Re: So I want a cell phone charger on my bike

 | but I am a cheap bastid and don't feel like putting in much effort.
|
| When I use the GPS on my phone it kills the battery in about 30
| minutes. I want to use it on my trip to CO next month. So I figure I
| could just connect a cig lighter directly to the battery or even use
| the battery tenders connection.
|
| Thoughts?

AFAIK worst thet could happen is overcharging & killing the battery.

 
Piece of cake. Buy one at any auto parts store. Mine mounts on
a piece of aluminum angle attached to the frame with a couple
hose clamps. You might put a fuse on it, preferably as close to
the +12 battery terminal as possible.

 
Did precisely this on Number One Child's bike, to power an iPhone and
thus to access the GPS.

You can get a dedicated car phone unit which plugs straight into a car
cigarette lighter (as, I suppose, you can for most phones). I bought a
cigarette lighter socket and just wired it to the battery. Put an
inline fuse in as well, just to be sure (although I found out later
the iPhone unit was fused anyway).

It worked a treat. You can get some sort of holder for the phone that
clamps to the handlebars or wherever, and it was easy to position it
so the screen could be seen by the rider. Instant satnav.

 On 23/06/2011 09:44, TOG@Toil wrote:

You think it's a good idea to put an unswitched, unfused lighter socket
on someone else's bike?

There is often a spare circuit in the fusebox do do that sort of thing
safely.

--
Eiron.

 TOG@Toil wrote:


The fuse in the charger only protects the charger.  If you have an
unfused receptacle hooked to the battery, it has the potential to
cause a fire, as you found out recently with your K-bike's sidestand
wiring.  ALWAYS have a fuse in place to protect any wiring you add,
and place it as close as possible to the battery (in the non-earthed
wire, for obvious reasons).