HOW TO: Install a Charging USB Port on your Bike!!!! ZOMG!!
 

Alright clownz, I'm back with another edition of "How to (sortof) do Something." Today, we're going to (sortof) install a USB port on your bike, so that you can charge all of your various USB-based devices while taking those long trips, or while lost, stranded, or whatever.

We're gonna need 2 things:

A USB Port ( http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0222948 ) :
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002528.JPG

And a 5v DC voltage regulator ( http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...ductId=2062599 ):
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002524.JPG

USB weatherproofing plugs ( ):
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA250_.jpg

The regulator is gonna take the 12VDC our bikes output, convert 7v of it to heat, and pass the reamining 5v through to the USB port, which is what ALL USB devices use for power. Here's what's what:

Figure out where you're gonna stick the thing. That's pretty much where you're gonna branch off from what I do here, and just use the concepts I present. I picked the Fuse panel from my F3, as it's easy to take off and do inside the house, it's over a fairly hollow area of the bike, and if I mess it up, it's a small part to have to replace. Plus, I've already got power going up there for my LED kit switch:

http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002527.JPG

You can pick whatever you want, just make sure you're going to have enough clearance behind the port for how long it is.

Start by taking the ports out of the box. See how they're screwed to the faceplate? Unscrew one of the ports. KEEP THE SCREWS!!:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002529.JPG
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002530.JPG

See all those wires coming off the end? They are, from top to bottom: Power, Downstream Data, Upstream Data, Port Ground, Cable Ground. Sound like a lot? Fine, let's get rid of some. Since we're doing nothing with data, lop the end connector off, strip down the jacket, and hack down the data and cable ground wires. This should leave you with two long Power and Ground (Red and Black) wires. Tie the rest back and shrink tube 'em:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002541.JPG

Now take the port end, and use it as a guide to mark what you need to cut. Use a needle or dental pick to poke through the holes and scar where you need to drill for screws:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002534.JPG
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002535.JPG

Now using a dremel, or whatever the hell you're good with (I'm not good with anything), cut your holes:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002544.JPG

Use a male USB plug to make sure everything fits OK. You want to make sure the female port is stoping the male from going in any further, not the panel. Insert sexual innuendo here:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002537.JPG

Now, clean the inside surface with alcohol, spray it with an aerosol adhesive, and throw on a layer of aluminum foil:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002545.JPG

This is going to create a heat dissipation plane for our regulator. The regulator is rated up to 35v, but since we're only throwing 12v at it, it won't be generating much heat. in fact, you can probably get away with not even using foil, but this is fun, and it makes mom think your doing something wholesome, like macaroni and popsicle stick crafts. Plus, you can use what's left of the foil to make a cool hat that will keep out government mind control rays. Cool, huh? Alternatively, you can just use some thermal adhesive and stick a heatsink on the back of the regulator, or bolt it on. Whatever you do, don't forget to make your hat, lest UFO's steal your bike.

Be aware that this metal surface is electrically conductive now, so make sure you don't accidentally ground out any wires or connections on it.

Now, let's do some wiring. I'm not including a lot of pictures on this (or any?) as I'm starting with a non-stock setup to begin with. I will, however, give you all the info you need to properly do it on your own. Here's how to wire the regulator:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/RECTO.jpg

Be aware, this is SILVER-SIDE DOWN. Don't wire it backwards. Your "bike 12v" can come from anywhere, even straight from the battery. I prefer to use an inline fuse in this case, just so you don't accidentally short out your battery with some bunk device. In my bike, I grabbed a line going into the fuse box, and soldered it there. Solder the black wire from the USB port to the center ground pin, and also attach a long wire so you can ground it to the bike when you install it. Your ground can either be the bike frame, or the battery's negative terminal, which just grounds to the frame, anyway. Finally, your output is where you solder the red wire coming from your USB port. Now, peel off the foil covering the holes you need to use.

Once you've got all your soldering and shrink-tubing done (NOT WIRE-WRAPPING AND ELECTRICAL TAPE), assemble everything. I applied some thermal compound (Arctic Silver) to the silver side of the regulator:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002548.JPG

Then sandwhiched it in between the port and the panel, using the port screw to hold it in place. I had to dremel away a bit of the port's plastic housing to get everything to sit flush:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002547.JPG

Again, YOU won't have that switch there. You should have two long wires coming off the panel: one to run to your bike power, one to your bike ground. Clean it all up, get your butt outside, and wire it to the bike. Again, exactly how you do this is your call.

If you did it right, you should be able to plug in a USB device, and have it charge. Depending on how you wired it, you may have to turn your ignition key on:
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002549.JPG
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002550.JPG
http://www.johnnyxmas.net/howto/USB/S6002551.JPG

When you're not using it, make sure you install the rubber cover to keep water from getting in and shorting your bike out. make sure you buy up a bunch of them, cuz you'll lose them.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO USE THIS WHILE THE BIKE IS IN MOTION: Install some cable clips to ROUTE YOUR CABLE AWAY FROM ANYTHING THAT MOVES! This includes levers, forks, etc. Personally, I run mine along the lip of the cowl, then up the gas tank, into the GPS \ phone in my tank bag.



Sooooooooooooooooo

Whaddaya think?

Very informative write up!

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can i put my mouse and keyboard to that? hehehe!


anyway, nice work!!!


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Nice work, great wright-up! How do you like the Pre?

The WebOS is GREAT ( I switched from Windows mobile). The phone is a little hard to navigate one-handed, and the keyboard is tiny, but I'm sure I'll get used to everything. I've only had it for 3 days.

It's that shiny black, so you can see your face grease all over it every time you use it, and scratches show up easy. Oh, and its SLIPPERY. I dropped it already, and now it powers off if I close it too hard. :( I went to get a replacement, but nobody has them in stock yet.

That's what I figured, I'll probably wait a little bit to switch over. Maybe the pixie will have better hardware. I think there's an easy fix to the turning off thing, some paper or tape on top of the battery so that it fits in the compartment more snugly, or something like that.

I dunno man, the whole cell world is going the way of "cheap iphone clones." Hardware is getting less and less resilient. I miss my old Nextel i530 that you could drop off a building, and just go get it. I gotta admit I did beat the **** out of my HTC Hermes, but it got quirky after a while.

I stuffed a business card over the battery in the Pre. Seems OK. The screen also shuts off while I'm using it though, like the sensor is off. i think it grounds out against the back when its open, and somethigns out of place. I dunno, I'll get a new one in a few weeks. it was awesome before I dropped it.

Love the write up

I wonder if this would charge a nav system...

If your NAV system charges via USB, then YES. The resister I used here is rated up to 1 AMP, so it's going to charge things as quick as possible, not like those junkie $5 cigarette lighter chargers.


If you have a device that does 5v for charging, but not via USB, you'd have to mock-up an adapter.

what size fuse did you use?