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Below are three different dual-USB power ports that could be used in a Mooney. The first is the ‘Anker’ and it plugs into the cigar lighter port ($9.99 Amazon Prime). The second is the ‘Powerwerx’ and it is hardwired in. It may not get past an IA, but might under some sort of pilot-owners mod ($23.99). The last is Appareo’s (Stratus ADS-B, etc.) power port that is TSO’d and designed to go into an aircraft panel ($357). After looking these over, each has a pair of ports that deliver roughly 2.5 DC amps each, which is typical max charging for tablets. All have protection circuits and the Anker and Powerwerx are illuminated, the Appareo is not. The technology in all of these is not rocket science. What I would like to know is what makes the Appareo unit so ludicrously expensive? Of course, the quick answer is that it is TSO’d. Is it really that expensive to take a product and get it’s blessing from the FAA? Is it an insurance thing, that if a plane crashes and the NTSB found that the charger had failed and the tablet wasn’t working and that it ‘might have contributed to the crash’ could get Appareo sued? Even if you accounted for Mil Spec electronic parts and custom tooling , there is no way that adds over twenty times the cost. Just perplexed.

Anyone if it is ok to use the cigarette lighter for a usb port ..need to use it for an accessory charger with a usb gizmo so I can keep the ipad charged.. Thoughts... Peter