Mulitple power needs

[g and l]

Going RTW in October, taking GPS, ipod, digi-cam and mobile phone. I've got an '03 GSA. Anybody got any smart ideas how I can easily rig all this together?

Also...I want to be able to hear the speech from my GPS and listen to music, without installing an autocom, or other intercom system, and without having to faff with wires everytime I get on and off the bike.

Before anyone scalds me...I already did a search...but it made my head hurt.

 

[adamski49]

Powerlet might help?

Adam

 

[Lord Snooty]

Powerlet do a kit that enables you to fit an array of 3 cigarette lighter outlets in your tank bag. I use one of these to provide power to my mobile phone, Minidisk player and bike2bike radio. I fitted a further powelet sokcet to power my GPS.

 

[jimbo]

How about one of These ?

 

[Lord Snooty]

How about one of These ?

Yup, that's the bit of kit I've fitted.

 

[g and l]

oooh, i've just been to a camping shop and I saw one of those, nearly got it. Would the power drain melt my bike if I had it running off the beak outlet with all my bits connected to it?...so to speak.

 

[Greg Masters]

If you're doing a RTW, you need to build in maximum reliability. You cannot afford to be in the middle of some desert or jungle (urban or otherwise) and have essential kit like GPS start to fail.

Moving parts, like plugs and sockets that are forever being plugged/unplugged, are likely to fail with use or simply from the vibrations of bike use. Don't underestimate the impact of this. ktm520's new GPS and my bike radio both failed because their respective batteries don't like the vibes. Hardwiring would sorted it.

I would strongly recommend that you hardwire as much as you can. By that I mean you should draw power from a reliable fused source within the bike using soldered connections, use appropriate automotive cable routed where it won't be crushed or overheat and tightly secured so that it doesn't and can't flap around. Do not use Scotchloks.

If you want to hear the GPS and music, you're really limited to one in each ear or using something like an Autocom as an audio hub.

Greg

 

[g and l]

Thanks

Thanks for all the helpful replies. For audio all I want is to connect my Ipod and GPS together and split the signal to two small jacks so earbuds can be used if required. I'm not going to use any sort of intercom.

Has anyone got any smart ideas how I can create/buy such an item? I could assemble someting myself but i'm concerned having 2 outputs without amplification would kill the signal.

I've looked at "mix-it" and XMA-3 from the US but seems a bit overcomplicated for my purposes.

 

[grandtrousers]

Halfords do a 4 outlet power socket for about £8.00 - you can mount it very neatly under the RID and obtain some very snazzy blanking plugs from Volkswagen with "12V" on the heads. MIne looks great and as soon as my forum sponsor is enabled I will post pics or send me your e-mail.

 

[Tobers]

You should be able to get a 2 or 3 into 1 headphone jack from Tandy or Maplin. For amplification issues, try a thing called a "Boosteroo" that provides an amplified output should you need it.

 

[g and l]

Cool

Right, I think i'm nearly there. I'm going to buy a fuse block and hard wire 2 female cigarette sockets, which i'll mount....erm....somewhere.

I'll also hardwire my GPS to this as I don't like the huge cigarette adapter rattling on my beak.

On recomendation I'll use the boostaroo and thread some jack sockets which i'll mount...erm....somwhere.

I have a couple of concerns...how long does the battery last on the boostaroo?...and.....I have a funny feeling that if i leave my navigator II plugged in, even if it is switched off, it still drains the battery....am I wrong?

Thanks again