Powering up an antomatic clay thrower with a car

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Salibas007

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I bought yesterday my first automatic clay thrower. Cabela’s has some really good specials and I couldn’t resist scooping one out.

Now I know these usually run of deep cycle marine batteries by clamping directlybon one.

But I was thinking if there was a way to rig up a set of jumper cables and plug it directly to a 12 volt outlet of a car (the round plugs where lighters used to go, before it became politically incorrect to insight people to smoke by apparently putting a lighter in a car).

I’m not very technically inclined electrically speaking to know if this can be done. I can get a cable built by an electrician, so I’m not worried about doing it. I just want to know if:

1- can I rig jumper cables and terminate one end of the cable into a 12V car plug.
2- would my car battery (I have a new F150) be able to power up the thrower ?
3- can my car be off or should the engine be running ?
4- if I don’t need to have my car running, will a couple of hours of operating the machine kill my battery ?

Thanks for all your help
 
Salibas007 said:
I bought yesterday my first automatic clay thrower. Cabela’s has some really good specials and I couldn’t resist scooping one out.

Now I know these usually run of deep cycle marine batteries by clamping directlybon one.

But I was thinking if there was a way to rig up a set of jumper cables and plug it directly to a 12 volt outlet of a car (the round plugs where lighters used to go, before it became politically incorrect to insight people to smoke by apparently putting a lighter in a car).

I’m not very technically inclined electrically speaking to know if this can be done. I can get a cable built by an electrician, so I’m not worried about doing it. I just want to know if:

1- can I rig jumper cables and terminate one end of the cable into a 12V car plug.
2- would my car battery (I have a new F150) be able to power up the thrower ?
3- can my car be off or should the engine be running ?
4- if I don’t need to have my car running, will a couple of hours of operating the machine kill my battery ?

Thanks for all your help
Click to expand...

if you have an F150 does it have a trailer tow package? If so just get your electrician friend to wire an end onto the clay thrower to fit in your trailer socket. I think you would have to throw a lot of clay before you would need to worry about battery life issues. If concerned about battery life start the truck and let it run for a few minutes during a break in the shooting
 
Does the thrower have the amperage listed on it? Should be on the motor.

How many amps it draws would answer all of your questions. I would make sure your cigarette lighter plug can provide the required amperage.
 
The problem will the current or amperage as stated earlier, the easiest is to buy another battery, that way the truck will always start when you want to leave.
 
Your cigarette lighter outlet will provide more than enough current for your application and your truck battery will operate your machine for far longer than you will be using it at one time unless your truck box is loaded with clays. You need to use larger wire such as #10 or 12 for your home made cord and keep it as short as possible. With low voltage like 12 volts there is considerable line loss and this will minimize this. Your 12 volt cigarette lighter plug should be available at Canadian Tire. If you are still concerned about pulling your truck battery down too far to easily start the vehicle simply have a back up vehicle and jumper cables handy.
 
Dont use the power outlet from the interior.

If you want to use the vehicles battery just pop the hood and hook up to the positive and negative terminals of the battery.
 
1oldfart said:
if you have an F150 does it have a trailer tow package? If so just get your electrician friend to wire an end onto the clay thrower to fit in your trailer socket
Click to expand...

Yes I do have the tow package. And I love that idea. Better than running a cable to the cigarette socket or battery under the hood.

Now I assume you’re talking about the 4 pin trailer connector. Or do I need the round 7pin one ? I guess I would be taking one of the wires that normally would connect to one of the trailer lights ?


Ashcroft said:
. You need to use larger wire such as #10 or 12 for your home made cord and keep it as short as possible. With low voltage like 12 volts there is considerable line loss and this will minimize this.
Click to expand...

my car will be about 30 feet away from the thrower. So would a 40-50 ft cable be good or would I have significant loss even with a 10 gauge cable ?
 
