RIM/Blackberry Device powered from LT

[ehaughn]

Has anyone hooked up a Blackberry/RIM device by powering it off the USB port to the cycle?

Any ideas on how to do this?

Not sure if I can hook up the power and ground from the USB directly to the battery. It will probably fry doing this.

[messenger13]

I don't have one, but I have a recommendation.

Buy a car charger for your RIM/Blackberry.
Remove the cigarette lighter portion of the charger.
Wire the rest directly to the LT's battery, or your fuse block. Just make sure that it's fused.

[DaveDragon]

If you get a car charger for the Blackberry you can wire it in and know it will work correctly without harming the BB.

I use my BB on the bikes a lot.

[mneblett]

Has anyone hooked up a Blackberry/RIM device by powering it off the USB port to the cycle?

Any ideas on how to do this?

Not sure if I can hook up the power and ground from the USB directly to the battery. It will probably fry doing this.Interesting thought -- I'll look into this. I've been carrying a BB charger on longer trips, but IIRC, the voltage spec for USB includes 12V, so one should be able to hack the end off a cable and take 12V directly from the bike -- that certainly is the case with IEEE 1384; that's how I power my old second generation iPod (hack-off Firewire cable to unused power source in radio housing).

I want to confirm the USB charger output voltage really is 12v, so I'll probe my charger with a voltmeter tonight and report back. If it is, I'm but a hack-and-solder away from on-board charging :)

[meese]

Careful there, Mark. I believe the USB voltage spec is 4.40V - 5.25 Vdc.

FireWire has a much broader input range (something like 9 - 30 Vdc) so a direct bike connection isn't a problem. That may mean this direct connection trick wouldn't work on a newer USB 2 iPod either.

I'd stick with a modified car charger cable.

[mneblett]

Careful there, Mark. I believe the USB voltage spec is 4.40V - 5.25 Vdc.

FireWire has a much broader input range (something like 9 - 30 Vdc) so a direct bike connection isn't a problem. That may mean this direct connection trick wouldn't work on a newer USB 2 iPod either.

I'd stick with a modified car charger cable.Thanks, Ken -- that's *precisely* why I wouldn't hook something like this up until I probed with a voltmeter. :) Wouldn't want the magic smoke to escape now, would we? ;)

[meese]

I know you're smart enough to figure that out, Mark. But I thought I'd add the details to the thread for future searches. :)

In the mean time, I gotta go to work and help put the magic smoke into the little black boxes. :)

[ehaughn]

I believe the USB can only handle 5 VDC.

How do I modify the cigarette adapter?

Anyone got any pics on this?

[messenger13]

I believe the USB can only handle 5 VDC.

How do I modify the cigarette adapter?

Anyone got any pics on this?I'll take a pic of my cell phone cable that I'm about to install on my GT tonight. I'll post it in a few minutes.

[messenger13]

Here's a pic of my modified cell phone charger cable that used to plug directly into a cigarette lighter socket. It's a bit ugly :o, but it works and nobody sees it anyway. It worked for over 40K miles on my LT.

[ehaughn]

Thanks Joe.

I assume I could get any USB charger for the cig lighter socket and it should work???

[messenger13]

I assume I could get any USB charger for the cig lighter socket and it should work???Yep. Just don't be surprised at how tiny the wires are inside those things.

[ehaughn]

One more question.

What is the power plug name used on these bike? Used for running accessories. There is a socket by the passenger by the intercomm and also by the drivers left foot.

[messenger13]

One more question.

What is the power plug name used on these bike? Powerlet.