iPhone Battery Charging

Looks like a good solution. Since you can use any AA battery in the external battery pack, I would suggest packing along a couple of packs of some long shelf-life lithium AA batteries, too. Something like the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. These have exceptional shelf-life, work over an extended temp range, and have a higher capacity than the rechargeables.

LINK

These would be the "back-up for your back-up" so to speak. Only use these when your rechargeables are exhausted, and you're still not "home". If they are not needed for several years, there still there, ready to serve.

Have fun and be safe out there on the trail!

Tom D.

It sounds like a good plan. One other additional idea, would be to install a cigarette lighter adapter on the motorcycle and use a portable charger for the I pad.

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Adapter-Harness-convenient-universal/dp/B0059B8VM4

You could use your existing charger.

Another possibility that exist. Purchase an inexpensive inverter. 75 W would be more than enough.

The least expensive ones in that size generally are of the cigarette lighter plug in type and can be had for about $15.00. I just checked one website and located 200 watt inverter with clip on leads for $24.00.

. http://www.invertersrus.com/whistlerpowerinverters.html

A couple of alternatives, possibly something more useful than a simple battery charger. Good luck.

PS: I just checked the price for the cigarette lighter installation kit ouch. I'm sure you can find less expensive kits, or make one yourself for a few dollars.

I'm going to end up with more postscript than post. You could also by A cigarette lighter plug in portable charger and cut the plug off and wire it directly into the bikes electrical system. A sort of permanent charge you go power supply. Have fun and don't get lost I have been there and done that. And that's definitely no fun.

Replying to my own post. On second thought cutting the plug off a portable charger might not be a good idea. I'm not sure whether the voltage reduction from 12 volts to to the Ipad 3.3 volts or so is accomplished in the plug adapter, or whether the Ipad handles the chore itself.

For a low price you can assure some source of power in the out back with a solar charger which is simple to set up and use such as the following if the link is intact:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=8&gs_id=v&xhr=t&q=solar+iphone+charger&qe=c29sYXIgSXA&qesig=C1I6VT16sjSuQhlpU0fe-Q&pkc=AFgZ2tkMD5YCqTRLngL3Bi2VnmeKUfLYwebUTUIHdPBhRgkyxjfYuMj-BvDpPP6oVXIus7AJpNZbXveBVIXf6ynfQUPR-ZpxzA&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=845&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=18188895587873678911&sa=X&ei=7KdbTu_9PMrUgQfMr-yPDA&sqi=2&ved=0CFQQ8wIwAA

Enjoy Woody

Solar powered portable chargers still only work if oriented toward the sun.

Unless a person is stationary that may be hard to do.

Thanks for the responses guys.

Installing a charger: This is not an option since I do not have a battery on my bike, electrics run directly off the alternator. The iphone 4 charge rate is 500-800mAh I think, that sort of required juice would fry my windings. The alternator is not rated very high, just high enough to supply the spark plug and low power consumption LED lights.

Solar: Not a bad idea, but I'm flying through bush under tree's etc. I wouldn't want to rely on sunlight to provide charge if I'm lost in the bush (especially if it's cloudy!)

It never occurred to me that you might not have a battery. Your original idea of the battery powered charger seems like the only workable solution.

About 25 years ago I was making regular desert trips. I believe GPS existed but it was a major luxury item at the time. Navigating by compass and landmarks can be a bit dodgy. A GPS unit Would have made a wonderful addition.

Actually, installing a small battery is probably a less complicated option. The alternator output is probably already rectified, but even if it is not, its voltage is of the right order of magnitude to rectify and feed to a NiMH battery charger, which in turn feeds a pack consisting of an appropriate number of NiMH cells. You then attach a regular iPhone car charger to that pack and you will be permanently keeping up the charge on the move.

Just a couple extra thoughts:

First, put your phone in airplane mode so it isn't wasting power trying to connect to a tower when you don't need it to.

Secondly, I've bitten the bullet and have multiple gps's for different occasions. I have a motorcycle/car gps for road travel that also operates off battery if necessary. I have a trail gps for off-road adventures. It has excellent battery life, approximately 10 hours off a set and carrying one or two spare sets is a lot more convenient than worrying about a charging system.

Lastly, I do have a Motorola Xoom which includes a gps. It's nice but I consider it more a novelty than useful. It just doesn't have the battery life (or replaceable batteries) to make it a serious navigating machine, particularly if I would need to depend on it to get me home. Especially if I'm away from cells or wi-fi hotspots.

Frankly, I'd get a more suitable gps for what you want to do rather than rely on the iPhone. But, then, that's just me!

Hooker

Good idea. Just make sure the charger you buy is for iPhone. Apple put detection circuit into iPhone so not all USB charger will work. Even with the right plug, the phone won't charge with the "wrong" charger.

Are you aware that Iphone's GPS' capability works only if you have an available good signals from nearby cell towers in the area? Iphone's programmed software triangulates your position based on its hand shaking communication between cell towers and using that known cell tower locations as reference to estimate your relative location! Your better off getting a more reliable portable GPS meant for your application, which may also address your concerns on useful battery life!!

Good luck

I was under the impression they put true gps in the iphone since the 3G. Older iphones used the tower triangulation method.

