Super Easy Power Socket......

[1gear1brake]

......if you have an Optimate cable installed.

I wanted to have a power socket for occasional use while touring. I'm sure that it's not that difficult to plumb one in and mount it properly but I was short on time and wanted to be able to charge my camera and phone on this Summer's tour.

My bike has an optimate cable with the (female) outlet tucked in behind the right side panel. This cable already has an inline fuse on it. So I figured that if I attatched a 12V power socket to a cable with the male plug of an optimate I could just carry it in my kit and plug it in it whenever necessary. The male part of the Optimate cable plug can be bought in Maplin (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Search.aspx?criteria=JG04E&DOY=2m9) where I also bought a little box to mount the socket.

I can report that my bodge has now been tried and tested in the field and works just fine.

http://www.xrv.org.uk/photopost/data/500/medium/IMG_0815.JPG

[mighty ninja]

nice idea,have you got the part number for the maplins male plugs?..cheers,mick

[Austin]

brilliant. :)

I have been thinking about exactly the same thing as I have an unused optimate connector on my battery, I just hadn't got round to looking for the male end. I don't think the connectors in you Maplins link are right for me though, but I haven'tlooked at the battery for while now.

[Lutin]

The ready made up lead from Accumate is £7.05 -

http://www.accumate.co.uk/it020007.htm

The connector from Maplin is either part no JG05F (or is it JG04E?) and is £2.39.

[mighty ninja]

the reason i want two of these male connectors is to put one on each end of a piece of wire about 3-4 feet long and use it as jump leads for other bikes that have the battery lead fitted.as far as i can gather i would need what the americans call 10 gauge wire.is it measured differently in the uk? will the wire be to big for the connectors? any input would be appreciated on this...thanks in advance

[off-the-planet]

You'll blow the in line fuses......

[sunnybrook]

You'll blow the in line fuses......

Probably. Maplin sells the water resistant inline fuse holder (MX15R (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=30444)) which comes with 8-gauge wire and is rated to 40A. Anything above that and it would be getting rather warm, if indeed it hadn't already started melting. I think jump starting an engine uses rather more than 40A, judging by the thickness of the positive wire to the starter motor.

Those battery plugs are usually known as Tamiya connectors, and they use small silver plated bullet terminals. I know from experience that they will start to complain once the current gets above 30A for any length of time. They also don't accept anything bigger than about 13-gauge wire (with the insulation intact).

[mighty ninja]

maybe ill shelf this idea then :thumbup: