GPS on KTM 450 EXC. How should I power it?

maxolla · 04-29-2010, 06:47 AM

Hi all.
I'm getting a Garmin 60 CSx and am thinking of getting a ram mount for it and then finding a way to power the unit other than just the internal batteries. I'm pretty sure the battery I have wont take much so I'm thinking about tapping into the system while the bike is running only and then using the internal batteries when the engine is off.

Any of you have experience with this.

Thanks in advance,
Maxolla

Hayduke · 04-29-2010, 08:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxolla

Hi all.
I'm getting a Garmin 60 CSx and am thinking of getting a ram mount for it and then finding a way to power the unit other than just the internal batteries. I'm pretty sure the battery I have wont take much so I'm thinking about tapping into the system while the bike is running only and then using the internal batteries when the engine is off.

Any of you have experience with this.

Thanks in advance,
Maxolla

The system "when the bike is running" only is AC- Your gps won't like that. You'll need to tap into the DC system. On my exc, I wired directly to the battery. The gps takes hardly any power at all, so I wouldn't worry about it draining the battery. You could save more power than the gps is using by simply installing an LED bulb in the tail light.

Set up the GPS to stay on when it loses external power.

Countdown · 04-29-2010, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxolla

Hi all.
I'm getting a Garmin 60 CSx and am thinking of getting a ram mount for it and then finding a way to power the unit other than just the internal batteries. I'm pretty sure the battery I have wont take much so I'm thinking about tapping into the system while the bike is running only and then using the internal batteries when the engine is off.

Any of you have experience with this.

Thanks in advance,
Maxolla

Yes we have hundreds of Dual Sport riders on EXCs in D37. The standard way is to buy a "hard wire" kit, CycoActive.com has a good one. It has a fuse, and little rubber cap to protect the plug when transporting the bike. Wire it direct to your bike battery not problem.

Off the grid · 04-29-2010, 06:56 PM

Ya direct to battery.

SnowMule · 04-29-2010, 09:45 PM

Go directly to battery if possible.

You can take the AC and convert it to DC fairly easily; bridge rectifier, a handful of capacitors, and a regulator (LM7812) will take care of it.

But i'd go off the battery - much easier. The GPS draws very little power, so the moto battery will run that for weeks. Another bonus to this is it just stays powered - backlight stays on, and you don't have to poke [Enter] if you want to play with it when the bike's off. Sled doesn't have a battery, GPS is only powered when the sled is running. When I'm on my sled, every time I kill the sled, the big red "Lost external power!" message comes up and you have to press [Enter] to clear it. I sent Garmin a feature-request to add a "No notifications" to that "Power lost" menu, but they didn't see any reason to add it (Two options are "Stay on", which brings up the alert, or "Turn off", which gives you a few seconds to press a button if you want it to stay on after power is removed.)

I went a step further than most people... redesigned the dualsport kit and built the GPS power connector into the design. Trick Dual Sport kit has an output for a GPS, but you'll need the Molex connector to attach it. I had the RJ11 setup before I got the bike, which was before I got the DS kit...

The GPS cable I have terminates to an RJ11 (Telephone) jack, pins 1 and 6 are power/gnd (3/4 for data). Since I use the GPS (and cable) in the truck/bike/sled, I didn't want to give Garmin $90 for three of the stupid cables. So I put RJ11 connectors on the bike/sled/truck and just plug into that. (Same cable/connector on sled, old GPS: Pic here)

Cable:

RJ11 on the top-left side of the controller is for the GPS (alt view of controller during assembly). RAM-mount ball is a broken handlebar mount, dremeled the broken side smooth and hit it with flat black rattlecan. Did some dremel work on the bottom to get the angle/interface right on the handlebar clamp.

With GPS in mount, cable connected to controller and receiver. There's about 1/8" between the handguard mount and the connector; back of the RAM mount sits almost against the handlebars. I recommend the short arm anyways, as it reduces vibration to the GPS.

Tome · 05-02-2010, 08:17 AM

Steam power!

Countdown · 05-02-2010, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tome

Steam power!

Actually all power on earth is from Nuclear source! The only difference is when was he reaction and how was it stored since.

Emmbeedee · 05-02-2010, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Countdown

Actually all power on earth is from Nuclear source! The only difference is when was he reaction and how was it stored since.

I prefer Dave Barry's explanation of electricity:

Edison's design was a brilliant
adaptation of the simple electrical circuit: the electric company sends
electricity through a wire to a customer, then immediately gets the
electricity back through another wire, then (this is the brilliant
part) sends it right back to the customer again.

This means that an electric company can sell a customer the same batch
of electricity thousands of times a day and never get caught, since
very few customers take the time to examine their electricity closely.
In fact the last year any new electricity was generated in the United
States was 1937; the electric companies have been merely re-selling it
ever since, which is why they have so much free time to apply for rate
increases.
-- Dave Barry

And this adds further to the explanation:

Electricity is actually made up of extremely tiny particles,
called electrons, that you cannot see with the naked eye unless you
have been drinking. Electrons travel at the speed of light, which in
most American homes is 110 volts per hour. This is very fast. In the
time it has taken you to read this sentence so far, an electron could
have traveled all the way from San Francisco to Hackensack, New Jersey,
although God alone knows why it would want to.

The five main kinds of electricity are alternating current,
direct current, lightning, static, and European. Most American homes
have alternating current, which means that the electricity goes in one
direction for a while, then goes in the other direction. This prevents
harmful electron buildup in the wires.
-- Dave Barry, "The Taming of the Screw"

Abenteuerfahrer · 05-04-2010, 08:12 AM

Just got a Garmin 60CSx myself to be installed on the DRZ400s. Got the Garmin battery direct DC harness...got Garmins Bicycle mount. Wired the Garmin direct harness directly to the battery with a 1 amp fuse in between(Radio Shack fuse holder or equiv)

Seth S · 05-08-2010, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tome

Steam power!

