cigarette lighter(s)

[markthe45king]

as i can't find a stereo i like (and actually everything i have is on my ipod) i think i may go for the following cheapo solution:

A twin cigarette lighter using one side to run the i-pod and the other to run a pair of pc speakers i have knocking around the house (although i am actually a dj, i have never liked loud music in cars, but i do get bored sometimes)

so my rather obvious questions are:

where do i get a twin cigarette lighter from?
how do i wire it up? Does the -ve / +ve earth discussion come into play here?

thanks as ever.

[alex_holden]

You can get three and four way accessory sockets at any motor factors, Halfords, eBay, etc. Some of them now have a 5V USB socket as well as the cigarette lighter style 12V sockets. They aren't actually cigarette lighters - they would probably melt if you put a lighter plug in them.

http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trks ... Categories

The way I wire mine is to run a new live wire from one of the connectors on the unfused side of the fusebox, with an inline fuse as close to the fusebox as possible. Remember to use a rubber grommet where the wire passes through the bulkhead. The other wire goes to a ring terminal screwed to the bodywork inside the dash (sand off the paint under it so you get a good connection). You can choose whether to connect it to the switched or unswitched side of the fuse box depending on whether you want the sockets to be powered when the ignition is off. Most accessory sockets have a plastic case that isolates them from the bodywork and a twin conductor supply cable, so it's safe to connect those to either positive or negative earth cars (as long as you wire it the right way round!). If you find one that only has a single supply wire and earths to the body through its mounting point, you'll only be able to use it on a negative earth car.

[markthe45king]

liking those - but am i being really thick when i ask - do they need the "cigarette lighter" first to go into?

[alex_holden]

If you get the type that has an extension cable between the plug and the sockets, you can cut the plug off and wire it directly into the car electrical system.