12v Devices

On this page you will find a list of all the devices that I currently power with a 12v power source or have in the past. In order for me to consider a device capable of being powered from a 12v power source, the device in question needs to be able to run from roughly 11-14.4v without damage. In case you are wondering, I have damaged a device or two that could not handle the increased source voltage. Thankfully, the damages were minimal.

WARNING:
Many of these devices were not designed to run straight from a varying power source such as what you would get from a car, solar power, or just a 12v lead acid battery in general. Run these devices at your own risk! If you blow something up, which I have done before, I take no responsibility for it! I am just putting this here for information to give people ideas of the sort of things that can be run from a low voltage power source without the need for a power inverter.

Devices for 12v (direct power)

All devices listed below have been found to work without issue directly from a 11v – 14.4v power source. Some devices listed were designed for this purpose, others were not. I will put an exclamation ( :!: ) next to any device that works but was not designed for that purpose. I list the devices that are designed for that purpose just for the sake of a more complete list of devices I run from 12v.

  • Fans
    • 8″ NAPA Auto Parts dash fan
    • 6″ Oscillating dash fan [1]I don’t have this specific one, but one exactly like it with no brand name
    • 42″ 12v ceiling fan [2]I bought this on Amazon a couple years back but there isn’t even a page for it any more. It’s noisy but puts out a ton of air and only pulls ~2 amps, from what I remember
  • Lighting
    • 12v AC LED Landscape bulbs [3]The first stage of this bulb is a rectifier, so they are not polarity sensitive :!:
    • Automotive bulbs
    • LED light strips
  • Battery Chargers
    • Efest LUC v4 (4 bay, 18650 and similar charger)
    • Kenwood KSC-24 charging cradle (aftermarket) :!:
    • Kenwood KSC-35S charging cradle (aftermarket) :!:
    • Canon EOS battery chargers (aftermarket)
    • Sony Camcorder battery charger (aftermarket)
    • RV in-wall mount (Decora) 4x USB charger
  • Two-way Radios
    • Kenwood TM-V71a Mobile Ham radio
    • Yaesu FT-480 HF Ham radio
    • Just about any other ham radio
    • Baofeng HT w/ battery eliminator
    • Midland 75-822 CB radio
    • Cobra 29LX CB radio
    • Kenwood TK-880H
  • Inverters [4]Inverters kinda go against the entire purpose of this post, but in the event of an emergency, I may be glad to have one handy
    • 1000w modified sine inverter
    • 450w pure sine inverter
  • Astronomy Equipment
    • Celestron AVX telescope mount
    • Telescope dew strips
    • Telescope dew strip controller
    • Atik 383L+ mono astro camera
  • Entertainment
    • Midland WR300 Weather radio :!:
    • Any Car radio
    • Any Car audio amplifier
    • 10″ LCD screens
  • Computer and Network Equipment
    • Samsung 23″ monitor :!:
    • Netgear 802.11n wireless router :!:
    • Linksys WRT54G wireless router :!:
    • Lenovo 65W DC Travel Adapter
  • Other
    • 12v water control solenoids
    • Arduino Uno
    • 12v RV water pump
    • 12v hair dryer
    • Heated coffee mug

Direct Devices (not personally tested/owned)

These devices are ones I have no experience with, but know they exist and are designed for 12v automotive use, many of which are meant for long distance truck drivers.

  • Coffee maker
  • Heated blanket
  • Refrigerated cooler
  • Crock pot
  • Space heater
  • Frying pan
  • Beverage Warmer
  • Kettle

Batteries that can easily be charged from a 12v source

Over the years I have found that there are not many batteries that can’t be charged from a 12v power source with just a little creativity. In the future, I will better describe how I charge each of these types of batteries from 12v, but for now, I will simply list them. Warning: each of these batteries needs to be charged with a charger of some sort. Do not attempt to charge them by directly connecting the battery to the 12v power source

Devices for 12v (with conversion)

All devices listed below have been found to work from a variable 11-14.4v power source when using a DC/DC converter between the source and the device. Some of these devices require a boost converter, some require a buck converter, and some require a boost/buck converter. I will further clarify all all of these details as I develop this list.

  • AA/AAA battery charger
  • Intel NUC pc
  • Lenovo laptop
  • Bose Sounddock portable
  • Canon EOS cameras
  • 12v security cameras (may be able to run direct, haven’t tested yet)
  • 9v security camera
  • Nintendo Switch
  • Roku 3

USB Devices

I list these devices here because, being 5v, they are all super easy to run from 12v using a DC/DC buck converter or simple USB cigarette lighter adapter.

  • Cell phones
  • Tablets
  • Eneloop USB AA/AAA charger
  • Cheap USB 18650 charger
  • Portable USB batteries
  • Bose Soundlink Mini
  • USB fan
  • Bluetooth transmitter
  • Jetpacks
  • USB Roku
  • Chromecast

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