Inverter ?

[Blue Star]

Guys I wonder how much power I can safely draw from the tenere's 12V outlet. Can it be used to plug in a small inveter rated at max 2.5 ampere ? It will draw 12v and output 100v and 20watt max.

I can charge my camera battery on long trips if this works!

 

[Tremor38]

Guys I wonder how much power I can safely draw from the tenere's 12V outlet. Can it be used to plug in a small inveter rated at max 2.5 ampere ? It will draw 12v and output 100v and 20watt max.

I can charge my camera battery on long trips if this works!

That's not nearly enough headroom. You would most likely blow the fuse either when you plug the inverter in or when you hook something to it. I recommend running something like a powerlet socket straight from the battery. Get something that is fused at around 10A. Jim at Eastern Beaver is now operating out of Nagano...he has that type of stuff and specializes in motorcycle electrical. I recommend you give him a call. You might even be able to schedule a ride-in where he can actually have your Super Tenere to look at..he's been waiting for one. I've got one of his fuze boxes and I can vouch for the quality. Link is below.

http://easternbeaver.com/Main/Products/Socket_Kits/socket_kits.html

 

[Cerenkov]

Is it not possible to find a car-type charger for your camera? Are the batteries replaceable?

So much power is wasted on what is basically converting 12VDC to 100VAC then back to around 4-5VDC to charge the battery.

If the batteries are replaceable I'd recommend just getting spare batteries and keeping spares. I have 2 charged spares with me when I take my camera out.

 

[Tremor38]

Is it not possible to find a car-type charger for your camera? Are the batteries replaceable?

So much power is wasted on what is basically converting 12VDC to 100VAC then back to around 4-5VDC to charge the battery.

If the batteries are replaceable I'd recommend just getting spare batteries and keeping spares. I have 2 charged spares with me when I take my camera out.

Yeah, if you can find the right car adapter that would be best. DC to DC conversion is way more efficient. Might want to find out what the DC output from your camera adapter is, then find one of those mult-output car adapters. That way, charging the camera from the accessory outlet would be no problem. Does your camera have a USB cable that it can be charged from? If so, there are plenty of 5V USB socket adapters that plug into cigarette lighters.

 

[Blue Star]

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Tremor, I have two outlets on my tenere, one standard and other straight from the battery. Not sure what the fuse on straight from battery is. That is not the point though, I can take out the fuse and direct the line but how much power can be drawn from the tenere without draining the battery itself? I will do the Easter beaver visit anyway.

My camera is panasonic fz100 and it doesn't allow charging by USB etc. may be buying spare battery is the way to go....

 

[Tremor38]

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Tremor, I have two outlets on my tenere, one standard and other straight from the battery. Not sure what the fuse on straight from battery is. That is not the point though, I can take out the fuse and direct the line but how much power can be drawn from the tenere without draining the battery itself? I will do the Easter beaver visit anyway.

My camera is panasonic fz100 and it doesn't allow charging by USB etc. may be buying spare battery is the way to go....

Sorry I misunderstood your question. The Tenere has gobs of electical headroom as long as the engine is running. The load you speak of is the equivalent of a mosquito it. Absolutely no issue.

 

[Checkswrecks]

You could hook it straight to the bike battery, engine off, which I think is your question. Just remember that the inverter will keep slowly draining the bike's battery after the charge for the camera is complete.

Thanks for the quick reply guys.

Tremor, I have two outlets on my tenere, one standard and other straight from the battery. Not sure what the fuse on straight from battery is. That is not the point though, I can take out the fuse and direct the line but how much power can be drawn from the tenere without draining the battery itself? I will do the Easter beaver visit anyway.

My camera is panasonic fz100 and it doesn't allow charging by USB etc. may be buying spare battery is the way to go....

 

[dcstrom]

I'm going to need an inverter for travelling around the US - I'll be camping a lot (so few available power outlets), and will have not only camera batteries to keep charged, but a laptop as well. I'm going to set up another aux power outlet from my Eastern Beaver 3CS, to drive one of these - any reason why not?

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-1511U-54/dp/B003ODVN88/ref=pd_sim_auto_2

 

[Tremor38]

Re: Re: Inverter ?

I'm going to need an inverter for travelling around the US - I'll be camping a lot (so few available power outlets), and will have not only camera batteries to keep charged, but a laptop as well. I'm going to set up another aux power outlet from my Eastern Beaver 3CS, to drive one of these - any reason why not?

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-1511U-54/dp/B003ODVN88/ref=pd_sim_auto_2

Sounds like a plan. Definitely run the engine while you're charging that laptop. I'm prolly preaching to the choir. (T_T)

You also might want to check out the below link for something a bit more efficient although not as flexible.

http://www.powerstream.com/ADC.htm

Sent from my F-05D using Tapatalk 2

 

[Cerenkov]

What brand of laptop? If you can find a DC airline charger, these are typically cig-type DC plugs or EmPower plugs, and can possibly be used on the bike.

Example, Apple's MagSafe airline adapter.

 

[Tremor38]

What brand of laptop? If you can find a DC airline charger, these are typically cig-type DC plugs or EmPower plugs, and can possibly be used on the bike.

Example, Apple's MagSafe airline adapter.

