Magnetic/Safety disconnect cable for use-while-riding

[viper84737]

A buddy and I are planning another long trip this summer and we'll have radios that will require constant use. We intend on having these things constantly charging while we're riding so as to avoid loss of communication issues. The downside to something on your head connected via a charging cable to your motorcycle is the possibility of decapitation or spinal injury during a fall. Originally I looked to Apple's Magsafe connectors for their laptops, but they're impossible to come by, and Apple have patented their connector such that humanity cannot advance in this regard.

So we're looking at something like this to put in series between the battery and the radio, which will disconnect linearly if a force is applied to it: http://www.replug.com/whatisit.php#

We would prefer magnetic connectors such as these: http://www.skunkjuiceearbuds.com/shop/skunkjuice-earbuds-color-black.html but SkunkJuice lives up to its name and are also a bunch of jerks in that they refuse to sell JUST the connectors without the earbuds, of which I would require four. My begging and pleading with them over the past two months has not gotten me anywhere.

Any alternative suggestions? Magnetic is preferred by a long shot, but failing that, something like Replug's system will be acceptable, as well.

 

[AF4iK]

That's pretty cool and a really good idea. You'd just have to create a power cable usinga 3.5mm jack. If you go this route my only advice is to use proper gauge wire as most headphone cables are pretty thin and stranded. Also, document the process so others (me) can copy you!

I'm not crazy about the notion of being tethered to my battery either but, until I read this, I was planning to use a standard 2 point trailer connector but there's no guarantee it will separate as expected during a fall.

 

[viper84737]

Thanks for the suggestion, but those look super fatal. I need it to be able to separate when force is applied on any vector, and minimally at that (less than 1 kg, certainly).

I will certainly document the process, I like making tutorials for this site!

 

[AF4iK]

lol I wasn't suggesting it, just showing you what I had in mind for my own cable until I stumbled across your idea. Interested to see how yours works out.

 

[viper84737]

Ah, my bad. I'll keep you posted for sure.

 

[Lightcycle]

Simple Powerlet cable will disconnect quite easily. I hook up my heated gear to it and I've knocked it out of the socket by accident regularly when I forget to unplug myself after a ride.

 

[viper84737]

Hmm it seems I may be able to order Magsafe parts off of ebay and make that happen thusly. Should be a cinch, if that's the case.

 

[bitzz]

How about a tether off a personal water craft or ATV.
Any bike shop could get you one from EMGO.

 

[viper84737]

I thought about those, but I don't know where to get them. Surely a watercraft store exists in the GTA that carries these? How much are they, anyway? They're basically identical to what I'd want.

 

[conundrum]

I'm pretty sure Royal Distributing does watercraft (to some degree), however they aren't exactly in the GTA.

 

[AF4iK]

Are you guys talking about those lanyards that trigger the emergency kill switch? If so, not sure how that would work in this application. I must be confusing this with something else...

 

[viper84737]

If those kill switches work by cutting an electrical circuit, then it will work here. If not, they will not.

 

[AF4iK]

I've used one on an old jetski before and it's similar to a treadmill's killswitch. It's basically just a plastic plug. The actual circuit and killswitch is contained within the machine because that's what it's designed to cut power to. The plug simply keeps the killswitch from interrupting the circuit by holding it closed. When it gets pulled out, the spring loaded killswitch flips open and breaks the circuit.

In your case, you need power to be transmitted up to your intercom through the "lanyard" so this passive system won't work. The lanyard has to be a part of the circuit so that when you hop off you sever this umbilical connection.

 

[robmack]

Have you researched DIY Magsafe on Google? There are writeups in "Instructables" for making laptop power adapters that operate like the Apple patented device.

 

[viper84737]

The only one I ever saw was horrendously ugly and seemed like overkill. I'd rather buy the male/female parts off eBay and wire them in, instead of building that particular debacle. Got any good resources?