Let us assume you have a BayGen radio. This radio has phenomenal reception, and in hard times will be extremely useful for receiving virtually any AM, FM, or SW broadcast within reach of its aerial. The BayGen normally operates by turning the crank and winding up the spring, and as the spring unwinds it turns a small generator which powers the electric circuits in the radio. But the hand crank mechanism is only rated for 5,000 uses, so why crank it when that feature is not needed? It is possible to run the BayGen from a different power source providing anywhere from 3 to 9 volts DC current. And we can do that with one home built battery adapter with pigtails for battery post clamps, and a 12 volt reducer such as the Recoton AD 61 battery adapter, available from Radio Shack.

The Recoton battery adapter plugs into a cigarette lighter socket and reduces 12 volt DC current to 6 or 9 volts as well as 12 volt current, simply by moving a switch to the proper setting. Set for 6 volts, it will run the BayGen radio easily . The battery adapter can also recharge small appliances, such as a Craftsman electric screwdriver, as well as operate many other things such as tape recorders. But the battery adapter must have a cigarette lighter socket into which to plug!

Many auto parts stores sell external cigarette lighter sockets. They are intended for installation under a dashboard, on a boat, etc, and are thus designed to be used exposed and uncovered. The same auto parts stores sell a small loop of 14 gauge wire with a 15 amp fuse installed. Hold the loop by the fuse, and cut the wire on the bottom. Now you have a straight wire with a fuse in the middle. One end of that wire can be attached to the CENTER electrode on the external cigarette lighter socket, and the other end attached to a small RED battery clamp. Another wire is attached to the side electrode on the lighter socket on one end, and the other end attached to a BLACK battery clamp.

You now have made a pig tail adapter which can be clipped to battery terminals and power anything that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket. The RED clamp is attached to the POSITIVE (+) battery post, and the black clamp to the negative (-) terminal, and it is ready for use.

The Recoton battery adapter's cigarette lighter plug can now be inserted into the home built lighter socket, and the other wire from the Recoton adapter plugged into the "DC in" receptacle on the appliance, and it will operate directly from the 12 volt battery. Be sure to read the voltage marked on the appliance beside tie "DC in" receptacle and set the Recoton adapter to the correct voltage before operation.

Many small battery powered appliances need a trickle flow of current for 12 to 15 hours to become fully recharged, and the system described above will work perfectly for this use. Running a generator to provide 110 volt AC power for recharging small appliances is enormously wasteful: the cost of the fuel for one day's use would be more than the cost of the external cigarette lighter, wiring and clamps, AND the Recoton battery adapter described above!

See also Building a Battery Adapter.

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