Yeah, that's what I meant to put in my last post but goofed-up the link somehow:

Here's the correct link (Laptop DC/DC converter). Sorry about that Trevor.

http://www.powerstream.com/ADC.htm

 

[Blue Star]

I'm going to need an inverter for travelling around the US - I'll be camping a lot (so few available power outlets), and will have not only camera batteries to keep charged, but a laptop as well. I'm going to set up another aux power outlet from my Eastern Beaver 3CS, to drive one of these - any reason why not?

http://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-inverter-motolora-blackberry-1511U-54/dp/B003ODVN88/ref=pd_sim_auto_2

This is exactly what I was planning to use. However if S10 can take this one (rated 150W), it cvan definetely take the one I was looking at (rated 20W)

That said, I will look for a DC/DC voltage coverter like the one suggested above. If the voltage range works etc than I can open up my camera battery charger, solder wire at the transformer output point, drill small holes to get the wire out of charger body and solder the ends to a matching connector for DC converter output.

Easy to buy the extra battery but I like the idea of having the capability to charge stuff while on road and long camping trips.

 

[EricV]

I realize everyone has individual needs, but the factory 12v cig style port will not handle a lot of draw. Certainly less than 10 amps and it's unlikely it will handle the inverter, but we won't know until someone tries it.

To the OP, http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ100-Digital-adapters/dp/B004DLJNQE

I'd be hesitant to charge a laptop off the bike with it shut off, as in sitting around the campsite overnight. Might wake up to a charged laptop and a dead bike battery. Have you considered an extension cord for your packing list? You can often find an outlet in the bathroom of otherwise rustic campgrounds. If you've just got to have re-charging capability in the woods, consider a solar charger. The two panel ones work well for laptops.

One option - http://www.espow.com/wholesale-16-000mah-high-capacity-solar-panel-charger-for-laptop-31-unique-adapter-tips.html

Another - http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Foldable-personal-Universal-connectors/dp/B00510Z48W

For extended moto-camping a smart phone is far more packable and easier to deal with/charge while riding. Sure, not as capable, but what do you really want to use the laptop for on the road? Just email? Pretty much everything else you might do on the laptop can wait until you get home, imho.

 

[stevepsd]

Don't forget that the OEM accessory socket has only a 3 amp fuse and due to its very small gauge wiring would not support much more.

The invertor you are looking at is rated at 150 watts which would require a minimum of a 10 amp+ circuit (10amps x 14.4volts=144 watts) a
assuming 100% efficiency at full load. Not going to work with the stock plug. Also this kind of load would drain your battery in less than a hour as well.

To get a idea of the 12 volt load on your bike convert everything to Watts, as Watts are Watts ( voltage x amps) and add 20% for inverter inefficiency ( it might be much more than that with these smaller units).

So if you have a device that draws 1/2 amp at 120 volts = 60 watts. 60 watts /12 volts = 5amps@12 volts.

Add your inefficiency of at least 20% then you are up to 6 amps. So you would be safe on a 10 amp circuit

Your bikes battery would support this load for 2 hours before being completely dead( the battery is rated at 11 amp/hours) but would probably not start the bike much after a hour. So you should really use these when you are running down the road.

 

[EricV]

<Excellent info snipped> So you should really use these when you are running down the road.

And you should be aware that cigarette style plugs tend to come loose with vibration.

 

[stevepsd]

And you should be aware that cigarette style plugs tend to come loose with vibration.

Very much so! Especially with a big mass hanging off one end like these plug in invertors. Better to use a powerlet plug with a cig adapter and tape it to the invertor and stuff it in your tankbag. Then it will work most of the time. Hopefully. Cig plugs really don't like vibrations.

 

[dcstrom]

Thanks Eric,

Yeah, I'd LOVE not to take a laptop on the road, but since this will be an extended trip (i.e. HOME is wherever I happen to be) and I will need to edit photos and otherwise (hopefully) work on the web, a laptop is going to be a necessity.

I wasn't thinking about charging off the bike while not running - at the moment my idea is to velcro the inverter to the top of the tank bag when I need to charge something (plenty of cooling for the inverter) with the thing I'm charging - laptop, camera batteries or AA's - inside the tank back. This will only be needed if I can't find a charge elsewhere, so should be relatively infrequent. Inverter will run from a cig lighter connected direct to the battery. 10A fuse?

Trevor

I realize everyone has individual needs, but the factory 12v cig style port will not handle a lot of draw. Certainly less than 10 amps and it's unlikely it will handle the inverter, but we won't know until someone tries it.

To the OP, http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ100-Digital-adapters/dp/B004DLJNQE

I'd be hesitant to charge a laptop off the bike with it shut off, as in sitting around the campsite overnight. Might wake up to a charged laptop and a dead bike battery. Have you considered an extension cord for your packing list? You can often find an outlet in the bathroom of otherwise rustic campgrounds. If you've just got to have re-charging capability in the woods, consider a solar charger. The two panel ones work well for laptops.

One option - http://www.espow.com/wholesale-16-000mah-high-capacity-solar-panel-charger-for-laptop-31-unique-adapter-tips.html

Another - http://www.amazon.com/Portable-Foldable-personal-Universal-connectors/dp/B00510Z48W

For extended moto-camping a smart phone is far more packable and easier to deal with/charge while riding. Sure, not as capable, but what do you really want to use the laptop for on the road? Just email? Pretty much everything else you might do on the laptop can wait until you get home, imho.

 

[stevepsd]

I would run 15 amp fuse if your wiring is large enough...say 12 gauge.

 

[Tremor38]

Re: Re: Inverter ?

I would run 15 amp fuse if your wiring is large enough...say 12 gauge.

+1 that should cover any situation. However, only charging the batt won't require a 15A fuse.

Sent from my F-05D using Tapatalk 2

 

[creggur]

So not to get too far off-topic here, but what is the stock power outlet on the Tenere good for? Running a GPS unit? Charging an iPod or phone?

And is the plug a cigarette style or powerlet style? Never seen a powerlet in person to know the difference I guess.

Please excuse my ignorance, but I've never had a power outlet on a bike before (coming off sport bikes) and haven't started any electrical farkling yet...