How to fit a USB charger

[Tuiroo]

I have more than once, I'm an electrical engineer by day 9 years at uni, 21 years in the field, qualified to degree level.

Fairly well versed with auto electrics too, I build custom looms for my own business.

 

Thanks Mrbarry,

So you fancy a ride up to Edinburgh this weekend? I have job (read: paid in beer) for you...lol

Cheers

[Joeman]

I have more than once, I'm an electrical engineer by day 9 years at uni, 21 years in the field, qualified to degree level.

Fairly well versed with auto electrics too, I build custom looms for my own business.

 

Thanks Mrbarry,

So you fancy a ride up to Edinburgh this weekend? I have job (read: paid in beer) for you...lol

Cheers

 

Im no expert, but given your lack of experience, i reckon you should go with the simplest solution with is straight to the battery with an inline fuse. just be mindful that it will be drawing a very small amount of current from the battery all the time, even when nothing is plugged in.

As tango said, its the best balance of risk..

 

Batteries drain anyway due to the internal resistance. The DC-DC convertor will draw some current but without something drawing significant power from the device the current draw will be pretty well insignificant.....certainly no more than an alarm would draw. Balance this against the possibility of damaging the bikes wiring or overloading a circuit I'd be inclined to go with connecting direct to the battery personally. A case of balancing risks really.....

 

Just to be sure, remember

RED connects to +ve terminal

BLACK connects to the -ve terminal

and the inline fuse should be in the RED wire as close to the battery as possible.

[Tuiroo]

Hi, I would go direct to the battery via an inline fuse, if you need to switch the circuit then do so by connecting via a relay. I tried to connect my intercom system supply into a switch circuit of the wiring loom and it caused all sorts of problems. For a USB charger better to get as pure a DC supply as possible and go straight on the battery, some of the switched circuits on the bike can be AC. After running out of options on my bike connecting sat nav, heated grips and intercom l came across this gem brilliant bit of kit for those into fitting gadgets.

shttp://www.pashnit.com/product/fuzeblo ... locks.html

This page might be of use

http://www.ripper1.com/tech/wiring.php

 

Hi Chrissb6,

Yip! I think I am going to try out a direct battery connection for my first attempt at this. If it seems to continuously drain my battery I will start to look at other more sophisticated solutions.

The second link you sent seems to be about what I need to get my head around this - thanks. I could not open the first link for some reason.

Thanks for your help

[Mrbarry]

If you was within 20 miles yeah I'd come do it for you, I do loads of work on car forums for free, I like to help out and meet people Edinburgh is a bit far tho lol.

[Fozzie]

If you decide to go for the relay its very easy. All you need is to connect it in the following method. It will look like this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/relay-1.jpg

And as a circuit diagram this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/Schematic.gif

Connect terminal 1 to your tail light power wire, 2 can go on to the tail light if its in series. So its mounted inline basically.

Terminal 3 is connected to the battery and terminal 5 is connected to the USB chargers.

When you turn the switch the ignition on you will light the tailight, which will power the relays terminal 1 and thus cause the switch to flick on and allow the battery power to travel directly to the chargers.

Im going to do a proper thread on this as a guide soon me thinks

[Joeman]

If you decide to go for the relay its very easy. All you need is to connect it in the following method. It will look like this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/relay-1.jpg

And as a circuit diagram this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/Schematic.gif

Connect terminal 1 to your tail light power wire, 2 can go on to the tail light if its in series. So its mounted inline basically.

Terminal 3 is connected to the battery and terminal 5 is connected to the USB chargers.

When you turn the switch the ignition on you will light the tailight, which will power the relays terminal 1 and thus cause the switch to flick on and allow the battery power to travel directly to the chargers.

Im going to do a proper thread on this as a guide soon me thinks

 

This might be useful too:

http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

[Mrbarry]

You MUST put a fuse between the battery and relay, your call but if you don't and it goes down to earth have a fire extinguisher to hand.

