best/simplest stealth 12v to 5v to power usb HD

**dcarwin** · 02-10-2008, 10:32 PM

I don't have a car PC yet, but I did get a head unit that drives usb and an external usb drive. As tested today the HU does not deliver the min 550ma required to spin the drive up.

What I want:
I want to splice some simple converter into the car 12v so that I can power the drive via the supplied Y cable. The "stealth" part of the title means that I do not want to use the cig adapter, and I'd like all the wiring to be hidden behind the dash. Aren't there some simple-to-use dc-dc converters (i.e. the "guts" of any given cig lighter usb adapter) I can wire in?

12v car dc taken from wiring harness -> my device -> female USB jack with 5v.

Googling around points me to cool things like this:
Aimtech 12v-5v

and this:
another fancier aimtech

but I am not an EE and I don't know where to go from here.

All help appreciated.
Thanks,
Dan

**Bugbyte** · 02-11-2008, 01:47 AM

mp3car[/AUTOLINK].com/Point_Of_Load_automotive_power_supplies_s/10.htm

**dcarwin** · 02-11-2008, 03:49 PM

Thanks Bugbyte, I did find that on the wiki last night, but I couldn't update my post because it was in the mod queue. Looks like $25 gets me where I want to be either via Carnetix or Opus. is there any general consensus on preference, assuming this is a standalone POL usage?

Thanks,
Dan