QTDDTOT: Questions that don't deserve their own thread

[Headbarcode]

I truly appreciate your quick and informed reply Mike.

I think the problem is mine, in that I haven't made myself clear.

To point: I appreciate what an open circuit is though thank you for your explanation--not knowing the depth of my knowledge.

As you were so kind to do, you source a pictured reply of an opened, like a circuit, London Bridge, with a break in it: the rising halves of the bridge being a metaphor for a wire with a break in it as well. This I get...as I do the fact that such an open circuit can never be taped for power, nor charged, as a solar panel with a cigarette lighter adapter at the distal end might do.

What I probably should have asked is if the cigarette lighter in the front maintains the ability, say with a diode, to permit the flow of current back to the battery from a power source when neither the engine is cranked, nor the vehicle starter pressed once or twice (the latter with no foot on the brake) to an accessory position.

I'm going to check the wiring diagrams section of the forum to see if any indications of my query are addressed--something I apologize for not doing earlier Mike--returning here if an answer is clear. https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/JL-Wiring-Diagrams/POWER-OUTLETS.pdf

I hear you on the solar charger alligator clips solution as I do your thoughts, mine as well that some douche might swipe it were it positioned outside the vehicle, despite what addition degradation to the current such a panel might be able to pick up behind window glass. Of course there's this one from Cascadia4x4, a bit out of my price range (and then some) https://www.cascadia4x4.com/collect...8-present-vss-system-80-watt-hood-solar-panel

which I'm not sure is safer from theft in its installation, or less so because its value makes theft worth the attempt!!! Perhaps its security lies in most people thinking it not more than a decal.


