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Cell Phone Charging Add-Ons for the Motorcycle

6K views 26 replies 11 participants last post by  CanadianBird 
#1 ·
Anyone installed and had success/failures installing a charging station add-on for their motorcycle (predominantly to charge a cell phone) who can share comments/wisdom on the subject?

Been on Ebay, Amazon, DealXtreme, etc., seen lots, but can't tell which is crap and which is worth the money. My preference is the cigarette lighter style over USB port and I don't care if I'm cutting into plastics or mounting on the bars.

Experiences? Thoughts?
 
#2 · (Edited)
Simple cheap easy

And kill to birds with one stone.

Get a Battery Tender from the SAE connector that you have attached to your battery attach a cigarette lighter attachment (now called accessory port) from that you can run any cheap USB adapter/charger.

Can also be used for GPS.

There are also many attachement that can go onto the SAE plug.

http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/2199/PN-SAE-71/Battery-Leads-SAE-plug-with-fuse



or you can buy one of these but you can not charge your bike battery with this.
http://burnsmoto.com/waterproof-usb-charger-socket-panel-mount.php

 
#6 ·
#7 ·
Defo like the price tag. I looked at one similar. Have you used it with a cell phone? Used it while riding? Wondering if you had any issues charging or with things vibrating out of the socket?
 
#8 ·
If you're going for a permanent solution i would suggest adding a fuse and a switch to the circuit.

(Battery +) ---- Fuse ---- USB/lighter----- Switch--- (Battery - )/ground

All in series in any order. This will protect from any potential short circuits and the switch will kill the circuit and will keep the battery from draining when the bikes not being used for extended periods. Also would be a good idea to look into a USB or lighter charger that comes with an LED to indicate when the circuit is live.
 
#11 ·
I installed one of these. I know the OP preferred a cigarette style port, but what tech these days even uses those? Pretty much everything comes with a USB charging cable so you'd need another component to provide the USB ports. This port that I installed provides enough power to charge my iPad as well, and its weatherproof.

(The Amazon review states that the guy couldn't charge his Samsung Tablet, he must have done something wrong or the port was faulty, because I was able to charge my buddies Galaxy Tab on a recent trip no problem)
 
#14 · (Edited)
I know the OP preferred a cigarette style port, but what tech these days even uses those?
Wow, really? Where do I start?
  • Tire inflators
  • Matress inflators
  • Laptops
  • Many tablets. Yes, there are more than iPads. Surface Pro uses 48 watt charger. Try that with USB.
  • Battery chargers for many flashlights
  • Chargers for DSLR cameras
  • Digital voltmeter, so you know when to stop abusing your battery.
 
#23 ·
Thanks gang. All very valuable information. Will look at all the options/comments posted.

My logic behind the cigarette lighter style is... well... I don't know what else I'll use it for so want to keep my options open and it's so easy to buy a cigarette charger if I somehow lose/forget one. Having said that, I've settled temporarily with a battery powered (takes 2 AA batteries) emergency power pack with... ironically... just a USB port to charge my phone. :p

Really appreciate y'all taking the time. Love that this thread ended in hugs!!! :flashy
 
#24 ·
I can toss a comment into this thread. On my bike i have a cheap Canadian Tire charger installed in my tank bag. it has two cig ports and two USB ports. I put all my electronics in there when i am riding to charge. It was simple enough to wire in with a waterproof connector. I also have a RAM Aquabox waterproof case for my phone mounted on the bar, that plugs into a USB port tie wrapped to the bar. I put a piece of inner tube over the USB connector to keep that dry, and my phone now has permanent power. I use my phone to run an app called "GPS Speedo" which presents a nice visual of speed, altitude and direction. You can select KPH or MPH so it works great crossing the border, and it works even without a cell phone signal. Pretty amazing. When i stop my cell is always fully charged. Since i have my phone connected to my GPS, i can receive calls while riding as well.

Of course i ride a VStrom, so maybe this setup won't work on sporties.
 
#25 · (Edited)
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