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Home / Lighting / Driving & light bars

Panel-mount Merit-style socket with screw-in dust cover, front view

Elevate Automotive

Merit-Style Socket — 12-24V With Cover

QVPSMRT

Panel-mount Merit-style socket rated to 16A at 12V (8A at 24V), with dust cover, for 4WDs, caravans, boats and trucks.

Merit 2-pin
16A at 12V, 8A at 24V
28.5mm cut-out

$19.00

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Universal fitmentPanel-mount Merit-style socket

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A panel-mount Merit-style socket rated to 16A at 12V DC (8A at 24V DC), supplied with a screw-in dust cover. The Merit plug pattern (also called ISO 4165 or the MIL-Std automotive plug) is the two-pin 20mm standard used by CB radios, tyre inflators, air compressors, driving-light harnesses and most Australian-market accessories that ship with a right-angle black plug instead of a cigarette-lighter plug.

The socket bolts into a 28.5mm panel cut-out using the supplied fixing nut. It runs equally well on 12V or 24V DC systems, so it suits 4WDs, caravans, camper trailers, boats, tractors and truck cabs.

Why fit a Merit socket instead of a cigarette-lighter socket

Merit plugs latch in and stay seated over corrugations. The pin geometry pulls a positive contact instead of relying on a spring-loaded side clip, so voltage drop stays low even under sustained loads that would make a cigarette socket run warm. Any accessory that already carries a Merit plug (Baintech, REDARC-branded harnesses, Powertech CB radios and most aftermarket fridge power leads) plugs straight in.

Fused feed sizing

Feed the socket from a fuse sized to match the accessory. A 12V compressor peaks around 10-12A, a portable fridge sits at 3-7A, a CB radio draws under 3A, and a small tyre inflator around 7-10A. The socket is rated to 16A at 12V; the feed fuse protects the cable and the accessory, not the socket.

  • 16A at 12V DC — powers compressors and driving lights
  • Merit plug pattern — locks in over rough terrain
  • Dust cover included — keeps contacts clean when idle
  • 28.5mm panel cut-out — standard socket-mount size
  • 12V or 24V systems — suits trucks and caravans

Electrical

Input voltage: 12-24V DC

Current at 12V: 16A

Current at 24V: 8A

Housing

Material: ABS plastic

Plug pattern: Merit ISO 4165

Mounting: Panel with nut

Panel cut-out: 28.5mm

Panel-mount Merit-style socket
12V and 24V DC systems

Q: What does Merit-style mean?
The Merit plug is a two-pin 20mm coaxial panel connector originally specced for military and industrial equipment. It is the black right-angle plug used by Australian-market accessories such as Baintech leads, some REDARC harnesses and Powertech CB radios. Merit sockets and plugs are also known as ISO 4165 or MIL-Std automotive plugs. The pin geometry is unrelated to a cigarette-lighter socket and the two do not interchange.

Q: Will my accessory plug straight in?
If the plug is the black right-angle two-pin 20mm type described above, yes. Cigarette-lighter plugs, XLR plugs, Anderson plugs and DIN plugs do not fit. Check the plug on your accessory against a photo of a Merit plug before ordering.

Q: Why fit a Merit socket instead of a standard cigarette-lighter socket?
Merit plugs latch in mechanically and hold their contact under vibration. Cigarette-lighter sockets rely on a spring-loaded side clip that can back off on corrugated roads and heat up under continuous load. For anything drawing over about 8A continuously, a Merit socket is the safer choice.

Q: What panel cut-out do I need?
A 28.5mm circular hole. The socket body is 28.6mm across and the front face is 40mm, so the face overlaps and hides the cut-out edge. Leave about 40mm of clearance behind the panel for the body and its wiring terminals.

Q: What fuse should I put on the feed?
Match the fuse to the largest accessory you plan to run, not to the socket rating. As a guide: 5A for a CB radio or lamp, 10A for a fridge or LED bar, 15A for a small compressor or tyre inflator. Do not exceed the 16A rating of the socket even if the cable and fuse would carry more.

Q: Can I run it on 24V?
Yes. The socket is rated to 8A on a 24V system and 16A on a 12V system. Any accessory plugged into it also needs to be 24V rated.

Q: Is the cover waterproof?
No, the cover is dust and splash resistant only. It keeps grit out of an unused socket in a caravan cabinet or dashboard bay. For genuinely wet installs (open trailers, boat cockpits, quad-bike mounts), fit the socket behind a hinged flap or in a splash-protected recess.

Q: Can I mount it vertically or upside down?
Yes, in any orientation. The dust cover is captive on its own screw and stays with the socket regardless of angle.

Q: What comes in the box?
The socket, its dust cover already fitted, and the fixing nut. Wiring, spade terminals, in-line fuse holder and mounting panel are not included and need to be sourced separately.

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