Now a-days nobody can't be so sure with any of the Iphone software versions? Even the first wave of new Iphone 5 which are scheduled for release by October 2011 are rumored to be still 3G, - not the 4G yet ??? So one still has to validate and confirm or test the specifications when buying!

Rufus is correct. You only need a cell connection to download maps when needed. Otherwise put the phone in airplane mode to save power.

This is why I prefer traditional gps's. They typically store all the maps needed locally with no need for an external connection.

That's also why I consider my Xoom gps a novelty.

Hooker

For Iphone GPS application, If there is no need for the Iphone to see / or be exposed to the sky to function, then it is still using cell tower triangulation techniques in that Iphone!

Bear in mind to be reliable, any Real GPS units regardless of make and model, they still need to see the sky and to receive all the different satellite signals!

My Garmin Oregon trail gps works quite well in my house (single floor wood frame) and in all wooded areas I've been in. I wouldn't want to test it under triple canopy jungle, though.

Hooker

I agree, that sometimes they will work even though covered or under a roof or unless of course it is a metallic roof. My Garmin Nuvie also works intermittently while inside the house - but only in certain indoor areas! As emphasized in the operations manual of a real GPS, it states that to establish reliabile operation, the unit must have a visual of the sky for clear signal reception of satellite signals.

I didn't mince words. My Oregon works "everywhere" in the house "always", not just in "certain indoor areas" and I've never lost signal in the woods around where I live.

Just to contrast, my older Zumo 550 will lose signal in certain areas of my house. I suspect (and has been confirmed by a friend that works at Garmin) that antenna technology has improved in recent years.

Obviously, everybody's mileage will vary depending on unit, density of cover, and building construction.

Hooker

I was talking a couple of days ago to an acquaintance who'd recently got a new iPhone. Similar complaint..short battery life. Could I suggest you check what apps etc are turned on inside the phone - you'll be surprised what's "on", chewing power !

I purposely turn off all unused apps when out in the bush to conserve power.. I'd love to find an app to see what the discharge rate is on the iphone whilst running various apps...

I know nothing about the iPhone, but I assume that you'll not be mounting it on your bike? If you're off to the bush, I suspect that it wil not stay mounted very long! (I use a TomTom Rider, and it handles the bad dirt roads I do with the African Twin with aplomb. I understand that Garmin has a good new model out for motorikes, with a "bread-crumb" feature - handy for the bush. Before that, I switched on my Nokia Navigator 6110, and just carried it in a pocket. That way I didn't have to wait for it to pick up a signal once I needed it. My friend does the same with his phone, and put sound through his earphones for directions. BTW, I'm curious as to what you ride that has such small electrical output! Does it just have a magneto, or a proper alternator? Just read about a Dutch(?) guy that goes around the world on his Yamaha R1, and he switched off the one head light to ensure that he has adequate power for his GPS, electric suit, etc. Good luck riding, & let us know your final solution.

Yes I will be mounting on my bike, there's protective hard waterpoof cases you can buy for the phone. The phone will be safe in the position I plan to mount it. Can you please advise what the Garmin model is?

I ride a YZ450F 2008, it has a magneto coil, putting a charger on there would cut the bikes spark plug out.

Serious jealousy attack brewing here - YZF450 indeed! (the only tv my family knows you don't take me away from is the Dakar in early January each year.) I think I saw the zūno 660 here, but at $650 that was a tad expensive for me. In the states I see on their website that there is a more basic zumo550 for half the price. Depends on what you want - most GPS receivers are geared for street use, but nowadays they show most public (i.e. proclaimed) roads including dirt roads. Once you go off-road, well, life gets more interesting! You'll have to check their battery life tough, or use a system similar to what you plan for the ipone. I use my TomTom mostly to get to the forest or whatever I'm aiming for. But check locally - in South Africa we have a product called Tracks for Africa, a user-generated set of tracks literally everywhere wheels can turn. You may have something similar there. I also previously saw on Garmin's site that they sell maps, maybe there is a map for your iphone? It solves the expensive and potentially unreliable data connectivity issues in the boondocks. And BTW, I always carry some form of map with, just in case! And the trusty old Blackberry helped me out a few times, using google maps when all else failed.

I have had a Zumo 550 for about 3 years. I use it primarily for my cruiser motorcycle. It was simple to wire it into the electrical system. When Garmin came out with the 660, I seriously considered it (my employer at the time was a Gamin dealer, so I could get serious discounts).

However, after intensive comparisons between the two, I decided the 550 was a better gps for a variety of reasons, especially for use on a bike. I won't go into that here as there are plenty of comparisons on the web.

FWIW, Hooker

Well after a bit of research, I've decided to ditch the iphone idea and go with a Garmin Dakota 10. Mainly because by the time you mount an iphone in a weatherproof case on the handle bars and get a decent battery charger you're up around the $100 mark anyways. The Dakota 10 already comes weatherproof for $229 and is built like a brick. I'd also be pretty pissed if I came off and damaged my $800 iphone, in comparison to my $229 dakota. It takes AA batteries with 800mb of internal memory which I can load all my .GPX maps onto.

Excellent choice, IMO. You've got the "right tool for the job"!

Hooker