TDM USB Power supplies and Sat Nav Mount
Hi All,
Just thought I’d share my install for gadget/phone charging while on the go which may help/inspire others. I’ve been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks but only got around to taking some photos over the weekend. If its helpful to anyone, Im sure it could be moved to the Knowledge-base/Accessories section.
Requirement
I wanted to have the ability to do USB charging on the go for things such as Cameras, Portable Batteries, Phones etc but also wanted to be able to run my iPhone as a Satnav Solution on the bars. I wanted a neat finish and didn’t want the bars to be cluttered with stuff such as sockets, USB plugs, USB leads, cables etc so …..
Step 1 – Assembling the Parts.
· Smartphone ( iPhone 5S in this case )
· NAVMii Software App ( Excellent free solution with all data stored on the phone so you don’t incur ‘live’ charges as you ride. https://itunes.apple...d391334793?mt=8
· USB Charging device - I went with a specific outdoor type from Maplin for Bikes/Boats. Cracking bit of equipment and is very well made and solid for the price. (£10) http://www.maplin.co...er-2-port-n73dp
· Waterproof Case for iPhone – I didn’t want the soft case type design so went with a Veho Saem S6+mount - http://www.veho-worl...ategory=SAEMWPC – And I DIDN’T pay anywhere near what their website states. You can find them for around £25 for the Case and Mount if you shop around. Again, it’s a solid bit of kit and has stayed dry up to now. Fits my 5S perfectly. (£25)
· Accessory Bar – A simple black clamp on Bar from here - http://www.dx.com/p/...33#.VYvmlflVhBc – OK Quality and seems to clamp on securely enough so far. (£5)
· USB Extension Lead (£3.50)
· 90Deg iPhone Lightning Charger. ( to fit in the Veho case ) (£1.50)
· Cable Ties
Step 2 – Fitting the USB Hub.
I found a suitable place under the seat in the general tray area and it was then a case of choosing one of the two mounts and velcro'ing it on. The USB Hub is aluminium so very robust and has a flip over rubber cover to protect the ports while not in use.
I then ran the relevant cables to ground and the live to a relay I had already fitted to take my Heated Grips ( Also under the seat )
Voila – All done !
USB Hub fitted in under-seat tray
USB Hub with Extension Cable Attached
Step 3 – Fitting Accessory Bar
Simple, you may think, but due to the diameter of the bar and the size of the Veho bar mount, the case just flopped off the bar as soon as I clamped it on.
To overcome this, I drilled two holes through the top of the accessory bar, bolted on a standard plastic assembly block ( the ones you sometimes find in wardrobes, kitchen units etc ) fitted it with nyloc nuts and wrapped the lot carefully but neatly in black nasty. This creates a raised block effect so that when you clamp the mount on, it fits so solidly as you will see from the side profile.
Mount the bar as normal and job done !
Bar Fitted with Mount Attached
Bar with Assembly Block Solution
Side view showing how clamp attaches firmly
Step 4 – Fettling the Veho Case.
Immediate issue – how am I going to charge the phone on the go through a waterproof case ? Well, this was the solution and it has stayed waterproof to this day.
I drilled out a 12mm hold in the lower corner of the unit as small as possible but big enough to get the 90deg cable through. ( I chose a 90deg cable as the way it is wired in puts less stress on the cable joint. I could have gotten away with a straight cable but I reckon it would have been knackered in a matter of weeks )
I then passed the cable through a rubber grommet to match / overlap the hole size, superglued the grommet into place in the hole then sealed the whole lot with exterior grade black silicone sealant.
This allows the phone to sit perfectly in place and charge on the go with no apparent stress on the cable or case.
The Veho case uses a ‘Pinnagrip’ retention system so you basically squash and squeeze your phone in between the ‘fins’ of the interior and it sits nice and tight. I had to trim off the ‘fins’ from the top and bottom of the case to enable me to fit my phone and phone case in but the side ‘fins’ are all in-tact and do the job perfectly. ( I didn’t want to have to take my phone out of its normal case every time I wanted to use it )
The clear face material of the case is semi flexible so kind of stretches over the phone face and is capacitive so you can operate your phone through this with your fingers. Obviously it won’t work with gloves on unless you have the clever capacitive type finger tip thingimies I’ve seen out there.
The actual case securely mounts to the actual handlebar mount and can be un-mounted in around a second so that you can remove it from the bike when stopping very easily. There is a small webbing loop and clip attached which I use to clip onto the main bar just in case for any reason the mount fails. The mount also rotates so you can have the phone displayed/mounted wither portrait or landscape depending on how you like to view your maps. Because of the small block I fitted to the accessory bar, I can turn the Veho Mount part through 180 degrees so that the display either sites angled or straight depending on how you want to ride/view the screen. It wasn’t designed that way as I wanted the unit sitting in the ‘angled’ pose however it was more out of curiosity to see what turning the mount would do. You’ll see in the Photos.
Finally, the case has a clear plastic window which runs the width of the case back which should line up with most modern phone cameras. This means theoretically, you could use be videoing as you ride or when you stop, you can take photos etc without removing the phone from the case.
Side View of Case fitted showing Webbing Strap
Step 5 – Running the USB Extension + Fitting
Part of the reason I had to do this is that I wanted the actual USB hub device hidden away to keep the dash clear. Also, if I wanted to charge something on the go, I can safely tuck it under the seat and leave it there safely. I sometimes charge / top-up a back up battery pack which is perfect to sit under the seat and forget about.
With that in mind, I ran a 2m waterproofed braided USB extension cable from the hub, along the sub-frame, inside the main frame between the frame and tank and out at the left hand fairing pod where it sits tucked neatly away.
Its then a simple case of connecting the USB tail from the Case Mount to the USB extension and Roberts, your fathers brother !
When not in use, the USB extension tucks fully away into the fairing out if sight / way. Or it can be pulled back through to the under-seat area if so required.
I use the unit for SatNav, routing the voice commands through a Bluetooth bike headset from eBay and the whole set-up works perfectly.
Main Route of Installation
USB Extension at Front of Bike
USB Tucked away during normal use
Riding View – Portrait – ‘Angled’
Riding View – Portrait – ‘Straight’
Riding View – Landscape – ‘Angled’
Riding View – Landscape – ‘Straight’
Fitted and Charging !
Pros
· Taking the cost of the iPhone aside ( or any other phone for that matter ) it’s a very cost effective way of setting up this for use. Circa £50 in total for the entire package Vs £000s for a proper motorbike set up which you will only ever use on the bike. ( I.e. you use your phone everywhere )
· The parts are fully interchangeable. I could move these from bike to bike if I wanted although I would likely leave the USB hub in place and get another one for a future bike if I had to.
· The Veho case can be used for other applications. For example you could use this on your pedal bike if required. As it can be easily dismounted, it also provides an extra level of security for use in outdoor activities. Its waterproof design means it can be operated through the case screen, so I could for example use it when camping to protect the phone from weather, rain, moisture etc.
· It works and looks neat I think.
Cons
· You cant use the capacitive touch-screen while wearing normal gloves which restricts what you can do ‘on the move’. If your phone screen is resistive however its not a problem. Some manufactures make capacitive compatible gloves but that obviously means buying another pair of gloves from a limited range ( Fieldsheer, Icon eg. ) There are instructions out there for sewing conductive thread into your existing gloves which I may have a bash at one day. At the moment, I will just load up the maps, set it away and ride.
· The NAVMii App while free, may not provide as extensive solutions or services as would a bona-fide motorbike sat-nav system. However, for the price of the above and the flexibility of this set-up, its negligible.
Anyway, that was a bit of light reading so if you have any questions or need sources for products etc, let me know. ( i.e, Don’t buy the Phone Case direct from the VEHO site for example ! )
Cheers
Tone
, good job , well done that man 