The four pin flat trailer connector will likely not provide enough power (amps), not wired heavy enough in the vehicle. The round heavy duty seven pin trailer connector will handle your load if wired correctly.
If you are looking for 40-50 feet you are asking a lot, maybe too much depending on the load of your thrower. Give me the amp rating of your unit ( should be marked on the machine or motor) and I can work out the maximum practical length for different wire sizes.
Most people use these portable throwers with a deep cycle RV type battery and short power leads, and if not already supplied they have wheels installed, sometimes a pull handle and a battery holder attached.
 
My brother in law has a small thrower and it just has alligator clamps on the wires that he clamps directly to the battery terminals of his pick up. I don't know how long it will run the thrower for but I've seen him put 3 or 4 boxes through it and the truck starts fine.
 
Your four pin trailer plug is really only meant to run tail and running lights on you trailer not for any large surge draws on battery. The wiring running to them is typically 16 gauge and if you attempt to run another 50ft of it that's a bit of a stretch depending of course on the amperage draw of your thrower.
You are much better off running direct to your battery with alligator clips.
 
Just alligator clips to the battery. Length of wire will be ok. Just use a heavier gauge and I recommend getting a wire meant for flexing. You can use extension cord wiring and it will work perfectly as they are high flex and will not break like regular automotive wiring with repeated coiling and movement of the wire. I would recommend putting a fuse inline as close as you can to the positive clamp if you are going off of the battery. I don't think the thrower will pull more than 15-20 Amps. If you are that worried about your battery dying you can leave the truck or car running. Or another route would be to replace your existing battery with a deep cell marine or an AGM battery. I have always installed AC delko AGM batteries in my cars and with over 1500 watt stereos running for an hour the car always starts without any issues. Watch your back they are heavy.
I know princess auto carries everything you need, they also have optimum batteries which are AGM and could definitely work for you.

Licensed automotive technician so if you have any questions feel free to ask.
 
I have the 'wheelie bird' clay thrower with alligator clips which i directly hook onto my f150 battery.

If you are worried about battery life dropping, just start the vehicle and have it idle while shooting. its only a few liters of gas for the piece of mind knowing you will be able to drive home after the shoot!
 
Ashcroft said:
The four pin flat trailer connector will likely not provide enough power (amps), not wired heavy enough in the vehicle. The round heavy duty seven pin trailer connector will handle your load if wired correctly.
If you are looking for 40-50 feet you are asking a lot, maybe too much depending on the load of your thrower. Give me the amp rating of your unit ( should be marked on the machine or motor) and I can work out the maximum practical length for different wire sizes.
Most people use these portable throwers with a deep cycle RV type battery and short power leads, and if not already supplied they have wheels installed, sometimes a pull handle and a battery holder attached.
Click to expand...

I’m waiting for Cabela’s to ship it to me. Once I get it, I’ll look at the amperage and then we’ll see how long I can go.

I like the idea of plugging it to the trailer connector. The 7 pin is fine. I’m not crazy about running it with aligator clamps directly to my cars battery. Involves keeping the hood open and in the woods around me, this means a nice warm spots for all sorts of critters to hide.
 
According to the manufacturer this thrower draws 16A plus an additional 5A if you use a "wobbler". Most cigarette lighter/accessory plugs are 15A so it is safe to say that you're over that.
I'd use an external deep cycle battery if I were you as at 192 Watts, this thrower will run down your car battery pretty quickly. Also worth noting that your regular battery is not designed to sustain "deep cycles"

Rob
 
i didn't even knew wobblers exist. now that's a nice add-on. i wonder if they are universal or they only work with specific models. I have the So-All Firefly model
 
robak1 said:
According to the manufacturer this thrower draws 16A plus an additional 5A if you use a "wobbler". Most cigarette lighter/accessory plugs are 15A so it is safe to say that you're over that.
I'd use an external deep cycle battery if I were you as at 192 Watts, this thrower will run down your car battery pretty quickly. Also worth noting that your regular battery is not designed to sustain "deep cycles"

Rob
Click to expand...

Buy a battery. It gives the flexibility to move the machine away from your truck and a lot less dicking around.
 
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