mobile phone charger
 

I want to convert a mobile charger from an old blackberry phone to be able to power my gps on the bike. My problem is I dont know which is the positive wire for the fuse attachemnt.

The power cable on the charger is a single cable with insulation. Inside the insulating sheath there is wire (obviously), this wire surrounds an inner insulated wire (Insulation white in colour, no stripes or any other colours).

Of those 2 wires, is the inner or outer wire the positive ?

Anyone ? - thanks

:confused1:

You're immensely overcomplicating this. wire a 12V cigarette lighter up directly to your battery with an inline fuse, and install the lighter plug wherever you feel like it will be most useful. two wires, probably 45 minutes or so depending on the bike, and BAM DONE. plus you then have a power supply to produce electric for additional items as well, like a heated vest, or perhaps an air compressor if need be.

I fitted a power socket a few weeks back and, fingers crossed, all appears ok on that front.

I bought a cigarette socket charger for the GPS with the intention of powering it through this socket, however the adaptor is a bit of a clumsy shape and this causes the connection to vibrate on and off as I ride.

I was hoping to have a permanent power supply directly from the battery to the GPS and leave the power socket for other things.

For a start I would make absolutely sure that the GPS is using 12V. In my experience, the car chargers convert the 12V down to around 4.5V or something like that, depending on brand. That is not universal and maybe yours does accept straight 12V.

So, if I am correct, that means you will not be able to use the phone charger without a converter or it will blow up the power supply inside the GPS.

The other thing to think about is what actual voltage AND current the Blackberry charger can supply. I had to make up a charger for my TomTom and although I had the correct voltage, the current supplied by the convertor was only 400mA and this was not enough to keep it charged, I needed a minimum of 800mA before it started to charge.


Cheers
TravellingStrom

Which GPS?

Ive got the Garmin Oregon 400t - use it for hiking, mountain biking and the motorcycle....fairly diverse unit, got some good functions.

Really didnt think it was going to be so complicated.....hmmmm

Hi,

If it will charge of usb and you have a cigarete lighter 12v socket. just get a usb adapter that fits in the socket. They are a few pounds on ebay and sit flush in the socket. Then use a usb lead between there and the gps.

Here is an example

http://www.uxsight.com/product/image...059091121c.jpg

Looking at the device I would avoid 12v as it looks usb spec to me i.e. 5v

Don't be cheap on the adapters either. I went through 4 Chinese nokia chargers before buying the real deal - no more problems. Vibes wind rain etc not kind to cheap Pcb construction...

Check your owners manual, most Garmins will take from 6 to 40 volts DC.

You can get a Power/NMEA Data cable for the Oregon here
but it aint cheap at £36. All you need in one cable:mchappy: with an in-line fuse.

This will also allow you to connect it to an Autocom or similar (bluetooth?) if you want.

John

Thanks guys.....

Ive gone ahead and bought a cigarette socket/ USB adaptor, not a cheap one, so hopefully I wont need to be buying any more of these :thumbup1:. I could not find an all-weather model, I will need to house it in some waterproof/ dustproof casing - all good. Awesome for saving space as most my toys come with USB power cables !

In addition I have bought a 2nd cigarette power cable and socket. I was planning on attaching this near the GPS mount to reduce the distance and amount of lose cables, will keep the other power socket available for charging batteries etc..
John....that is EXACTLY what I want to build myself. I suppose my issue, assuming my garmin will handle 12v input is then still to determine which wire to attach the in-line fuse to ? Would give a great sence of satisfaction building it myself....would also make use of the redundant mobile chargers stored in the shoe box in the top cupboard :clap:.

If all goes bellies up....that Garmin hardware could be the next purchase.

Question.....what would happen if I reversed the polarity across the gps unit by mistake ?


.....

You could talk to these guys and see if the have a cable for your unit in the pipline or maybe they can tell you which wire is which.

pfranc.com: Cables and connectors for Garmin GPS, and more!


John

Trichelia, if you just want power, look at this: USB Power Socket Weatherproof - ::. UKGSer.com .::

Also, Cig lighter sockets are NOT the way to go, impo. They are just not designed for the rigours of motorcycle use. Get the DIN standard sockets like these. 12-Volt/24-Volt Plugs, Sockets & ConnectorsThey wont fall apart on the road.

John

You need to be real careful on what you spend your money on. In my post above I specifically mentioned the current draw of the unit you have, which you never mentiond by the way.

If you bought a12V to USB adaptoor that is fine, BUT, will it power the unit, it will need to supply at least 2 Amps to be able to run my TomTom GPS(without overheating and blowing fuses)

Make sure you can take it back if it cannot handle the job, but I guess it is too late now

Travellingstrom, I have a cig socket power cable with a 10A in-line fuse, the USB adaptor has a 12v input and 4.5v/ 1A output (It doesn’t appear to have a built in fuse)

I looked through my Garmin documents and could not find any details on voltage nor amp. I called Garmin and they were not prepared to tell me as “if it is not in the manual, then it is not for public consumption” – I don’t think their Client Service Dept knew, which is why they made that excuse. After looking on a few forums I saw it mentioned that the Oregon 400 will accept 0.8A and 4.5v….this sounds as if the UBS adaptor should work without any damage to the device ? - How does this sound ?

