Has anyone ever hardwired a USB charger to their valk?

[Jabba]

I want a power port in the front of the bike, and I am not happy with lighter ports up there.  I'd really like to have a USB charger hard wired to the accessory connections on the IS with the wire routed to the front, where I can just tuck it back into the black plastic frame cover when not in use, like I do with the IPOD jack.  All I ever want to use is the GPS, IPOD and cell chargers.  I am putting a cig lighter jack under the trunk, mounted to the trunk support rails as an added power point as well. 

I can't seem to find a slick way to adapt a USB charger to hard wired.

Anyone got any great ideas?

Jabba 

[Bone]

I bought one of these at Wal Mart.  
It has two slots for USB cords.
and a built in Smart Fuse.

Griffin PowerJolt Dual Universal Power ..

 
PowerJolt Dual Universal
Car charger for USB devicesPlug in and charge while you travel.

Griffin's best-selling 12 volt DC charger for iPod is also available to charge almost any USB-powered device. Or any two of them.

PowerJolt is our universal USB charger/adapter for use in the cigarette lighter or 12 volt accessory socket of your car. Use PowerJolt with any USB-rechargeable device, including iPod, iPhone, and other phones and MP3 players. Plug in PowerJolt to charge your player in your car while you use it.
Features
•The industry’s most trusted 12 volt USB charger
•Charges iPhone, iPod, MP3 players, other USB-chargeable devices, 2 at a time
•Arrive at your destination with a fully-charged player
•Built-in resettable SmartFuse protects against over-voltage, with no fuses to replace
•Individual lighted charge indicators show charging status at a glance, for each socket

[Jabba]

Yeah... but that's just the converter from lighter jack to USB.  I want to eliminate the need for a lighter jack.  I am just not happy about ANY locations for them. 

Jabba

[Ricky-D]

You can remove the lighter jack from the cord and connect it to the aux source and then conceal where you see fit.

I agree about lighter receptacles and wouldn't want them all over the bike and visible.

There are other kinds of power supply jacks available at stores like Radio Shack.

***

[dreamaker]

keep in mind that cigarette lighter socket is 12 volts and USB plugs are 5 volt. and if you rewire to a lighter socket will fry the unit. I went to RadioShack and got a 5 volt regulator and the cost is about $1.97 and it converts 12 volts to 5 volts. In the USB plug that looks like a little hat the red wire is positive and the black wire is negative. I did this in my truck for my GPS which powers through the USB, haven't had any issues. I think I was supposed to add capacitors to this but I didn't.

Dan

[chrise2469]

Sorta like dreamaker and dan said.  You get the cigarette lighter adapter, break it apart and solder wire to the inputs.  if you carefully cut the original adapter it doesn't look half bad.

On my std, I have modded a 12 v power cord that goes to my fuse panel and connects to 175w inverter with usb ports on it.  This is velcro'd under the backrest of the drivers backrest.  This way the misses can charge up here mp3 while we ride and any camera batteries or other chargeable devices.
http://reviews.canadiantire.ca/9045/0111869P/reviews.htm

You could do the same thing , leaving the wire tucked away when not in use.

[JP in SC]

Hey Jabba, try this link and see if it may be what your looking for.
http://www.cyclenutz.com/All-Weather-USB-Hardwire-Kit_p_475.html
 I haven't used the vendor. Stumbled across them while wandering the web and put this link in my favorites as something I may want to try.

[Jabba]

THAT's it!!  I wish the power adapter part was on the other end to make it less clunky on the visable end... but that's it.

You rock!

Man I looked and looked.  You are obviously a better "nethead" than I am.

Jabba

[JP in SC]

  You are obviously a better "nethead" than I am.

The spousal unit refers to it as an addiction.

[chrise2469]

JP your gogglefu kicked my butt today.  Tried for about 30 min and could only find male hardwired connectors. 
Bookmarked and thanks.

[Jabba]

And women say men won't ask for help...

We do ALL the time... I don't know what they are talking about.

 

Jabba

[vanagon40]

Hey Jabba,

If you have not ordered one yet, how about adding one for me.

(Yeah, I know if we split the shipping it amounts to only $3.25 each, but I am cheap).

 

[Jabba]

Hey Jabba,

If you have not ordered one yet, how about adding one for me.

(Yeah, I know if we split the shipping it amounts to only $3.25 each, but I am cheap).

 

I have not, and I will.  We can get together for lunch one of these days and I'll give it to you then.

Cool?

Jabba

[vanagon40]

Great, thanks.  Email me or PM if you want the funds quicker than that.

[Valkahuna]

THAT's it!!  I wish the power adapter part was on the other end to make it less clunky on the visable end... but that's it.

You rock!

Man I looked and looked.  You are obviously a better "nethead" than I am.

Jabba

+1. Too bad I'm too far from Indiana to meet for lunch. I'd get you to order one for me as well. That is a very cool thing to wire to my I/S. Almost everything now charges through a USB or mini or micro USB, and I can get adaptors for that. Jabba, thanks for asking, and JP thanks for the research!

[blackvalk]

Jabba,

I needed the same thing you asked for but never got around to searching for it. I am also impressed with what was found, but it is too late for me to buy one and still leave on my trip on Tuesday.

Driving over to find one locally, I thought about one of your posts. It was the one about the big bulky end showing probably by the gas tank where we will connect up our electronics. Can you cut most of the long wire that connects to the power source, leaving the big end consealed under the seat or a side cover and run the wire that actually connects to the iPod or Phone up to the point of use.

It would take a long cord, but you would have a very small plug up by the tank where it shows.

Bill

[Valkahuna]

Bill, I also want to install one of these. You have a good idea there about hiding the big end. That should work fine, especially on my and Jabba's IS, since the small stereo plug for the Aux input is already behind the right side cover.

Hope to see you when you get up here, Safe travels!