• 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?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Powerlet Amperage

M

mojoman

New member
I am going on a cross country ride in March and want to use my new GoPro Black along the way. I'll be doing some camping so I'd like to be able to charge my GoPro using the Powerlet socket on the bike. Apparently it puts out approximatley 5 amps but the Gopro suggests charging at no more than 1 to 2 amps. Is there a USB/Powerlet adapter available that will plug into the Powerlet socket and reduce the amperage?
 
I have used the SAE to USB adapter to charge my phone and action camera battery with good success. The SAE end is used to connect to the cable that I connect my smart battery charger to.
https://www.amazon.com/SAE-USB-Adapter-Motorcycle-Disconnect/dp/B00W2Z04ZW
https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...t-Smartphone/dp/B00DJ5KEF4?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_1

41xrCKmDqjL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

Most modern BMW bikes have the euro-style plug which is smaller than the cigarette-lighter type of plug. There are adapters that fit these plugs with a 5V USB charging capability. Some also serve as voltmeters.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H8938H...Adapter with Powerlet Din Plug for Motorcycle
https://www.amazon.com/Eriding-Char...eywords=powerlet+to+usb&qid=1579615771&sr=8-4
https://www.amazon.com/Cllena-Power...jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

61cIV7HlrNL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
5 Amps or less

AKBeemer is correct. The port is capable of delivering 5 amps, but your accessory will only draw what it is designed to and/or requires, up to that limit.
 
just curious, are you referring to the factory BMW socket (Canbus controlled) or a Powerlet socket? They are vastly different. Most Powerlet sockets are hardwired to the battery but they make dozens of harnesses and adapters. This doesn't change the power draw replies at all but it would clarify what you are requesting. :dance
 
They are not different in the least. The only accessory plugs delivered on the bike are "Powerlet" type female plugs. Powerlet is a brand but regardless, that's what the plugs are commonly called. There no difference between the "BMW" and Powerlet plugs.

I ditched the front plug in favor of a coax outlet from Warm & Safe that dropped right into the "Powerlet" hole. I clipped the wire off the back of the old outlet and soldered it on to a bulkhead-mounted waterproof USB charge port and wired the coax unit directly to the battery.

That Powerlet outlet, being current limited to 5A is no good for powering heated gear.
 
The BMW and Powerlet outlets are both built to DIN standards. DIN stands for Deutsches Institut für Normung e.V. (German Institute for Standardization)
 
pappy35 said:
That Powerlet outlet, being current limited to 5A is no good for powering heated gear.
Click to expand...

The DIN standard plug by Powerlet mentioned in the original post is a 12v to USB (5v) connector for plugging in USB devices such as cell phones, some cameras, Ipads, etc, not 12v devices such as heated gear.
 
Poweerlet

PGlaves said:
The DIN standard plug by Powerlet mentioned in the original post is a 12v to USB (5v) connector for plugging in USB devices such as cell phones, some cameras, Ipads, etc, not 12v devices such as heated gear.
Click to expand...

Thanks guys. Got it figured now and the BMW socket will work perfectly.
 
drneo66 said:
And to throw even more confusion on to the pile - some Powerlet products are now rated at 15amps, which will power your heated gear (letting you pull ~211 watts at 13 volts).
Click to expand...

Powerlet makes a complete line of devices and adapters that in one way or another connect using the DIN (European) standard outlet and plug. They include a variety of plugs that connect to the 12 volt socket. They also include a few devices that plug into the 12 volt socket and have 5V USB ports as the outlet. And they also have adapters from DIN to a US cigarette lighter type or to or from either the standard two-pole trailer connector or coaxial style connector.

See: https://www.powerlet.com/search?keywords=powerlet
 
are they back in business I had dealings with them a little over a year ago and they had gone out of business even though their web site was up. I finally had to dispute their charge for the product I never got.All my phone calls to their listed numbers were for other business not in the US. The Shop in Asheville also said they couldn't order from them anymore.
 
drneo66 said:
And to throw even more confusion on to the pile - some Powerlet products are now rated at 15amps, which will power your heated gear (letting you pull ~211 watts at 13 volts).
Click to expand...

What they're rated at is one thing but the 5A limit is controlled by the motorcycle's computer not the plug itself. Go over 5A and the bike will sense this and shut down the circuit. All the electrical circuits (blinkers, brake lights, headlights, switches, everything) are controlled in this way. That's why there are no fuses anywhere on the motorcycle (not counting the ones one installs themselves - like I did to power my heated gear and EZCan). Think of it as an electronic circuit breaker. Once it senses that the current demand is below it's threshold it will reactivate it.
 
pappy35 said:
What they're rated at is one thing but the 5A limit is controlled by the motorcycle's computer not the plug itself. Go over 5A and the bike will sense this and shut down the circuit. All the electrical circuits (blinkers, brake lights, headlights, switches, everything) are controlled in this way. That's why there are no fuses anywhere on the motorcycle (not counting the ones one installs themselves - like I did to power my heated gear and EZCan). Think of it as an electronic circuit breaker. Once it senses that the current demand is below it's threshold it will reactivate it.
Click to expand...

That is correct:
BMW OEM DIN (ISO 4165/Hella) socket - limited to 5 amps on Canbus BMW's and 15 amps on most fuse-protected BMW's.

Powerlet, or a similar DIN-style aftermarket outlet, generally ran back to the battery, is limited to 5 to 15 amps.
 
Last edited:
drneo66 said:
That is correct:
BMW OEM DIN (ISO 4165/Hella) socket - limited to 5 amps on most BMW's (either by the Canbus or a fuse in the OEM fusebox).

.
Click to expand...

True for the newer Canbus bikes.
My 2003 K1200RS and all of our older BMWs did not have the 5 amp limit.
 
Lee said:
True for the newer Canbus bikes.
My 2003 K1200RS and all of our older BMWs did not have the 5 amp limit.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. 15 amp for many older bikes.

Which is even more fun, because the ISO standard states "at up to 12 amps"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

88bmwjeff
Suggestions for a USB Accessory Socket
Replies
15
Views
2K
Omega Man
Omega Man
F
R1250 RS How Much Electrical Accessory Power Available?
Replies
9
Views
1K
tepeterson7848
T
J
NAV V 4-Button cradle
Replies
8
Views
3K
52184
52184
pyrrho
PackTalk Edge
Replies
3
Views
2K
jsd
J
B
Suggestions for connecting GPS, Radar Detector, and BT headset?
Replies
3
Views
1K
Bugman98
B
Back
Top