Adding Satnav Power
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
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From: Bedford UK
Adding Satnav Power
Mrs B and I have used our satnav on a basic cradle for several years, relying on the internal battery for power. Our TomTom Rider will manage several hours on a full charge, but we got caught out in France last year on longer days out, as it died when we needed it most, close to our destination.
Determined not to let that happen again I recently bought a powered cradle for it and looked for a way to wire it in. Then I had a brainwave! Simply plug it into the back of the headlight. It hardly takes any power, so isn't going to add any extra burden to the wiring, at least with a stock wattage bulb. The most difficult part was persuading the extra wires to go through the rubber grommet into the headlight shell.
Photos show my wiring inside the headlight, which hasn't altered the stock wires in any way, so no wires were harmed or butchered in making the connections! I simply used two blue 'piggy-back' spade connectors attached to the new wires, to which the pink stock connectors are fitted. Click the satnav onto the cradle, turn the ignition on, TomTom wakes up, as if by magic!
We can now set off for long day trips with peace of mind.....
Determined not to let that happen again I recently bought a powered cradle for it and looked for a way to wire it in. Then I had a brainwave! Simply plug it into the back of the headlight. It hardly takes any power, so isn't going to add any extra burden to the wiring, at least with a stock wattage bulb. The most difficult part was persuading the extra wires to go through the rubber grommet into the headlight shell.
Photos show my wiring inside the headlight, which hasn't altered the stock wires in any way, so no wires were harmed or butchered in making the connections! I simply used two blue 'piggy-back' spade connectors attached to the new wires, to which the pink stock connectors are fitted. Click the satnav onto the cradle, turn the ignition on, TomTom wakes up, as if by magic!
We can now set off for long day trips with peace of mind.....
Tourer
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 410
Likes: 17
From: NOVA
Really cool way to wire up a GPS! I'm going to have to remember this for when I end up getting one. How do the spade connectors work and how exactly do they fit to the other connectors? I don't usually mess with wires much so thought I'd ask.
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
These are the type of connector I used:
Having fed the two satnav wires into the headlight I crimped one on each wire, disconnected the bike connectors, fitted the new ones in their place, then reconnected the bike connectors to the piggy-back part of the new connectors. The ground wires for the satnav are black, same as the bike, which makes things easy!
Hope that helps!
Having fed the two satnav wires into the headlight I crimped one on each wire, disconnected the bike connectors, fitted the new ones in their place, then reconnected the bike connectors to the piggy-back part of the new connectors. The ground wires for the satnav are black, same as the bike, which makes things easy!
Hope that helps!
Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 16,320
Likes: 306
From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
Good idea, but should also note that the High & Low beam are separate power circuits and you need to pick the one that you typically use. If wired to the low beam +12 wire, you'll loose the external power to the GPS when you switch to the high beam.
Tourer
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 410
Likes: 17
From: NOVA
These are the type of connector I used:
Having fed the two satnav wires into the headlight I crimped one on each wire, disconnected the bike connectors, fitted the new ones in their place, then reconnected the bike connectors to the piggy-back part of the new connectors. The ground wires for the satnav are black, same as the bike, which makes things easy!
Hope that helps!
Having fed the two satnav wires into the headlight I crimped one on each wire, disconnected the bike connectors, fitted the new ones in their place, then reconnected the bike connectors to the piggy-back part of the new connectors. The ground wires for the satnav are black, same as the bike, which makes things easy!
Hope that helps!
Thread Starter
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 45,429
Likes: 2,898
From: Bedford UK
If you take a close look at my photo, you will see that I have an HDI bike, with an additional sidelight bulb which is permanently on, which is where I connected my new wires. For other bikes you are quite right. My choice would be to use the low beam circuit, which even when using high beam will still extend the useful life of the satnav, by charging it's battery while on low beam.
where'd you get these? i got molested at the local napa shop for a few in a pack when i did my oil cooler fan install.
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Thread Starter
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Club Member
Joined: Jun 2007
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From: Bedford UK
I got two in a bubble pack at my local corner auto store. They weren't cheap, for what they are. I live in the UK so can't be much more helpful than that, sorry!
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Club Member
Joined: Feb 2007
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From: Boynton Beach, FloriDuh
No voltage doesn't work that way. (Electronics 101) The added circuit is in parallel with the bulb, voltage is not affected. If the added circuit was in series with the bulb, then you would get a voltage drop.