Hi Guys!
Has anyone got any advice on 12 volt aux. power outlet for GPS units, for the DS?
Pictures would be great!
I have a Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS, it is a battery eater.
Were do I Get the power from for the unit or which wires do I connect to?
Any suggestions?
Is there no aux plug on the DS?

 

I think Blackhawk has one PM him.

 

You can get your power from your DS battery. The battery will act as a capacitor and voltage regulator, rather than taking the power from your stator which can fluctuate with increase and decrease with the revs.... Just make sure you dont leave it plugged in for extreme periods of time while the machine is shut off.

 

I had one that I -thought- was perfect, it was weather proof had a little door to keep junk out when not in use... but that little door, when in use would force the plug out of the socket when in use. That had to go.

Now what I'd done that is reasonably sucessful is this: I bought a basic cigarette lighter plug extension cord (you only need about 6" of lead wire, unless you run that same wire all the way to the battery, which might be better - in that case you'll need 12 - 18". Also buy a basic inline fuse - get the one that uses mini fuses, it's smaller. You'll want to get either 5 or 7 amp fuses, anything smaller will blow when you plug most anything in.

I then drilled a hole in the bottom of the tool kit storage box built into the plastic. Ran wires through that, then to the battery. I put some basic electrical connectors on there, with a hole large enough to fit over the battery posts. Be sure to wire in the inline mini fuse on the positive wire, somewhere near the battery and make sure it is easily accessible. (My fuse sits in front of the battery.) Now that it is all wired up, keep a small ziplock bag over the plug while not in use, this will help keep the junk out. It wont seal, but it'll stay closed enough to keep crap out. Also make a notch in the front area of the plastic so that the wire from your GPS doesn't get pinched. Run the wire from your handlebars all the way back and make sure not to run it near anything hot like an exhaust pipe. Zip tie that in place so that it wont get torn off or damaged and keep it unplugged at least partially when not in use.

Now some of this probably doesn't make sense, so that means picture time, but I don't have any at the moment so Ill have to work on that for you. If I can do it tonight I will, otherwise we're looking at Wednesday.

This is very do-able and I've got it on both of my DS650s that way I can move my GPS to either machine or run a spotlight or even my electric air compressor. (Portable air in the middle of the desert, how cool is that - assuming you bring the compressor anyway.)

In practice I've found that plugging the plugs together, then securing them under the velcro strap used for the tool kit works best - however they do still disconnect sometimes. I'm considering some dielectric grease, though I think that might be bad as it would atract dust. Other than that I'll need to rig something to forcefully hold them together - anyone got any ideas?

 

I would try to get a MIL-SPEC type connector that's splash proof and made for outdoor use. Maybe a friend that works in the aviation industry could get you a multi-pin connector. Don't try to buy one, they get crazy prices for the airlines. I may be able to find one laying around.

 

Sounds like a good idea, got any pictures etc?

Though I assume you are talking about replacing both connectors, which would mean you can no longer use the adapter in a car - however after having mine for two years I've never wanted to.

 

I have been using an adapter I picked up on line from AmericanCrossroaders. It connects to a 2 pin battery tender type connector and provides me with USB power at the other end of the adapter. So far, it has worked perfectly on my sled, ATV and motorcycle.

 

hard wired mine right into the ignition and it sits in a ram mount on the front rack. Have a magellan 610.

 

That will work but my way I can plug in my GPS, my cell or my mp3 player at will. When I am done, everything gets unplugged and it's gone. Nothing has to be hard wired.... just an option I thought I would toss out there!

 

yeah- you can go that way too-
I'm just not a fan of using the bulky 12v sockets-

they tend to rust up with all the mud & water splashing in them, and the moisture collects in them during the winter and freezes, which makes it a pita to get a good connection. They also tend to collect a lot of sand and crap even with the cover on it- and they always fall out or get lose when riding over rough terrain (maybe not such an issue with a sport quad)

I can remove my gps from the atv no problem- just have to unplug the gps from the wire, but the wire connector stays on the atv. Then, I can tuck the wire under the plastic when I'm not using it. Only one skinny wire to the gps- no big wire mess to get caught up on in the bush.
as you can see in the pic- I dont even use my 12v socket.

on another note- my outty 800 comes with a beefy stator and can handle a couple extra electronics- but most atv stators hardly have enough to charge the battery when the lights are on- plugging in too many electrical accessories will easily drain a battery and leave you stranded- actually happened to me on my KQ700fi a few years back.