GPS wired to bike: Switched or Unswitched and WHY?

[Indian Express]

I run my Zumo on switched power from a FZ1 fuse box. When I first got my my bike I ran an early version of Garmin on an un-switched outlet. Even with the GPS removed from the bike the little red light on the power chord drained the battery overnight enough to the point it would not start the ST!

 

[Sadlsor]

Even with the GPS removed from the bike the little red light on the power chord drained the battery overnight enough to the point it would not start the ST!

My experience as well. Now with newer units that have batteries, I see the light.
Metaphorically speaking, that is.
My older ones didn't have batteries, so I didn't have the option of Cancel to keep the unit on. Switched power makes sense today with modern GPS, and it is a heckuva lot easier to remove the unit from a cradle, without having to unplug the round 4- or 5-pin power cable.
I have the answer, and the rationale, that works for me.
Thanks, y'all!

 

[Steven631]

Switched

Zumo wired thru. ( qt harness )

Same as USB charge port

 

[Sadlsor]

Switched

Zumo wired thru. ( qt harness )

Same as USB charge port

Which connectors did you use on the quartet harness?
Asking because I want to add another charging port, as well. Thanks.

 

[Steven631]

Which connectors did you use on the quartet harness?
Asking because I want to add another charging port, as well. Thanks.

Having to remember what I did is lol.....
But I looked back thru. my notes.

I wired direct to where the quartet harness plugs in. There are (2) Red/Green wires

1st - Switches on/off with the ignition - thru.
a 15amp fuse.
2nd - Is on all the time - thru. a 10amp fuse

You want the 1st
Ground is the Green

But do check with a voltmeter - sometime thing are not alway the same.

This is also where I wired the USB ports and Amp meter into.

 

[Sadlsor]

Thanks.
I plan to use a plastic connector to match the one on the QH, and crimp my GPS leads into the pins to fit. I bought the multi- connector and pins package we've seen mentioned elsewhere.
That one will be Switched, but I also want to put the USB charge on Switched. Maybe that will have to go on my fuse block.
I'll have to review the pinouts from our Articles, that I have saved already.

 

[STRider]

The multiple schematics published by David Helckhouse have been an incredible resource for me with my ST1300 @Sadlsor

I'm really struggling to find the original links to them (I've downloaded them all so I don't lose them when the intertubes shrivel up) but in a nutshell every connector off the quartet harness offers a switched 12VDC power. The white 9-pin, black 3-pin and red-3pin all draw from the same source off the main harness 9-pin; on by ignition switch, Fuse F, 15A. The white 3-pin is a different 12VDC source switched by the main stop relay and Fuse C, 15A

The white 9-pin and the black 3-pin offer an unswitched 12VDC sourced through Fuse J, 10A

Good luck!

 

[Andrew Shadow]

1st - Switches on/off with the ignition - thru.
a 15amp fuse.

That one will be Switched, but I also want to put the USB charge on Switched. Maybe that will have to go on my fuse block.

Being that it is a 15 amp circuit, you can easily put a GPS and a USB port on this same switched circuit.

 

[jfheath]

My GPS is wired to switch on with accessories. Along with my on board cameras and my intercom.

That way, if I am parked up and want to test things out without rapidly draining the battery, I turn the ignition fully clockwise to have accessories on and nothing else. When I am ready to go, I turn the key to ignition, there is no interruption to the power for my accessories.

('Ignition' on the quartet harness means 'Ignition + Accessories').

One word of warning - check the voltages on the pin outs rather than relying on the colour of the wires. My first Quartet harness didn't match the diagram posted above.

Some pics taken from a document I created last time I had my quartet harness in my hand. I think I posted this somewhere, but can't find it - so here it is again.

Observation - on all the connectors I have seen, the earth lead is next to the groove on the plastic connector body.







This is from a UK ST1300 A9, so fuse labelling may differ from yours.

Here are my fuse boxes labelled to match the text. Front Fuse box on left, rear fuse box on right.

 

[Sadlsor]

I appreciate it, John.
And I've downloaded your QH Article some time back, in anticipation of this ultimate eventuality.
Without looking at it, I think I have some of the electronic farkles still in my signature.

 

[sky.high]

Switched, to a fuse block have on my ST also powering heated vests, radar detector etc, good job too as it turns out the on/off switch broke on my Zumo and is now non functional but when the bike powers off so does the Zumo . I have a PDM60 power unit on my dual sport, its great but pricey

 

[MerlF]

I've done this before, and I have an opinion of course.
On my KTM, my GPSmap 478 would drain the battery completely in 2 - 3 days if I didn't run the bike. And I've spoken to at least one ST1300 rider in Canada who confirmed this, even with this unit switched OFF.
If tied into unswitched power (I'll use the Quartet Harness), this is not a possibility, correct? Assuming no underlying power / electrical issues, of course.
I haven't hard-wired any of my handful of GPSs to the ST1300 yet, been using internal battery or power outlet.
Now it's time to make it sortof permanent.
Let's get this thing started!

I have a TomTom permanently connected unswitched to my ST 1300 it draws no extra current from the battery once the Tom Tom is fully charged I never had a problem with it running down the battery on my bike. The Tom Tom is an older unit and I use it mainly because it gives me a much better idea of the sharpness of the upcoming bends. My GPS is Co-pilot, on my phone.
I also have a uClear head set being permanently charged as well. Most of the time the battery is hooked up to a trickle charger and when I forget to plug it in, I have seen the bike start up even after 4 or 5 days. I have a voltmeter permanently installed so am able to see easily the state of the battery. It's installed below the cover of the left pocket where the OEM heated grips are usually installed