Power for my GPS from a sled without a battery?

Ike

Ike

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Nov 27, 2003
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49
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Finland
Seems like winter is comin since I´m really gettin busy with my sled. ;):D

so, how do I get power outlet for my GPS ( Garmin Etrex Summit ) from my sled. And since all you know there is no battery in Vmax4, how do I do it, and is it possible ?

All electricians, help me out ! ;)!

Ike
 
It is possible, I saw it in some snowmobile magazine, maybe it was the scandinavian "snowmobile" ? they showed how to hook up with a battery and without one. I think you need some kind of converter.
 
Carefull what you do. The Summit uses 3 volts, not 12. You need to use the cigarette lighter adapter even if you wire the unit off from a 12 volt battery source. If you wire directly to a 12 volt supply with out the adapter, you will fry your GPS. I am no expert but this is what I was told. Best to check with Garmin first.

I took 2 - 6 volt lantern batteries and wired them together so that they produce 12 volts. I then wired in a power outlet, and used a cig lighter adapter. The batteries lasted all winter. I have used this set up for the last 4 years and have had no problems. I belive you could use one 6 volt battery, with the adapter, it should work, but just not last as long as two.
 
i just use nimh rechargeable batteries, they are pretty cheap to buy on ebay with a charger and they last most of the day, and i usually bring 2 to 4 extra batteries just in case, i have the garmin etrex vista. i tried alkaline batteries in it when i first bought it but they would last only about a half hr in the cold.
 
Yep!

I know how "long" those alkaline batteries last. I´ve tried them too...

I want to mount my Summit to the handlebars. I´m tired of diving inside of my jacket to find again and again. :o|

Ike
 
That mount looks really good ! ;)! Is that a Garmin mount for a boat ?

Ike
 
Ike, what voltage does you GPS operate on.
You can easily get 12votls form the machine where you would connect a heated visor. If the GPS operates at less of a voltage you will need a regulated outlet for your device. Let me know what voltage you need for the GPS.
 
Garmin Etrex Summit uses 3 v, so I need a regulator for that outlet.

This is what Garmin Tech support send me when I asked them about it :

"Dear Sir

Thank you for contacting Garmin Europe.

The only external cable Garmin produce is the cigarette lighter adapter:
http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp?sku=010-10203-00

The eTrex Summit shall operate with an externally applied voltage of 2.7Vdc
to 3.3Vdc.
The unit shall survive a minimum -3.2Vdc continuously applied to the rear
connector."

Ike :rocks:
 
I've got an outside (for truck beds) 12volt outlet from crappy tire Hard-wired Into The Power Supply For My Tach And It Works Great. I plug my GPS into that using the correct adapter and away I go.
 
Last edited:
cleansocks said:
I've got an outside (for truck beds) 12volt outlet from crappy tire Hard-wired Into The Power Supply For My Tach And It Works Great. I plug my GPS into that using the correct adapter and away I go.
Click to expand...


that set up works fine if you have a battery, becouse the voltage is constant, but with no battery its not and will fry things
 
It's been working for me for 3 years without any battery. And my GPS has been on during the majority of my trips.
No extra voltage can get into the GPS if you use the correct plug in from Garmin. If the adapter will only allow the correct number of volts through, I don't see how anything can possibly get fried.
I tapped into a circuit rated at 12Vdc and with the adapter stepping it down to the correctly rated voltage for the device I don't see where the trouble could be. It's essentially the same as plugging it into the 12V adapter in a car.
 
Thread summary:

The voltage from a snowmobile is unregulated and voltage can vary (I tested this with my DVM and noted I had to switch to A/C to get a reading), ...using a car adapter supplied by the GPS manufacturer will give you a built in regulator, therefore you do not need to pre-condition the source with a 12v regulator.

I'm about to install a GPS on my SRX and want to make sure no mistakes are made (I'm quite willing to build a regulator if need be).
 
Bear in mind that the LCD screen does not like extreme cold. Below about 10 degrees the screen will appear to blank out. While the unit is still working, the screen will not show you any information. I believe Garmin makes a heated mount... buddy has one on his Doo. Works pretty well.
 
OZ said:
Thread summary:

The voltage from a snowmobile is unregulated and voltage can vary (I tested this with my DVM and noted I had to switch to A/C to get a reading), ...using a car adapter supplied by the GPS manufacturer will give you a built in regulator, therefore you do not need to pre-condition the source with a 12v regulator.

I'm about to install a GPS on my SRX and want to make sure no mistakes are made (I'm quite willing to build a regulator if need be).
Click to expand...

I found what I believe to be an unused accessory power source (both red and black clipped and taped) under my cowling near the relays. I fired up the MSRX and noted that there was a steady 14.5 volt source from these wires. I went ahead and installed an accessory recepticle on my dash and tested with an air compressor plugged in. Worked great and with the DVM connected noted that there was virtually no voltage drop. I ran the machine for as long as I could without it overheating, ...no problems.
 
Waterfoul said:
Bear in mind that the LCD screen does not like extreme cold. Below about 10 degrees the screen will appear to blank out. While the unit is still working, the screen will not show you any information. I believe Garmin makes a heated mount... buddy has one on his Doo. Works pretty well.
Click to expand...

Once I work out the loads, ...I was thinking of picking up a grip heater kit (royaldistributing $25 cdn. w/ high/low switch) and installing between 2 pieces of thin rubber attached to the GPS mount. I would also need an accessory splitter for power.
 
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