Cellphone/iPod charger

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Fri May 18, 2007 4:47 pm

I'm riding the Lake Erie Loop next month, and while I don't generally think it's a good idea to listen to headphones while riding, 18 hours is definitely going to require some music.

To that end, I'd like to add a cellphone/iPod charger to my Blur, Pep Boys seems to have a wide variety of cigarette-lighter style outlets. I've heard the newer Blurs have one built-in, but I was wondering if anyone has tried to retrofit one into an older Buddy (or better yet, Blur). I've done a little creative wiring before, so I have a pretty good idea how to proceed, but I'd appreciate any tips on installation, placement, or warnings. I know I don't want to try to power a laptop when the engine's not running, but I figure over the course of 18 hours with the engine running, the battery isn't going to have any problem keeping an iPod going, right?.

I also know this could affect my warranty, I don't care, I just can't go 18 hours without Yo La Tengo and Guided by Voices.

I'm not interested in a permanent iPod mount or speakers or anything, I know the vibration and battery risks there. I'll just keep it in my pocket and use one earbud inside my helmet.

Forgive me if this has been discussed before, I can't imagine it hasn't, but I did a quick search and didn't see anything. If it has been, please direct me to the thread.

KidDynomite · Post by **KidDynomite** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:17 pm

I'm interested in doing the same thing on mine. C'mon gearheads/tinkerers.......give us lazy asses a short-cut.

bwilms · Post by **bwilms** » Fri May 18, 2007 5:26 pm

I'm no good with mods, so I have this suggestion...

What about a battery backup for your iPod? [Amazon link]

The description says:

...provides emergency power to your iPod for up to 15 or 20 hours once its own internal battery has run out.

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Fri May 18, 2007 6:29 pm

bwilms wrote:What about a battery backup for your iPod?

Thanks! That's my backup plan, but part of my scheme is to figure out if there's a reasonable/safe way to use my cell phone to both listen to music *and* to check in with the wife/chase truck/ridemates once in a while. Maybe even with a bluetooth headset if I get really nerdy about it. The cell phone battery is pretty useless, so it'd need to be plugged in full-time.

Plus, it'd just be handy to have the charger. I generally charge my phone and/or iPod in the car on the way to work every day, so if I ride my scooter a lot, I forget to charge things.

Bb.

bwilms · Post by **bwilms** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:10 pm

I know POCPhil has told me he does this installation on Buddy's. I assume he could do something similar on the Blur - assuming you want to get your scoot down to Pride of Cleveland Scooters. Such an option may take rank below iPod charger, however.

How about this?

I know, I'm doing about everything but answering your original question

illnoise · Post by **illnoise** » Fri May 18, 2007 9:22 pm

bwilms wrote:I know POCPhil has told me he does this installation on Buddy's. I assume he could do something similar on the Blur - assuming you want to get your scoot down to Pride of Cleveland Scooters. Such an option may take rank below iPod charger, however.

I actually dropped Phil a note, but said I'd check here before I nagged him about it. I'm hoping he'll chime in. : ) I'm figuring I can wedge it right next to the battery somewhere...

bwilms wrote:How about this?

That *is* cool, but posture and back pain are going to be a problem as is, ha.

bwilms wrote:I know, I'm doing about everything but answering your original question

no problem, anything to avoid working on a Friday afternoon!

AxeYrCat · Post by **AxeYrCat** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:35 pm

I'd be interested to see how the ones on the '07 Buddies/Blurs are wired...

I've added them to cars before (incredibly easy), and I don't imagine it'd be any different on a Buddy (the draw from a cell phone/iPod charger isn't going to be much at all).

The only thing I'd recommend watching out for is whether or not the wire you're splicing your cable onto is switched or not.

If it's something that you're only thinking you want to deal with temporarily, you could EASILY rig up a power outlet by directly wiring its leads to the top of your battery. It would be constantly hot (you could wire in an inexpensive switch to keep that from being a problem), but if you bought an all-weather power outlet (they make them for marine use), it wouldn't be a big issue anyway.

The other nice thing about a rig like that is that you could remove it any time you didn't want to deal with it, and it'd be as simple as running wires through the drain hole in the 'dash cubby', and then under the floor mat...

It'd be quick and dirty, but it'd take no time to install/remove, it'd be as temporary as you wanted it to be, and you could pop it back on at any time should you need it again...

Post by **ericalm** » Fri May 18, 2007 10:40 pm

There's a great 12v outlet install tutorial on ModernVespa. It's specific to a LX, but I think it would just be a matter of identifying the corresponding wires on a Blur. Which may be the hard part...

http://www.modernvespa.com/forum/topic1935.html