[Fozzie]

You MUST put a fuse between the battery and relay, your call but if you don't and it goes down to earth have a fire extinguisher to hand.

 

Shit!

I forgot to add the diagram with a 20A fuse on the lead connecting to the battery.

I can only do so much on my little breaks at work and lunch break!

As everyone has added theirs... My experience in electronics btw is GCSE, A-level, ONC, and I'm at uni doing instruments and that has a lot of low voltage equipment to run calculations for. By low voltage I mean below a KV.

And im a design engineer in training for an oil firm.

[Mrbarry]

Coolio, I work up to 11kv but mainly 415 and control. I do a bit of instrumentation and programming too, PLCs are the future tbf, instruments are being replaced slowly by 0-20ma IO cards and specific logic control within the program command set, anything an instrument can do a PLC can mimic and better these days, saves all the 0-20ma - 0-10v converter cards and rubbish of old anyway.

[Fozzie]

Oh no doubt PLC is the future, its why a good chunk of my course focuses on them!

Im working on an LNG plant thats based in Norway and most of the drawings im working on including the one im waiting for to generate while typing this has a lot of PLC systems on it.

Though today im just fixing issues with their connections. Quite a few problems with people who forgot to put the right earth connections in the right place

And the guys who I clean up after get paid over £40 an hour

[Stu]

Relays aren't normally numbered like that though fozzy in fact I have yet to see one like that!

this is more common

http://www.weendoggy.com/images/relay_wiring.jpg

with this image you would replace the switch/ignition with your wire from your rear light

[Tuiroo]

You MUST put a fuse between the battery and relay, your call but if you don't and it goes down to earth have a fire extinguisher to hand.

 

No worries. It has a 15A inline fuse

[Stu]

No worries. It has a 15A inline fuse

 

It need to be as close to the battery as possible so if you use a relay you will need to put one closer to the battery before the relay

[Tuiroo]

If you decide to go for the relay its very easy. All you need is to connect it in the following method. It will look like this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/relay-1.jpg

And as a circuit diagram this:

http://www.r1200gs.info/howto/images/Schematic.gif

Connect terminal 1 to your tail light power wire, 2 can go on to the tail light if its in series. So its mounted inline basically.

Terminal 3 is connected to the battery and terminal 5 is connected to the USB chargers.

When you turn the switch the ignition on you will light the tailight, which will power the relays terminal 1 and thus cause the switch to flick on and allow the battery power to travel directly to the chargers.

Im going to do a proper thread on this as a guide soon me thinks

 

This might be useful too:

http://www.bcae1.com/relays.htm

 

Will think about it as that is my preferred option. Maybe I need start basic though and then look at going down the relay route later. I am learning a whole new skill set so it is very much baby steps for me. Once I actually look at the wiring on my bike I will get a better sense of what I am comfortable with.

Thanks for the very clear instructions though. Just what I need as makes it less daunting.

[Tuiroo]

No worries. It has a 15A inline fuse

 

It need to be as close to the battery as possible so if you use a relay you will need to put one closer to the battery before the relay

 

Thanks Stu

[Tuiroo]

Hey all,

I just want to say a big thank you to all of you that have contributed to this thread. I am blown away by all of you giving your time and sharing your knowledge.

I will have to update you all when I get it done and how it all worked out. I am really looking forward to more time tinkering with my bike.

Thanks

[Fozzie]

Relays aren't normally numbered like that though fozzy in fact I have yet to see one like that!

this is more common

http://www.weendoggy.com/images/relay_wiring.jpg

with this image you would replace the switch/ignition with your wire from your rear light

 

This is true, but the ones ive bought have a PDF to accompany them or come with the schematic showing basically the same as that

And we are generally happy to help, even if we do go into the furthest extremes of it and have little arguments

[Chrissb6]

I'll offer this link up again hope it works this time

great bit of kit to connect the gadgets

http://www.pashnit.com/product/fuzebloc ... locks.html