# Underwater Camera Hookup?



## Gene Wellman (Jan 29, 2006)

Fellow Fishers,

I have a portable underwater camera with a small 12 volt battery in the case. My question is when I try to use my cigarette lighter plug on my boat, the small fuse in the portable harness with two aligator clips blows, how can I hook it up? I am using a portable spot light recharging line with two aligator clips installed. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Thanks


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## Jason Adam (Jun 27, 2001)

Are you trying to plug the camera into the ciggarete lighter or the battery(like to recharge)? Obvistoly, if the fuse is blowing, someting in the circuit is either shorting out or pulling too many amps. If your wires look good, and nothing is frayed and the clips arent touching, then move on down the line. The clips are on the right terminals on the battery, right? Will the fuse blow just plugged in with nothing attached to the clips(make sure the clips arent touching each other or anything grounded)


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

Gene Wellman said:


> Fellow Fishers,
> 
> I have a portable underwater camera with a small 12 volt battery in the case. My question is when I try to use my cigarette lighter plug on my boat, the small fuse in the portable harness with two aligator clips blows, how can I hook it up? I am using a portable spot light recharging line with two aligator clips installed. Any help would be deeply appreciated. Thanks


What does the portable spot light recharging line have to do with the camera ?
Are you trying to run the camera from the cigarette lighter or are you trying to charge the battery with the spot light charger ?
Rich


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## Jason Adam (Jun 27, 2001)

I didnt even catch that it was a portable spotlight chargering harness. I would guess you need to get the right charging cord. It sounds like the battery charging is pulling more amps than that line is fused for. If you up the fuse, you run the rish of fire(unless the charger is just under-fused for the wire size now).


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## FishTales (Feb 13, 2002)

Jason Adam said:


> I didnt even catch that it was a portable spotlight chargering harness.


This was the reason for my questions. Not sure what he is trying to do here.
Need some more clarification. I would really like to see him post a pic of what he is using, might explain itself.
Rich


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## NZflyman (Sep 27, 2006)

with some electronic's for outdoor and indoor, it's not the case of hooking up a cord from some thing else to make something else work. even thoe it may be 12volt's it's the millie amp's that make it go or not, you can have 12 volt's at 5 milli amp's and hook up a cord that is rated for 12volts but is working at 3 milli amp's or 10 milli amp's and what will happen is one will not power it/recharge it and one will blow any fuses. get the correct power connections to what ever your chargeing and you will be away laughing. hope this help's


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## Jason Adam (Jun 27, 2001)

NZflyman said:


> with some electronic's for outdoor and indoor, it's not the case of hooking up a cord from some thing else to make something else work. even thoe it may be 12volt's it's the millie amp's that make it go or not, you can have 12 volt's at 5 milli amp's and hook up a cord that is rated for 12volts but is working at 3 milli amp's or 10 milli amp's and what will happen is one will not power it/recharge it and one will blow any fuses. get the correct power connections to what ever your chargeing and you will be away laughing. hope this help's


With any DC electronics, the voltage is what has to match exactly. Amps are pulled, not pushed. Your draw device(item being charged) will dictate the amperage being pulled from the source(AC adaptor) and across the wire. The source device is rated for MAX amps. This rating is based on the maximum amount of amperage the transformers in there can handle, and the maximum amaperage the wire can handle. Some adaptors are rated higher at the transformer, then fused down to a lower max amperage if the wire is not rated for that much current. 

Basically, if a 12V AC adaptor is rated for atleast or more of what the draw(amps) on the device you are trying to charge, you are good. If its rated for 12V, but less amps, you will blow a fuse, burn up a transformer, or melt a wire(start a fire) on the adaptor(charger) if you try to use it.


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## Fun in the sun (Jul 14, 2005)

Hi Gene
Sounds like you have a bad cigar plug.
I would make a longer pwr cord and attach it directly to the boats battery.
Just make sure you unplug the camera from its portable battery and then run the extention to the battery or plug on dash.
It sounds like you have the cameras battery hooked up while you are plugging it into the boat that could cause the fuse to blow (I have had it happen to me). 
You should be ok if you unhook the portable battery and then just connect the pwr directly to the camera.
Hope this helps


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