• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

R1250RT switched power

zip50

Member
The power from the USB lead in the right side keyed box is too low for modern phones, so I want to tap a switched lead up front to power my phone mount. Would run a lead to the battery, but don't want to inadvertently drain it. Anyone know where the best place is to get switched power? Or, is there a way to boost the power going to the USB lead in the right side keyed box?
 
The power from the USB lead in the right side keyed box is too low for modern phones, so I want to tap a switched lead up front to power my phone mount. Would run a lead to the battery, but don't want to inadvertently drain it. Anyone know where the best place is to get switched power? Or, is there a way to boost the power going to the USB lead in the right side keyed box?

Some newer phones allow faster charging with a higher-power charger, but they don't require that. The iPhone 12 Pro, for example, has the following power and charging specs.

  • MagSafe wireless charging up to 15 W
  • Qi wireless charging up to 7.5 W
  • Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter
  • Fast-charge capable: Up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with 20 W adapter or higher (sold separately)
Note that the fast charger is optional. The tiny 5 W charger is compatible with all iPhones back to the iPhone 5.

You could check with your phone manufacturer to be sure.

Ken
 
The power from the USB lead in the right side keyed box is too low for modern phones, so I want to tap a switched lead up front to power my phone mount. Would run a lead to the battery, but don't want to inadvertently drain it. Anyone know where the best place is to get switched power? Or, is there a way to boost the power going to the USB lead in the right side keyed box?


For any low amp draw power I needed on my 2018 RT I just tapped into the Powerlet wiring. I assume you still have a Powerlet just off the right side of the fuel tank?
 
For any low amp draw power I needed on my 2018 RT I just tapped into the Powerlet wiring. I assume you still have a Powerlet just off the right side of the fuel tank?

Ditto PoorUB's solution. That outlet is switched on and off automatically so your battery will be OK. The USB voltage converter you use (12v>5v) will also have an amperage rating on it. Probably less than the circuit can supply but worth checking to make sure so canbus doesn't shut it off should it exceed that with this an any other accessories you use it for.
 
Solution - higher USB power for Phone/GPS on R1200RT/R1250RT

Thanks for the input everyone.

Yes, kbowman, the phone is capable of charging at different voltages, but I found that using the BMW supplied USB socket in the right side storage compartment was too low when using the phone as a GPS.

PoorUB and AjaxTheDog, that is the route I followed. The key for me was I did not want surface wires, so I bought one of these adapters that connects to the switched power plug you referenced inside the right side body panel. I now get full power to the phone through my Ram rig so it doesn’t lose juice if I am running multiple apps. Note that my Ram mount didn't have the USB adapter shown in that link, so I connected the pigtail to a LightningFast 3 amp USB adapter and then ran a line to my phone charger. Glad to provide further intel if needed. Will provide pix later.
 
Back
Top