Just finished the DIY trousers using the 30 AWG wire as used on the Hastie site and realised I should have used larger wire because I am taking power off a Gerbing jacket. The basic problem is the Gerbing jacket is fused at 15A and the resistance measured at the jacket with nothing else connected is 2.1 ohms. The trousers I made have a resistance of 3.3 ohms. The jacket is drawing 13.8v/2.1ohms = 6.6A . The trousers are drawing 4.2A :13.8v/3.3 ohms. The reason for the trousers having a high resistance and therefore drawing less power than the jacket is that the wire used only has a capacity to draw that amount maximum. The wire used by Gerbing has a larger csa ( cross sectional area) and can take up to 15A. Although the jacket only draws 6.6 A the draw when all the other garments are connected will be a lot greater. The connectors which the jacket and gloves are connected to are wired in parallel which means the resistance measured when I connect my trousers to the Gerbing jacket is 1.4 ohms which gives a draw of 9.9A. With the glove connected the draw will be greater still. My trousers are a lot cooler than the jacket and fused at 15a which is bad as the wire can only take in the region of 4A. I therefore intend to get some larger wire which will address the fusing problem and enable me to have a lot more wire in the trousers and for them to be as hot as the trousers (as I larger wire has less resistance).Can anyone who has Gerbing trousers and/or gloves measure the resistance between the inner and outer of the DC socket? plus what size wire do Gerbing use in their kit?
Gerbings do two types of xco ntrlooers one goes on the belt and the other on the bike very good but put the bike one where it don't get damaged, I put
mine on the "dash" and when the bike flipped broke off the knob!!.
An ordenary reostat (variable resistance) will be big, and also get hot so use an electronic device as per Gerbings. I used my heated jacket riding through Alaska and belive me folks they are brilliant.
dave (warm) gs.
Steptoe, with the trousers do you have to wear anything underneath to stop nyou getting burnt or is it all about what you choose to start with i.e. thick and fleecy.