Crystal power....harness the aura

Oshiat · 05-24-2012, 07:16 PM

Been running mine directly off the battery with no issues since 05.

wbbnm · 05-25-2012, 08:01 AM

I run mine directly off the battery. I bought a couple of cables probably from GPS City that have the 60 power connector on one end and a cigarette lighter connector on the other for only a few bucks. I cut the lighter connector off.

I looked at the wiring diagram and found where the 12v from the battery comes into the iginition switch. I just peeled back the insulation and spliced in a wire for the GPS power. I actually ran the power and ground to a 2-pin connector like comes with Slime compressors. I put a making connector on the cable to the Garmin. This lets me use that 12v tap for other things - like a compressor or even for charging the battery.

I did the same thing on another bike.

04-29-2010, 06:47 AM	#1
maxolla ^OP n00b Joined: Apr 2010 Oddometer: 1	GPS on KTM 450 EXC. How should I power it? Hi all. I'm getting a Garmin 60 CSx and am thinking of getting a ram mount for it and then finding a way to power the unit other than just the internal batteries. I'm pretty sure the battery I have wont take much so I'm thinking about tapping into the system while the bike is running only and then using the internal batteries when the engine is off. Any of you have experience with this. Thanks in advance, Maxolla

04-29-2010, 06:56 PM	#4
Off the grid Needs to STFU Joined: Jan 2008 Location: That buzzing in your earhole, CA. Oddometer: 7,778	Ya direct to battery. __________________ Wedding = $25,000 Divorce = $500 Brazilian 2nd wife = Priceless 2007 Triumph Tiger 1050 ABS

04-29-2010, 09:45 PM	#5
SnowMule nope.gif Joined: Jul 2009 Location: I LIVE IN A GIANT BUCKET Oddometer: 16,043	Go directly to battery if possible. You can take the AC and convert it to DC fairly easily; bridge rectifier, a handful of capacitors, and a regulator (LM7812) will take care of it. But i'd go off the battery - much easier. The GPS draws very little power, so the moto battery will run that for weeks. Another bonus to this is it just stays powered - backlight stays on, and you don't have to poke [Enter] if you want to play with it when the bike's off. Sled doesn't have a battery, GPS is only powered when the sled is running. When I'm on my sled, every time I kill the sled, the big red "Lost external power!" message comes up and you have to press [Enter] to clear it. I sent Garmin a feature-request to add a "No notifications" to that "Power lost" menu, but they didn't see any reason to add it (Two options are "Stay on", which brings up the alert, or "Turn off", which gives you a few seconds to press a button if you want it to stay on after power is removed.) I went a step further than most people... redesigned the dualsport kit and built the GPS power connector into the design. Trick Dual Sport kit has an output for a GPS, but you'll need the Molex connector to attach it. I had the RJ11 setup before I got the bike, which was before I got the DS kit... The GPS cable I have terminates to an RJ11 (Telephone) jack, pins 1 and 6 are power/gnd (3/4 for data). Since I use the GPS (and cable) in the truck/bike/sled, I didn't want to give Garmin $90 for three of the stupid cables. So I put RJ11 connectors on the bike/sled/truck and just plug into that. (Same cable/connector on sled, old GPS: Pic here) Cable: RJ11 on the top-left side of the controller is for the GPS (alt view of controller during assembly). RAM-mount ball is a broken handlebar mount, dremeled the broken side smooth and hit it with flat black rattlecan. Did some dremel work on the bottom to get the angle/interface right on the handlebar clamp. With GPS in mount, cable connected to controller and receiver. There's about 1/8" between the handguard mount and the connector; back of the RAM mount sits almost against the handlebars. I recommend the short arm anyways, as it reduces vibration to the GPS. __________________ Spewer of the poignant non sequitur SnowMule screwed with this post 04-29-2010 at 09:56 PM

05-04-2010, 08:12 AM	#9
Abenteuerfahrer Deaf on Wheels Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Leland, North Carolina, USA Oddometer: 2,049	Just got a Garmin 60CSx myself to be installed on the DRZ400s. Got the Garmin battery direct DC harness...got Garmins Bicycle mount. Wired the Garmin direct harness directly to the battery with a 1 amp fuse in between(Radio Shack fuse holder or equiv) __________________ Labrador Ride 2008: Alaska Ride with Sidecar- 2009: Newfoundland 2010 TAT 2011-2012

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05-02-2010, 08:17 AM	#6
Tome Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2008 Location: London, UK Oddometer: 308	Steam power!

05-24-2012, 07:16 PM	#11
Oshiat Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2012 Location: Land of Fruits & Nuts Oddometer: 119	Been running mine directly off the battery with no issues since 05.

05-25-2012, 08:01 AM	#12
wbbnm Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2007 Location: Abq NM Oddometer: 1,203	I run mine directly off the battery. I bought a couple of cables probably from GPS City that have the 60 power connector on one end and a cigarette lighter connector on the other for only a few bucks. I cut the lighter connector off. I looked at the wiring diagram and found where the 12v from the battery comes into the iginition switch. I just peeled back the insulation and spliced in a wire for the GPS power. I actually ran the power and ground to a 2-pin connector like comes with Slime compressors. I put a making connector on the cable to the Garmin. This lets me use that 12v tap for other things - like a compressor or even for charging the battery. I did the same thing on another bike.