{"id":8446,"date":"2021-09-25T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-24T23:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/?p=8446"},"modified":"2021-09-24T15:58:49","modified_gmt":"2021-09-24T05:58:49","slug":"easy-12v-power-skills-everyone-should-have","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/easy-12v-power-skills-everyone-should-have\/","title":{"rendered":"EASY 12V POWER SKILLS EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Installing your own camping 12v power<\/a><\/strong> gear can be incredibly rewarding and save you a bucketload of cash compared to paying someone to do it. However it must be done right, or you\u2019re only going to end up with headaches \u2013 things that don\u2019t work like they should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOLDERING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The absolute 12v camping power<\/a><\/strong> first skill you should learn. Use a pair of vice-grips or similar to hold the wiring in position, then apply heat with the soldering iron directly to the wiring. When the wiring is hot, feed solder directly into it. Continue to hold the tip of the soldering iron in place until the solder heats to the point that it flows into the wiring. Remove soldering iron carefully and don\u2019t disturb the wiring for at least 30 seconds to allow the solder to set. This\u2019ll guarantee that your 12v  camping accessories<\/strong><\/a> have the best shot at running properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

INSULATION & SECURING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is vitally important because unsecured, improperly insulated wiring is a hazard and will prevent your camping power<\/a><\/strong> setup working long term if neglected. Heat shrink is great, but sometimes on tight repair jobs it\u2019s difficult to heat the wiring without prematurely shrinking the heatshrink. Quality electrical tape can do just as a good a job \u2013 apply it while the wiring is still warm, to allow it to form around the connection. After a few wraps, then apply pressure as you wrap. Finish by securing the wiring with cable ties but don\u2019t force it into a position it doesn\u2019t naturally want to sit in as this will stress the wiring over time and cause it to fail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VOLTAGE FAULT-FINDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s the simplest and easiest way to find faults that are preventing your 12v camping gear<\/strong> <\/a>from running properly. Put your multimeter onto the Voltage setting, and set the range to 20V (unless it can do auto-ranging). Connect the black lead from the COMMON (COM) or NEGATIVE port to a good earth point \u2013 ideally the negative terminal on the battery, or a clean, unpainted metal part of the engine or body. Now, connect the red lead to the 10A socket. Probe the positive side of your battery to check the multimeter works, the earth connection is good and the leads are plugged in properly \u2013 it should read around the 12.6V-12.8V mark when the vehicle\u2019s off, and between 13.5V and 14.4V when it\u2019s running. Take the red lead\u2019s probe and start following the path of 12v from the battery to the problem area. Check both sides of any components like fuses, circuit breakers, terminals and the like. The sharp end of the probe can be used to dig in through wiring insulation to check voltage while only leaving a tiny hole in the wiring.                   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CONTINUITY FAULT-FINDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next thing you should learn to do with your multimeter is check for continuity, which is useful for checking for breaks in the 12v circuit through things like fuses and connectors to see if there\u2019s power getting to your <\/a>12v camping accessories<\/strong>. Set the switch on the multimeter to the continuity setting, which looks like a little speaker symbol (check the instruction manual if you\u2019re not sure). Connect the red and black probes together and the multimeter should beep \u2013 this indicates that it\u2019s sensing a connected circuit. Now, use the probes to check for continuity through various components. An easy example to test are blade fuses used throughout camping 12v power<\/a><\/strong> installations \u2013 they have little exposed terminals on their head so you can check if a fuse is blown without taking it out. Connect the probes to both of the terminals, and the multimeter will beep if the connection is good. No beep, you\u2019ve found your problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RESISTANCE FAULT-FINDING<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bit more advanced, but extremely helpful in diagnosing open or short circuits or faulty components if you have a factory wiring manual or similar that tells you the resistance values for various 12v camping gear<\/a><\/strong> components. Set your multimeter to the resistance setting, indicated with the Ohm signal. The display should read \u2018OL\u2019 \u2013 Open Loop. This means there\u2019s no connection at all. Connect the two probes together and check what is shown on the display. Ideally it should be as low as possible but there will naturally be some resistance through the probe wires. Write down this value and then measure the resistance through the suspected faulty component. If it showns OL then there\u2019s an open loop, a physically broken connection within the component that needs fixing. If it shows a reading then write it down and subtract that initial resistance reading from it, to find the resistance that the component has. Compare it to the factory spec to find out if the component is faulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

THE $100 12V TOOLKIT THAT\u2019LL SOLVE 99% OF YOUR PROBLEMS!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a few of the right tools you\u2019ll be able to install or fix almost anything you need to, and keep your camping 12v gear<\/a><\/strong> running sweetly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n