Car cigarette lighter to normal plug

[Cacciotti]

Is there any adaptor you can get that can use the cigarette lighter of a car, but allow you to plug a normal plug into it?

[Postdog]

Probably not, as batteries are 12 volt DC and things with plugs are 240 Volt AC - totally different power supplies

[Cacciotti]

that's what I'm was afraid of. Was hoping there was some sort of converter you could get...

[alan-r]

yes you can get a transformer from maplins or rummage around in a cash converter shop so long as you get it 12v stepdown from 240 and the output is correct for the lighter but really is it worth al the bother
matches-lighter ??

[rojash]

I assume that you mean that you want to power a mains device from the cigarette lighter socket of your car (the opposite of alan-r's assumption.

You can get a combined inverter/step-up transformer here:

http://www.great-outdoors-leisure.co.uk/bush-b atteries/index1.html

[ACtheTROLL]

or here

http://www.maplin.co.uk/searchtemplate.asp?cri teria=240V%20INVERTER

[ChuckFickens]

as both rojash and AC said above you can get mains inverters that will enable youo to run mains equipment from a 12v car supply, but be very careful about the wattage on them.

the 150watt ones would only enable you to run a very low powered mains device, I have a laptop power supply here that says it draws 1.7Amps at 240v so that would be just over 400w... well over double what the 150watt inverters could supply!

[rojash]

Well, the socket is supposed to be an aid to smoking...

[Cacciotti]

thank you all for you help! Very much appreciated!!!