B737 800 Power Socket

[I Just Drive]

Hi, is it possible to use the power socket in the flight deck in flight? I believe the cleaners plug the hoover in there but I wondered if it was usuable in flight and if so, is it possible to buy adapters to power say a battery charger from it? I figured that thing must produce so much excess power it won't mind if I steal some for my headset batteries.

[Engineeraaron]

On the MYT Fleet most of the aircraft have laptops as the tech log and they are pluged into the sockets to charge them.

[Lazymech]

Sure, works on ground as well as in the air, just for the record the output is 115VAC/400Hz, european gear won't fit/work.

Once saw a 737-200 which had a portable gps hooked up in there, and mounted before the F/O instruments

[pjvr99]

Most laptop and cellphone chargers are switchmode, so are happy with 115v or 230v. However, their life expectancy may be shortened by the 400Hz

[PhilM]

IIRC the MYT ones by the side of FO and Capt give out 115v 60Hz. (They are not the same as the normal ones by the CB panel for example).

[I Just Drive]

Thanks for the replies. So would a simple US to UK converter allow me to use my battery charger in flight? I don't know the Htz of the UK electrical system.

[vapilot2004]

Laptops and many other electronic devices these days come out of the box ready for US/UK use. The compatible power supplies are labeled 120/240VAC 50/60HZ and require only a simple plug adapter.

UK mains are 230V @ 50HZ, if I recall correctly.

[barit1]

25-30 yrs ago I used a TI-58C handheld programmable calc w/dual-voltage charger (115/230 manual-switchable) from the flight deck outlet. The charger was a simple transformer/rectifier type, not auto-sensing like today's devices.

Anyway - even though the charger was labeled 50-60 Hz, it didn't mind the 400 hz at all. In fact, transformer theory tells you that it should run cooler on the higher frequency (lower iron losses).

And today's auto-voltage-sensing charger rectifies the AC line voltage directly to DC before feeding a switching-type power supply, so it too should be quite tolerant of the 400 hz.