Thank you sir!!! Maybe I need to be less of a lazy bum and simple run wires through the grommet under the glove box, bypassing the cigarette lighter as you originally suggested!!


~~~~~

@Suffolklou Hey Lou: I do have the cigarette lighter in the cargo area. As you point out, it is energized, by factory default, at all times (changeable to accessory status with the flip of a fuse as per the owner's manual). In fact, it is what I source to run the dash camera when the vehicle is parked.

As you may know, dash cams with parking features require access to both an accessory (e.g. cigarette lighter) and battery (aforementioned cargo area cigarette lighter type plug) source so they can determine when the vehicle is cranked or not.

(An aside: I actually tapped the mirror light as my accessory port to make the install cleaner.)

Here's the rub sir. The camera was turning off in parking mode because when I ran the relatively high gauge (i.e. small) wires that came with it from this cargo area plug I lost current as Mike warned earlier, and the threshold for the camera to shut off to conserve battery power was being met.

This was resolved by lowering the gauge (increasing the thickness) of the wire I used to make the trip to the front of the vehicle from this cargo area power source.

Thanks Lou.

I commend you on being able to recognize that we don't all really know each other and our backgrounds, so my simplification was not a stab. Most here tend to fall short on that.

I used to be great with circuits and their respective components, while training in commercial refrigeration, which can get rather complicating. Life brought me down a different path, and unfortunately a lot of info has rusted over from lack of use. It's sounding like you could answer more questions from me, than I could for you.

Its crazy that adding a rechargeable battery pack, that takes the load off the vehicle during sleep mode, can double the price of a higher quality dash cam.

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[Gee-pah]

Any chance you have the factory aux switches? If so, there is an always energized wire in the passengers side foot well area that you could probably use as well.

I don't Lou but your thoughts crossed my mind in what I recall was the setup screens of the Aux switches being able to be configured as battery or accessory, as I saw here on the forum.

For the record, I am an expert at home at getting "toys" as part of solving a higher necessity problem--witness talking apart a fallen tree rather than turfing it out to an arborist got me a chain saw (that kind of stuff.) I've applied these skills with the Mrs. to the JL!

Thanks.

 

[Gee-pah]

I commend you on being able to recognize that we don't all really know each other and our backgrounds, so my simplification was not a stab. Most here tend to fall short on that.

I used to be great with circuits and their respective components, while training in commercial refrigeration, which can get rather complicating. Life brought me down a different path, and unfortunately a lot of info has rusted over from lack of use. It's sounding like you could answer more questions from me, than I could for you.

Its crazy that adding a rechargeable battery pack, that takes the load off the vehicle during sleep mode, can double the price of a higher quality dash cam.

Thanks Mike. It's so true that when we answer questions here that we straddle this idea of wanting to be informative but brief and not appear condescending, while not miss important details with an audience with which we often don't have the foggiest idea as to their depth of prior content knowledge.

So true about the expense of dash cam battery packs. The explanation for the expense I'm to understand comes from the fact that these inside the vehicle cabin Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries are much better capable at handling temperature extremes (safely) but come at a premium to their Lithum Ion cousin batteries.

Thanks again.

 

[Suffolklou]

I don't Lou but your thoughts crossed my mind in what I recall was the setup screens of the Aux switches being able to be configured as battery or accessory, as I saw here on the forum.

For the record, I am an expert at home at getting "toys" as part of solving a higher necessity problem--witness talking apart a fallen tree rather than turfing it out to an arborist got me a chain saw (that kind of stuff.) I've applied these skills with the Mrs. to the JL!

Thanks.

There is actually six wires in the passenger footwell. one for each aux switch, one always hot and one keyed. I am not sure the add on aux switches have all of these if you are looking to go that route

 

[Gee-pah]

My 2018 Sahara JL's "windshield sprayer/windshield holder downer thingies" are about 16 7/8" apart on center.

Maybe someone could tell me what distance the Rubicon's same parts lie from each other, on center. (It's okay if narrower on the Ruby, just not further apart.)

You see, this Rubicon JL hood solar charger is cheaper than this Non Rubicon JL hood solar charger. Sure the former produces less power; it's smaller--but I don't need much.

I have an inquiry into the manufacturer: Cascadia4x4 as to whether the electronics would be compatible using the Ruby version on the Sahara--I wouldn't see why not, but you never know.

Thanks.

 

[Headbarcode]

My 2018 Sahara JL's "windshield sprayer/windshield holder downer thingies" are about 16 7/8" apart on center.

Maybe someone could tell me what distance the Rubicon's same parts lie from each other, on center. (It's okay if narrower on the Ruby, just not further apart.)

You see, this Rubicon JL hood solar charger is cheaper than this Non Rubicon JL hood solar charger. Sure the former produces less power; it's smaller--but I don't need much.

I have an inquiry into the manufacturer: Cascadia4x4 as to whether the electronics would be compatible using the Ruby version on the Sahara--I wouldn't see why not, but you never know.

Thanks.

Just taken a moment ago, off my JLUR. Looks to be the same as your Sahara.

 

[Gee-pah]

Thanks Mike @Headbarcode, you're a gentlemen and a scholar!

 

[Gee-pah]

What would be the electrical implications of hooking two of these up together, positive side to positive side, negative side to negative side?

I think--but am not certain, that each solar panel can be thought of like a battery (i.e. an energy source) and hooking two or more up in parallel should (as per the definitions of a parallel electrical connection) keep voltage constant (here 12V) and increase amperage.

You see, one of these solar panels alone doesn't overcome the amperage demands of my dash camera in parking mode, but two of them would (and likely trickle charge the batteries somewhat); and I'd like them to share common wiring into the main battery of my 3.6L to keep things simpler for me. You see, getting wires through the fire wall from the cabin space where these chargers reside, into the engine bay, can be a pain in the arse, and I already ran two wires for the first solar charger.

Thanks.

 

[MacombRoger]

Here is a simple question. Where is the external temperature sensor that displays on the Radio? It must get covered in mud easily, as off-roading it often doesn't seem accurate.

Thanks!

 

[Headbarcode]

Here is a simple question. Where is the external temperature sensor that displays on the Radio? It must get covered in mud easily, as off-roading it often doesn't seem accurate.

Thanks!

Its just inside the grill, in front of the radiators.

 

[TRZ]

Here is a simple question. Where is the external temperature sensor that displays on the Radio? It must get covered in mud easily, as off-roading it often doesn't seem accurate.

Thanks!

I haven’t verified for the JL, but in previous models temperature readings weren’t updated unless you were going over 20 mph.

 

[Left Field]

What would be the electrical implications of hooking two of these up together, positive side to positive side, negative side to negative side?

Panels are often connected in parallel, series or combinations of both depending on the type of application. I've done similar to you; connected two panels in parallel to gain increased current while retaining the same output voltage and it works well. Parallel has one advantage in particular over series - if one panel is shaded the other panel is not prevented from producing full output.

 

[Sideways]

I truly appreciate your quick and informed reply Mike.

I think the problem is mine, in that I haven't made myself clear.

To point: I appreciate what an open circuit is though thank you for your explanation--not knowing the depth of my knowledge.

As you were so kind to do, you source a pictured reply of an opened, like a circuit, London Bridge, with a break in it: the rising halves of the bridge being a metaphor for a wire with a break in it as well. This I get...as I do the fact that such an open circuit can never be taped for power, nor charged, as a solar panel with a cigarette lighter adapter at the distal end might do.

I’m pretty sure that’s Tower Bridge. Someone already made that expensive mistake

 

[Gee-pah]

Hi:

What's the group size of the stock main battery in a 3.6L JL?

Thanks.

 

[Gee-pah]

Is anyone running the
4 x 4 hood VSS solar panel...either the one for the Rubicon hood or non-Rubicon hood that can offer their thoughts on the product?

Rubicon Hood Panel

Non-Rubicon Panel

Thanks.

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