Need some help on Auxiliary Power Socket

[Bull Durham]

Question:

I thought for sure I had read a topic on this site of Auxiliary Power Socket and different tips people had / were using. For the life of me, I can not find the posts again and have been searching for almost a week.

Someone posted they had bought the "Bell" Auxiliary Power Socket from Pep Boys, and what they did with it to mount it. Mounting it I don't have a problem with, but was looking on how they had covered up the bottom of it, where the wires come out of the socket, to make it look 'purty'.

I really liked their idea, but can not remember what they did. Does anyone have any ideas or what you yourself, did to your power sockets? I've done searches on KawaNow, can't find it. Looked all through Gadgets page, nothing.

Just looking for ideas.........

[ndbigfish]

Welcome.

You need this:
http://www.gadgetjq.com/auxiliary_fuse_box.htm

Then this:
http://www.gadgetjq.com/accessory_plug.htm

[Yellow Jacket]

Here are a couple of threads on the subject:

http://www.vulcanbagger.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=19180&start=0

http://www.vulcanbagger.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=15674&start=0

[Bull Durham]

Wow, you guys are fast with the response! Appreciate it. Yellow Jacket, your first link:
http://kawanow.proboards.com/index.cgi?a....ad=20315&page=1, about the 5th response down, from "ndbigfish", is what I'm looking for, ideas with a pic. You see how he did that?

It's not the exact post I remember, but that is another idea to think about. I'm trying to think of a way to make the 'bottom' look nice, trying to figure what to use.

Appreciate all the help / response you guys did. Thanks!

[Bull Durham]

Just realized the first response was from ndbigfish, who I'm talking about in my response! Duh! ndbigfish, I like what you did with your power adapter. I like the bike grips, but don't have the 'end caps'. What do you think I could use instead?

[ndbigfish]

The bottom is hard to see around my windshield bag. I would start by looking at caps and covers in an auto parts store or a large home improvement store. I had an old stock grip so I just adapted the end to fit. I think the bike grips had plugs in the ends, so you might use one of them.

[dandolfn]

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/3407/gps640.jpg

I bought this cigarette lighter at Walmart. It came with a cap to go on the top when it's not in use.

I used one of the windshield screws to hold it in place against the back of the windshield.

The wires come out of the bottom and I just used to tie wrap to attach it to the brake line that goes right by it. You don't even notice it.

[Bull Durham]

Thanks Dandolfn, that's pretty close to where I was going to mount mine, just on the next left nut due to my windshield bag.

[billmac]

I am cheap and lazy. I mounted two walmart plugs between the riser caps and wire tied them to the handlebars. You would have to look hard to see the wire ties and most of the time my bike isn't that purty anyway. Also I don't use a cigarette lighter so I dont have to worry about the heat. Mine works great to charge my GPS and phone at the same time. Plug in my trickle charger in there too sometimes.

[caddman11]

Here's how I mounted mine.
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2210/437725/18064224/323445316.jpg

[phenrichs]

I don't have my nomad anymore so can't get you a pic but I got it at walmart. It was black and had a flat back plate for mounting flush and a spring flip cap with a gasket to seal it. I wired it into the headlight bucket and brought the wires down the neck of the frame under the front of the tank and mounted it to the black plastic piece that covers the frame right down in front of the tank. you never know it is there and it keeps whatever you plug in out of sight and out of rain. Not to mention you keep the real estate open on the handlebars for items that need to be viewable like gps mounts. or a fairing later on should you choose.

[Bull Durham]

I'm actually going to mount two of them, thinking one on the left side screen nut and one on the right side screen nut. I don't every imagine running more than a little ipod on them, draw is only 5 amps. Possibly a GPS, I think around the same electrical draw. Do I even need a Auxiliary Fuse Box? If I would add anything else, I would, but for just a ipod and gps, what do you think?

[ringadingh]

To run your Ipod and GPS you don't need to install an aux fuse panel. You could connect them to the spare wires the Kawi provides. They are already fused at 10 amps.

[upside22]

I got some big split-loom stuff and used it to cover the wires going into the bottom. I used a Kuryakn handlebar clamp to mount mine. Pretty expensive but it looks purty!

[Jared]

I drilled a small hole in the corner of my windshield bag and pushed the wires out the bottom and into the headlight, where it's wire to the bike.

[ponch]

This is extensive:http://www.powerlet.com/products

[Bull Durham]

Thanks to all of you for your help / advice. I've read on other posts, there is an extra wire in the headlight bucket and another under the seat, correct?

I could wire one to each or just get lazy and only install one then put a double usb plug-in convertor into the one power outlet, and that one power outlet would be able to run my Ipod and gps at the same time?

[ponch]

Thanks to all of you for your help / advice. I've read on other posts, there is an extra wire in the headlight bucket and another under the seat, correct?

I could wire one to each or just get lazy and only install one then put a double usb plug-in convertor into the one power outlet, and that one power outlet would be able to run my Ipod and gps at the same time?

I would run the power lead to the battery and fuse it appropriately. Without knowing the amperage draw of those devices, it's hard to say. If you home run a wire of proper gauge to the battery, I would think a 10a fuse could handle both.

[skeeter]

If you run it direct to the battery you would need to unplug or switch off whatever you are running off the plug unless you run a relay. Am I correct in assuming the extra leads provided are Hot only when the key is on?

[ponch]

If you run it direct to the battery you would need to unplug or switch off whatever you are running off the plug unless you run a relay. Am I correct in assuming the extra leads provided are Hot only when the key is on?

Yes, it would be hot all the time. IIRC, so is the lead in the headlight. It's not a bad thing. Lots of people that ride a bmw like I do convert one of the powerlet sockets to a hot lead so they can plug a trickle charger into it. Makes charging easier. The reason they convert is the bike uses CANbus and the computer controls the circuits, not a fuse. That said, yes, it would be hot. The only admonition is that to make sure one doesn't leave the accessory plugged in for a long time as it will drain the battery.

[ponch]

Here's an interesting fuse box I came across: http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Products/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html

[Bull Durham]

I've been looking at that site too. Not knowing much about fuse boxes, do you prefer this one over the Centench (sp)?

[ponch]

I've been looking at that site too. Not knowing much about fuse boxes, do you prefer this one over the Centench (sp)?

I haven't pulled the trigger. The guy that posted the link is the forum admin on a BMW forum. BMW riders use them to add electronics as the electronics are not fused on a BMW. Everything is CANbus and controlled by the ZFE or computer. Basically it has relays that are computer controlled. When it senses an overload, it shuts the circuit down. The problem is there are only two powerlet outlets on the bike (although it does have wiring for the factory GPS, which is OEM Garmin). The good thing is the bike has a 60A/720 watt alternator. I would get the one that is more weather resistant.

[nomadbehappy]

Here's an interesting fuse box I came across: http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Products/Fuseboxes/PC-8/pc-8.html

I installed the PC8 from Eastern Beaver on my Nomad. It takes up very little room, I used a dremel to clean up some of the tool kit box and mounted it in there. Ran the wires under the seat, gas tank to the front of the bike. I have an aux power supply, driving lights and the stereo in my fairing hooked up to it. Lots of spots left for other goodies down the road. The box is small, easy to install and you have the option to hook something up to be switched or hot all the time. The peace of mind for me was well worth the cost and I no longer have a bunch of wires coming off the battery.

Brian