I am still not convinced that the USB adaptor will not vibrate and be sufficiently robust (as John mentioned). The weatherproof USB power cable and socket that looks to me the best of my current options.
From past experience…..what is the best way to charge or power items ? – using a USB socket or Cig socket or a combo depending on the device ? – Are DIN sockets necessary ?......I havent really looked into these at all.

Thanks again…

Ahh, the old, you cant blame us 'cos we didn't tell you.

Well, from their own web site: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=26668 This cable will take from 8 to 36volts. They normally do this so you can use them in cars, trucks and boats without concerning yourself about the voltage source.
I still think this would be your best bet, hard-wired to the bike.

Good luck with it:mchappy:

John

The USB device will do the trick, I had two of those in my Tank Bag supplying various devices, the tank bag compensated for road bumps etc. The 12V plug should have no real issues as far as vibration is concerned, but they will get water through them and there will be corrosion issues, even if they are waterproof and are designed for a marine environment. The 10Amp fuse will be too big for what you need. If this socket is only there to supply power to your Garmin GPS, then remove the 10 and replace it with a 2Amp.


In your case above, if you have the items then I would do this test to see if it will actually work the way you need. The Oregon says it will accept 0.8A and 4.5V, well, technically what that means is, that is the minimum it will need to be able to charge properly, so as long as you have 1A of current available, it will be enough.

Fully charge the GPS, plug it into the bike system so it is being charged by the combination of leads you have then turn it on and leave it for 8 hours(which is about a days ride). I am unfamilier with that unit, but put it on the MENU screen so you can see the battery charge at all times and check it once in a while.

Basically, if the GPS is fully charged, when you have finished this test, it should still befully charged. In my case, because the charger could not supply enough POWER(the volts were fine), I could see the battery slowly being discharged over time.

Another test, connect the system the same as above, but make sure the GPS is only half charged or nearly discharged and go for a few hours ride, with once again the battery level meter being displayed, see if it increases with time, mine didn't.

As you have the cables and connectors, this is the sure fire ways of checking

As for the perfect way to charge things, it depends on the bikes setup, what luggage you have and how much gear you have to charge etc. There are many new devices on the market that look to be the bees knees with regard to multi charge etc, but whether they have been robustly tested on a bike where it is useful, it is hard to say. Just because they work in a car, means stuff all to me :)

Cheers
TS

I think you will find with the Garmin units (and TT?), they do NOT charge when in use. If its on and connected to a power source and you then switch the unit off, it will go into charge mode and display a battery on the screen.
Similarly, if you connect a power source to the unit, it will switch it on.
No?

John

Thanks TS, that was a detailed reply. John is correct with the Garmin, my model anyway.....the Oregon 400 can not be charged from the bike, only powered. It takes 2xAA batteries for portable usage, which I will charge seperately.

Thanks for the below, this has given me some confidence.

My acerbis tank is being delivered tomorrow. While the tank is off I will run 2 cig socket power cables from the battery to the handlebars. I will use one with the usb adaptor (1A/ 4.5v) to power the GPS and the other to power any other items (ie: AA batteries, electric pump, etc..) - I may need a 2nd usb adaptor though.

Fingers crossed this has the desired effect.......else Ill be buying the Garmin power lead, direct to the battery.....and moving a cig power socket to my wifes bike (Project B) :thumbup1:

Thanks for all the help, learnt a bunch.
Ill be sure to revert after the test drive.....:scooter:

Cheers

OK, I was unsure of Garmin, my GPS MAP76S won't charge from the bike or from an external source, but this may be different for the bike specific ZUMO range, I am unsure, but my TT Rider 2 does, as it is designed to be on the bike and off.

So, by the sounds of it, the gamin is not so useful, it should be able to charge while turned off, unless the charging system cannot supply enough oompf to do both. That is something to keep in mind, if I decide to swap brands.

Cheers
TS

I have a 276c and that charges from the bike when it is switched off. I use a Power/NMEA Data cable on the bike, but in the car, it will also charge from the ciggy lighter, when in the off position.
I think the data cables are available for most of the Garmin range

I bought an 11 hr battery for it as well... for those long runs:D

John

hey hey.......had a good w/e :D.

fitted the power cable and works pretty sweet with the usb adaptor onto the gps, no vibrations, rattles etc.....The real test will be the off-road jaunt.

fitted the acerbis tank.....the bike burped and back-fired a few times but shaped up pretty quick and is now purring like a big kitten.

LOVING this DIY....not bad for a mechanical twit !!


TS......yip, would be great if it did....its a great unit otherwise although havent had experience with other brands and models.
I take it on day/ week-end cycle trips regularly and it has some great features.....picks up signal quickly, pretty robust (fell of my bicycle at +-20mph.....bounced, opened up, batteries flew all over, I stressed out.......The unit received a few dents but continues to work v. well and remains waterproof, I was amazed).

Thanks for the help guys.