[Phat Bak]

So, I wanna power some accessories via a power plate that will only get power when the bike is on... mostly my GPS and possibly power source for heated gear.

Using this diagram as a start (which I got from a previous thread... thanks to whomever made it)

here are my questions...

1... source of power what can I use?
2.... let's say I use the line feeding power to the license plate light... that's an easy one for me becasue I just switched to a Shaynes sidemount so it's kinda free.
3. I am essentially going to cut that line, and install on the end of the wire tracing back to the bike electronics a female receptacle that will fit on the relay at 86S.
4. I am then going to install on the line tracing out to the light another female receptacle that will fit on the relay at 30H.
5. The relay will need to be grounded so I take a spare piece of wire, put a female receptacle that will fit on the relay at 85 and ground it somewhere on the bike.
6. Finally, I place a line going from the power plate and attach it like the others at 87B.

What I"ll have is a power source for things like a cigarrette lighter power plug and power for a GPS unit...

Fuses in the power plate... I'm using the one that you get from DLP... is a 15 amp fuse good enough for a lighter and for a GPS...

Please tell me where I'm wrong...

And also, please tell me if there is a better source of key/ignition power in the area under the seat or in that vicinity...

Thanks!

 

[Phat Bak]

Bump

Bump

 

[Screamnyellozonker]

OK Power should come from a fused positive power source. The Ground obvouisly goes to a good ground. The Light goes to the object that you want to power. That must be grounded also. The Switched should also be a fused lead coming from a positive source going to the switch and then going to the switch portion. That way the switch only turns on the relay which can usually handle more power than a switch. So you have a grounded relay and a grounded accessory. Then fused power to the relay and fused power to the switch which then goes to the relay. Hope that makes sense.
Bob

 

[CBR1000DUDE]

What are you doing?

I'm not following your logic. If you cut your license plate light power wire and run it through a relay, when you power the relay, you'll restore the power to the wire you just cut.
The relay is just a switch capable of handling more current, like 30 amps, than say your blinker switch or brake light switch or starter button.
So if you want to use the license plate wire for switched power to your relay, just tap into it, don't cut it. This will close the relay when your turn your key on.

 

[Phat Bak]

I'm not following your logic. If you cut your license plate light power wire and run it through a relay, when you power the relay, you'll restore the power to the wire you just cut.
The relay is just a switch capable of handling more current, like 30 amps, than say your blinker switch or brake light switch or starter button.
So if you want to use the license plate wire for switched power to your relay, just tap into it, don't cut it. This will close the relay when your turn your key on.

So you're saying use the power feed to the license plate light to essentially power a distribution plate?? and just as the license plate light would come on when I turn the key, so will the accessories powerd by that line... wow... that makes sense... a lot... way more simple than what I was thinking... Will that work?

Now here's my concern with that... the power that was meant to go to just that simple light... will it be enough to power 3 or 4 accessories, and something or things that will draw a lot of power like heated gear?

 

[CBR1000DUDE]

Relay

So you're saying use the power feed to the license plate light to essentially power a distribution plate?? and just as the license plate light would come on when I turn the key, so will the accessories powerd by that line... wow... that makes sense... a lot... way more simple than what I was thinking... Will that work?

Now here's my concern with that... the power that was meant to go to just that simple light... will it be enough to power 3 or 4 accessories, and something or things that will draw a lot of power like heated gear?

If you use a normally open relay (4 terminals), the license plate wire tap in will be wired to the relay's coil 85, with 86 grounded. This only takes about 200 milliamps, not much. But this will close the connection between 30 and 87, which is the load carrying part of the relay, 20 or 30 amps. So if 30 goes to your battery or power bar, 87 will be powered only when your key is on. So the purpose of the relay is served, to carry the load.
Your GPS takes almost no current, you could just wire it into the front turn signal running light wire, a very small wire.
Heated clothing takes a lot, this is what you should use the relay for.

 

[Phat Bak]

If you use a normally open relay (4 terminals), the license plate wire tap in will be wired to the relay's coil 85, with 86 grounded. This only takes about 200 milliamps, not much. But this will close the connection between 30 and 87, which is the load carrying part of the relay, 20 or 30 amps. So if 30 goes to your battery or power bar, 87 will be powered only when your key is on. So the purpose of the relay is served, to carry the load.
Your GPS takes almost no current, you could just wire it into the front turn signal running light wire, a very small wire.
Heated clothing takes a lot, this is what you should use the relay for.

You just totally lost me.. Sorry, I am not electrically inclined...

I have my front headlight nacelle taken apart and I will look for the poer to the turn signal light... are you saying that I can just tap into that line for power to my GPS? And when you say TAP... is that as simple as exposing some of the conductive wire and splicing the power lead for the GPS into it and covering it up real good...? Granted, the ground still needs to be run to a grounding pplace... but the power.,.. that's what I'm concerned about... it NOT staying on all the time... I got the cord especially for my GPS unit from Amazon, and it has a little tranformer egg on one end that has a little light to show that it is connected to a power source... hardwiring the cable to the battery makes the light stay on draining power... that's why I want to TAP into a power source that is only charged whne the key is turned on.

Thanks!

