I just finished installing a waterproof 12v accessory (I'm heading out on a few trips and needed a GPS/BlackBerry charger). Anyhow, thought I'd post a few pics since this is my first "mod". Found a great spot to put it too, using the existing gauges and rear gauge casing screws. I'm sure others have probably mounted one here too;
http://i48.tinypic.com/f1h0e8.jpg
http://i48.tinypic.com/30c6ts9.jpg
http://i49.tinypic.com/6nziwg.jpg
http://i47.tinypic.com/16i8c49.jpg
Forward facing, but decent.
It'll draw water inside by capillary action, anyway.
When you can, convert the fuse to a spade-type. The springs in the glass-type rust, and they weaken. The glass ones aren't so great with vibration, but YMMV. If it blows, you can replace it with a .22 bullet.
Not that I've ever done that...
Oh, and here:
USB car charger for 1 cent :
http://www.amazon.com/Cingular-8125-Rapid-Charger-Chip/dp/B000H81FUE/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1276144337&sr=8-37 (http://www.amazon.com/Cingular-8125-Rapid-Charger-Chip/dp/B000H81FUE/ref=sr_1_37?ie=UTF8&s=automotive&qid=1276144337&sr=8-37)
(I bought one last week, it works great. :thumb:
Micro-USB for 63 cents (fits many GPS models)
http://www.amazon.com/Magellan-RoadMate-Portable-Travel-Charger/dp/B001QDLPM2/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276144337&sr=8-43 (http://www.amazon.com/Magellan-RoadMate-Portable-Travel-Charger/dp/B001QDLPM2/ref=sr_1_43?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1276144337&sr=8-43)
Thats a good idea actually...I should turn it around so the outlet faces down. I fabbed a bar to go across the v shaped bars to the faring and my GPS mounts in there very nicely (Thanks 'plewis51' for the info). With the outlet facing down I can run the cables under instead of over. Never even thought of that when I was installing.
Thanks!
when i installed mine i actually put it under the seat works good for keeping it dry and out of sight. nice work on yours. :thumb:
Have one installed on the back by the handle. Sorry about the bad shot. I have only this single picture but will try and get one later or tomorrow.
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs589.snc3/31071_527607909196_183501384_30935043_7395667_n.jpg)
you guys just unbolt the battery terminals and put the two wires in and screw it back together right? I've been trying to decide to just do it that way or be fancy and tap into a more convenient location i.e. the headlamp area.
Nice neat job on the install.
You have done your self a favour here without even knowing it i think. but put a fuse on the positive side ASAP
just a word of advice to anyone who installs ANY electrical accessories 0n there vehicles. NEVER EVER EVER connect you neutral directly to the battery unless fused on both the negative and positive sides of the circuit.
Or even better still connect to the sub frame somewhere. You have a huge potential to start a fire with what you have here. If you lose you main negative from the battery to the bike you will be relying on that tiny cable to carry all that amperage. this will cause it to get hot and then melt the insulation and may catch on fire . I manage large scale roll outs of vehicle installations and have seen 1 truck burnt to the ground and had equipment destroyed as all the starting current of a truck is passed through it due to this very same issue. If you must connect you neutral to the battery put a fuse inline as close to the battery as you can. IT COULD SAVE YOUR BIKE / CAR / BOAT
Marc
yeah, the 12v accessory outlet had an inline fuse already in the red wire, so I guess that would be fine.
Is there one on both wires ? in your pic it looked that you had it on the blue wire ? you need a fuse on both wires if you connect directly to the battery.
On a negative ground electrical system you should only need a fuse on the positive side as close to the battery as possible.
-Jessie
A fuse on the negative side as well as on the positive side? Never heard that one before and I fail to see how it makes the set up any safer. Surely if the accessory circuit saw a short, an overload, or a ground fault the fuse in the + line would blow and open the circuit way before any cable overheats. What does matter though is that the fuse has a lower capacity than the cable.
The suggestion begs the question why dont manufactures adopt this feature during design and manufacture?? :dunno_black:
In addition you need to consider polarity, fuses must be placed after the + side of the battery and before any switches or components. If a fault occured but only took out the fuse on the negative side the component would still be live with respect to ground and could still present a hazzard. In addition I fail to see how under any circumstances the new accessory circuit could possibly see or be subject to the full amount of starting current on the basis it is handled by a seperate and totaly independant circuit controlled by a solenoid :dunno_black:
Yes.......if the main ground was lost the accessory circuit would remain live but the only thing in the circuit would be the new socket :dunno_black:
The safest way to do this is to forget all about taping directly off the battery and instead tapping off the orange wire n the bikes loom, it is switched with the ignition and already protected by the bikes 20A fuse.
Funny, I didnt expect this thread to generate this kind of discussion...moreso the location of where I mounted it :) In any event, I purchased the waterproof outlet from my local bike shop where theyve installed several on Bikes and ATV's (but I didn wanna pay for a pricey install). I just assumed if it was not safe and needed 2 fusues they wouldnt sell it ;) or would have atleast told me the dangers I faced. The only thing they did mention when I was asking them about it, is what 'sledge' said and to tap it into the bikes ignition system so the key on gave it power and the key off didnt. But I cut that corner. Maybe that'll be a winter project day in my garage. :thumb:
The issue with connecting the negative side of the accessory directly to the battery is if you loses the main negative to the chassis. What then happens is if your accessory is also grounded to the chassis the only path for the electrons to complete the circuit is through the negative side of the accessory. having the accessory isolated by the ignition will not protect you against this problem. As for manufacturers not including a fuse on the negative side who knows. you will only ever have and issue in a fault condition. if you look at any of your vehicles manufactures never connect anything directly to the battery its all run back to the chassis.
You don,t have to believe me you don,t have to understand the principle behind what i am saying ( not a difficult one but i am a crappy teacher i couldn't describe how to tie shoelaces) But for 99cents for a second fuse. hell you can call me a crazy W#!ker. But I have seen what happens. Ill see if i can get a photo of the last bit of equipment that got fried by this.
Quote from: joshr08 on June 10, 2010, 06:36:03 PM
when i installed mine i actually put it under the seat works good for keeping it dry and out of sight. nice work on yours. :thumb:
Ditto
According to the wiring diagram, everything except the starter, spark plugs, sidestand relay, oil pressure light, and neutral light are connected to the negative side of the battery. Those exceptions are the only things using the chassis for 0v connection.
I know a little about electronics, and I can't figure out what the problem is connecting directly to the negative terminal of the battery.
<edit>
Ok, I think I know what would cause such a disaster. If the negative side of the component in question (12V accessory outlet in this case) has a physical/mechanical/electrical connection to the chassis as well as a wire going to the negative battery terminal, the high current path would be positive battery terminal to starter (for instance), starter's negative terminal to chassis. Chassis is connected to the accessory socket, whose negative wire is connected to the battery. Yeah, that would be bad. That's the only scenario I can come up with: Two negative electrical connections, one to chassis and one to battery via a wire.
Fraze's last pic shows a plastic body, so it's probably fine.
Thats it you got it..., very very very bad