B737 800 Power Socket
 

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.

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

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 :hmm:

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

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).

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.

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. :}

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.