I want to hard wire the power for my GPS which is 5 volts.

Question is: is the resistor for the power plug in the housing or is it the part on the cord I have circled? I dont want to bust this thing up until I know.

Thanks Guys




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This is only a guess, so take it for that. I think that part you have circled is a suppressor for interference. A lot of computer cords have them. I am betting that the resistor is in the plug. Does the plug come apart?

 

With a hammer. If I have to I will just install a power plug inside the fairing, but would rather not.

 

Yea, hard to tell for sure, One way would be take a volt meter and measure the voltage on both sides of that "Resistor" looking thing. (If your SURE you want it hard wired, cut that off with wire to spare on both sides, measure the voltage before it from the accessory plug. If it's still 5vdc then the step down resistor is in the plug. Resistance and voltage drop is not real hard to figure with "ohms law" (It would take some refreshing on my part, been a while since I had to "Design a circut" ,,, like basic E&E school in Millington, Tn.)

 

Where is the Redneck when you need him?

 

I think that little fat thing is a voltage reducer. Is that the same as a resistor - don't know? Check out this website - they might have what you need for hard wiring

http://www.cycoactive.com/gps/powint.htm

 

Myself I would make a circuit with a 5v regulator not use a resistor but hey thats me!!

 

The thing that's circled looks like an RF choke - meaning an alternator noise suppressor. The voltage regulator is usually a 3 legged IC that looks like a large (relatively) transistor. 12v in, 5v out. It is probably built in to the cig lighter ***'y. Why they don't build stuff to work right off 12v is a mystery to me other than wanting to sell the regulator I guess.

 

If that's the 12 volt plug that came with your GPS, you should be OK plugged into a cigarette lighter plug. But if you're going to try design a hard-wired homebrew voltage divider, that could get ugly.

 

Check it before you chop it up. Take two straight pins and pierce the leads between the fat thing and the lighter plug and check the voltage. That will tell you where the resister is.....