetooth lol.
 
rjlester said:
I have the above noted Amazon 6 to 12 volt step up converter in my 54 Meteor. Have used it about four years, it works great! I hid it under the dash, and put inside my ashtray the 12v socket. This device here is hidden in my ashtray: https://www.amazon.ca/LENCENT-Bluetooth-Transmitter-Wireless-Hands-Free/dp/B0CQVN2M9D?sr=8-28

I had my AM radio converted to AM/FM so using the bluetooth adapter, I can listen to my own music from my phone, and also take phone calls handsfree! I call it my 6 volt bluetooth lol.
Click to expand...
71DLoOZY1PL._AC_UL232_SR232,232_.jpg


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"38 Coupe'; here are the pictures I promised. The first is the unit itself, and the rest are of the remainder of the installation including the backup screen and my receptacle panel. Sorry for the quality; I'm having a terrible time with the camera in my new phone.

We did all of the about 6 or 7 years ago when there seemed to be nothing out there, but by the time we got it done, it was obsolete (and expensively so). It's still handy for trying new things. Everything was mounted using existing screw holes under the dash and Velcro, so it can be taken out without a trace.

One thing I added that I really like is a Tire Pressure Monitor. The tires on my car look almost like new, but they are over 10 years old. This device uses oversized valve caps with sensors in them that display each tires pressure and temperature. It will also sound alarms for low pressure and high temperature. Hopefully, by keeping close tabs on my tires, I can get some more miles out of them. The display on the top of the dash in the second picture is for the TPMS.
 

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tubman, thank you for the pictures and explanation. I love that kind of home R&D when it is done to a high quality. I understand now why you are not interested in duplicating it.
 
tubman said:
Boy, looking at the blown-up pictures than Glenn provided made me realize how filthy my car is. For the last couple of years, the arthritis in my shoulders an especially my hands have made it impossible for me to grip a sponge or towel, or a rag and use it effectively. I have had enough, though, and the car is going to the detail shop next Saturday.

But, I can raise the hood!
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;-)

There was recently a post about changing to LED tailights. With the low amperage of the LEDs, seems like this could be a solution?
 
The batteries in your phone only require 5 volts to charge, the batteries in your devices are 3.7 to 3.85 volts. 6 volts are plenty to charge your phone you just need to get the polarity correct.
 

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