 

[Kazimodo]

Battery to #30
big current "sucker" to #87
the link between the 2 will only be made when
juice is sent by whatever you hook to #85
(ground on #86)
.
so when you turn key ,
juice goes to your small light in license plate
and goes to the #85 , #85 in the relay closes the link to
let current go from#30 to #87 .
this way the small wire to a light will not melt from big amperage
sucked from heated clothes (for example) it is only used to tell
relay to hook #30 to #87.
find a wire in diagram , find it in nacelle by colorand voila.

 

[CBR1000DUDE]

Tap

You just totally lost me.. Sorry, I am not electrically inclined...

I have my front headlight nacelle taken apart and I will look for the poer to the turn signal light... are you saying that I can just tap into that line for power to my GPS? And when you say TAP... is that as simple as exposing some of the conductive wire and splicing the power lead for the GPS into it and covering it up real good...? Granted, the ground still needs to be run to a grounding pplace... but the power.,.. that's what I'm concerned about... it NOT staying on all the time... I got the cord especially for my GPS unit from Amazon, and it has a little tranformer egg on one end that has a little light to show that it is connected to a power source... hardwiring the cable to the battery makes the light stay on draining power... that's why I want to TAP into a power source that is only charged whne the key is turned on.
Thanks!

You got it, when I say tap into, I mean splice a wire into an existing wire, without cutting it. There are wire "taps" that can be used, but exposing 1/2 inch of bare wire with an exacto knife, and then twisting and soldering another wire to it, makes a fail safe connection. Insulating it with tape or heat shrink tubing completes the job.
You may need to use your GPS specific cord, rather than a direct wiring to your bikes 12 volt system, I did. My Magellan only takes 5 volts. So I wrired in a power plug in socket, and plugged my GPS cord into that.
Mines wired directly to my battery, it only draws current when it's on, and not much at that.
For heated clothing, you still want to use a seperate relay wired to a key on power source.

 

[Listan1]

Here is a quick drawing I did of what it sound like heir saying
fuse each thing you are installing GPS. etc.

 

[Phat Bak]

Here is a quick drawing I did of what it sound like heir saying
fuse each thing you are installing GPS. etc.

OK... believe it or not... I'M STARTING TO GET IT!!! I understand that everything on the distribution block needs to be fused... BUT... what AMP fuse do I use on the line coming off the 30 plug headed to the battery positive terminal?? 30 AMP??

 

[Listan1]

OK... believe it or not... I'M STARTING TO GET IT!!! I understand that everything on the distribution block needs to be fused... BUT... what AMP fuse do I use on the line coming off the 30 plug headed to the battery positive terminal?? 30 AMP??

25 to 30 AMP
That also the max of everything on at-a-time should add up to; use no more than 25 AMP if you want to help protect the relay.

 

[Phat Bak]

Listan... one more question...

the 25 or 30 AMP fuse, should it go between the battery and the relay or between the distribution block and plug 87?

The reason I ask is beause wouldn't I want the fuse to blow if the draw of the item on the distribution block got too high BEFORE the relay ?

To put it another way, if the AMPerage draw of the GPS, seat heater and MP3 Player exceeded 25 Amps... and the fuse was between all of tose and the relay, wouldn't the fuse blow thus protecting the relay?

If you say I'm all wrong and your drawing is correct, then that's the way I'll do it... I might be over thinking this thing too much.

Thanks for your help thus far.

I can get these relays at Pep boys, can't I?

 

[Kazimodo]

the 25 or 30 AMP fuse, should it go between the battery and the relay or between the distribution block and plug 87?

The reason I ask is beause wouldn't I want the fuse to blow if the draw of the item on the distribution block got too high BEFORE the relay ?

OH YEAH YOU ARE LEARNING FAST , YOU ARE GETTING IT :bigthumbsup:

Like Listan said 30 amp between Battery and relay ,
and then read again , he sais " fuse each thing you are installing "
I get it as , an additionnal fuse between the relay and the "whatever"
after an install like this you will be an expert at electricals....

 

[Phat Bak]

OH YEAH YOU ARE LEARNING FAST , YOU ARE GETTING IT :bigthumbsup:

Like Listan said 30 amp between Battery and relay ,
and then read again , he sais " fuse each thing you are installing "
I get it as , an additionnal fuse between the relay and the "whatever"
after an install like this you will be an expert at electricals....

OK... I get it now... and to address your comment, I'm using the product below and each connection is fused with blade fuses. so there will be a fuse between the source of power side (the upper half half) of the distribution block and the side of the block where the power gets passed on to the actual accessory (the lower half). Then my issue becomes what fuse to use? So, for a GPS unit, I guess I need to know the AMP draw ... but I think 15 amps is fine for each??

 

[Kazimodo]

A 1.5 amp could probably survive for use of your GPS
you will need 30 or 25 for the heated seat or other big suckers
You usually find the current draw somewhere on the packaging
of whatever you buy, from a drill to an electric mower , so it
should be on your Gps and other toys.

 

[Listan1]

Fuse

Most electronic device has the AMP and Volt rating printed on them
If the device calls for 5 AMP only use a 5 AMP fuse for that device, do not exceed the maximum rating, there is no need for that…
use good 14 AWG automotive wire on the bike

Regular blade-type fuse color-coding:

Color​

Current (A)​

black*
1
grey
2
violet
3
pink
4
orange/tan
5
brown
7.5
red
10
aqua/blue
15
yellow
20
clear/natural
25
green
30
blue green*
35
amber*
40