Sorry IDK BTDT ? You guys are great it is a relief to have some technical support since I am on my own and fumbling and stumbling my way through. I had planned a trip to St. Louis in May but now with this corvid-19 it looks like it will be a while before my first Motorcycle camping trip. I have a old Garmin Gps which I planned on using it has the aux jack plug in but I am concerned now about trusting that power outlet.
That is an excellent method! And one I have used on past bikes too.
The Cardo is the same, it too can be charged underway, but the charge cord that came with it isn’t quite long enough to use while seated on the bike, let alone standing. I’m also reluctant to put any stress on the tiny delicate uUSB connector, Ive had a few devices (not Cardos so far) where this connector broke off of board internally. Turns out a 30-40 minute charge during a lunch stop tops it up enough for 12+ hour day.
I used the aux power/cigarette socket to power my Garmin GPS for about 6 months with no problems until I wired it into my relay system. The Garmin doesn't use that much power.
There are numerous ways to run power to your accessories. Two things before getting into them:
BTDT = Been There, Done That.
The Twisted throttle power pack is a type of Aux Fuse block. There are many different brands. They all work basically the same way. 12V power is wired directly from the battery to the Aux fuse block via a relay. The relay is a small block with 4 or 5 blade connectors. Ground is always one terminal, (85). There is basically an electric switch inside the relay. When the bike is off, the switch is in one position and no power goes to the Aux fuse block. When the bike is on, the switch is in the other position and the Aux fuse block gets power. All of the high draw items in the Fuse block get power directly from the battery. The relay uses a low draw electrical source to turn the switch inside it to on or off. When you turn the bike on, that low draw electrical power from the Aux power port on the bike triggers the relay. It draws no power from that circuit, simply causes the relay switch to trip over to where the Aux Fuse block is getting 12V power from the battery and all those higher draw circuits can use power.
You sound like an electrical engineer giving a class to your freshman college students in 103 electrical wiring. Unfortunately I do not understand this level of electrical systems. I am at 101 at best. I read this post three times and comprehend about 60% There is an old saying " no one is born knowing how to run a fork lift" but once someone shows you its very easy. I have had no classes or anyone show me how this works. I am pretty good at math but I am not familiar with any electrical formulas. I want to thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to write this post and import these pictures they really help us layman. I have one of those SAE in line fuse connections on my bike, I believe its for the aux led lights attached up front I also have a battery tender connection I believe is to trickle charge the battery I do not know if its a power outlet I can use.There are numerous ways to run power to your accessories. Two things before getting into them:
First, there are two terms to remember, "HOT" (aka CONSTANT)and "switched power." Being HOT then the outlet will always be supplied power. This is not something you generally want for items which can run the battery down, such as lights or a phone charger. Switched power will only have electricity when the key is turned on.
Second, the accessory (heated gloves, lights, grips, etc) will draw a specified number of watts or that you can usually find on the product description but it is frequently in Watts not amps. For example, a common heated jacket can draw up to 77 watts. We have 12VDC electric systems so 77W/12V = 6.4 amps. We are dealing with basic stuff here so if you double that number and round up you'll get a minimum fuse size that will work. There are no 12.8 amp fuses so this example would use a 15A fuse. As for how heavy the wire should be, we are typically running 6 ft or less so if the item is 10A or less you can get away with 16 gauge (AWG) wire and generally you'll be OK with 14 AWG for most other accessories. (20A x 12V = 240W which is a heck of a lot of lights, especially if LED!!!) A good wire chart is here and note that they have a calculator for longer wires, heavier loads, etc: https://www.bluesea.com/resources/1437
The easiest way to get power is to simply attach this SAE style plug to your battery. Most small pumps have this type of plug and that is what you said you wanted. If you have heated clothing there are adapters to get from this SAE plug to coaxial plugs and there are also adapters from this to a cigarette plug if you want to run something having that type of plug. This will always be HOT.
For additional accessories (they do add up) most people will add a fuse block like the FZ-1 and there are threads around here about variations. Basically, run a 14 AWG wire from the battery to this (top row left terminal), use the 3A cig lighter wire as the trigger (top row middle), and a 14 AWG ground wire. The FZ1 has gotten pricey but the nice part is that simply moving a fuse from one side of the block to the other allows you to change an accessory from HOT/CONSTANT to switched power.
FZ-1 Fuzeblock Fuse Block with Built-In Relay
Make sure your bike is running like it should with the compact FZ-1 Fuzeblock motorcycle fuse block from Adventure Designs.www.advdesigns.com
There are all sorts of variations but these are probably the most used and easiest. Here's mine:
Thanks EricV you have been a great help and your video you uploaded with so straight forward even I could understand it. : )
I wish it were both horn and light. There is only one input for a relay trigger. You can choose horn or light. Not to say you cannot power a horn and light, you'll just have to use one separate relay.
You would be much better off putting the pigtail in from the battery as others have said. Especially if you want to plug a flat tire and you have a compressor that may not work.
