what's delorme's 12v power cable deal anyways?

[clapped_r6]

what happened to delorme's 12 cigarette lighter cable?
it seemed available a few weeks ago, now all of a sudden it's on backorder. i called delorme, and they said they don't make them anymore. nor do they think they will produce them anymore.

wtf? dealbreaker

[Fire Escape]

That was the word I got from them, right after they sold me a new PN-60. Had I known that it wasn't available, I probably would NOT have bought their GPS!




The unit comes with a USB cable, not my idea of rugged or weatherproof!

There seems to be a 'work around', I was directed to someone in vendors who manufactures a weatherproof USB socket, I ordered two this morning. It may be a while before I know how successful this is but at least I am more hopeful than I was of actually being able to use my GPS.

It seems nothing short of ludicrous to sell a GPS without any way to use mobile power in this day and age. DeLorme's estimate of 29 hours of battery life appears (in my limited usage) to be somewhat optimistic.In the winter I head south and use my (current Garmin) GPS about 5 days each week between the bike and boat, both are wired with mobile power cords (for Garmin). Delorme's answer to all things power seems to be rechargeable batteries, I'd be OK with that but I am camping 'off the grid' so make me a 12v charger please.

It wouldn't be as sucky a situation if they did not have their own proprietary 8 pin connector (like there was a need for 8 pins?)! Not much chance that anyone else will decide to make a cord with voltage reduction (to 5v) and that connector if DeLorme doesn't think it's worthwhile!


Bruce

[abhibeckert]

Originally Posted by Fire Escape

There seems to be a 'work around', I was directed to someone in vendors who manufactures a weatherproof USB socket, I ordered two this morning. It may be a while before I know how successful this is but at least I am more hopeful that I was of actually being able to use my GPS.

USB is only 5 volts. Other people who know more about this stuff than me have said low voltage power does not need to be weatherproof.

Something about water having a high resistance so that only high voltage power will jump across it... Anyway, as far as I know USB power should work perfectly fine fully submerged without any waterproofing.

But you might run into problems with vibration and rust depending on how well it is made.

[clapped_r6]

well, it's a deal breaker for me. i guess another garmin product then. (something without mini-usb charging!)

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by clapped_r6

well, it's a deal breaker for me. i guess another garmin product then. (something without mini-usb charging!)

I guess that means that you will be buying something from the 78 series. Those plain, old, round, 4 pin connectors that worked so well for so long have been designed out of all the other new stuff from what I read.


Bruce

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by clapped_r6

well, it's a deal breaker for me. i guess another garmin product then. (something without mini-usb charging!)

The best one out there is the Montana on a Rugged Mount. Not cheap, but it'll keep you happy for a long, long time.

[capcrazy]

I use one of these usb power adapters to power my PN60 while riding my dirt bike. it has survived rain, mud, complete immersion, and vibration. way more durable than the delorme item, as their 12v cigarette lighter adapter broke the very first time I used it. plus, it can also power a second device using the same power socket.

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by capcrazy

I use one of these usb power adapters to power my PN60 while riding my dirt bike. it has survived rain, mud, complete immersion, and vibration. way more durable than the delorme item, as their 12v cigarette lighter adapter broke the very first time I used it. plus, it can also power a second device using the same power socket.

Thanks! I have gotten 'wired' sockets to add to the bike and the boat but that will make travel by truck easier. Added to my wish list.


Bruce

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by abhibeckert

USB is only 5 volts. Other people who know more about this stuff than me have said low voltage power does not need to be weatherproof.

Something about water having a high resistance so that only high voltage power will jump across it... Anyway, as far as I know USB power should work perfectly fine fully submerged without any waterproofing.

But you might run into problems with vibration and rust depending on how well it is made.

Very true, PURE water doesn't conduct electricity. If you get rained on, somewhere that rain doesn't have a ph of 5 due to pollutants, you will be fine.

For those of us near salt water it is another story entirely. One of the 'gold' pins on my Garmin 60CSx departed recently but I did get 6 years use from it, much of that on or near the ocean. USB connections (to my knowledge) don't have more than chrome for protection, I am betting they last more like 6 months.


Bruce

[Cromoth]

Hey Bruce,
hope to ride near you some day...I run the Delorme USB cable into my tank bag which has a cig lighter socket. In the socket there's a Verizon phone car charger with a spare USB port "MiniUSB Dual Vehicle Power Charger w/USB Port". Phone is in the map pocket. Phone/car cable is another option vs the cig to 2 USBs.

I did have some issues when synching the PN60 & Delorme sent a new USB cable. Sounds like you'll need a few spares on standby.

There's also a longer lasting rechargable Delorme battery you can get http://www.rechargeable-lithium-batt...om/cabbat.html

Consider anti-corrosion treatments such as http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/dc4.php or ACF-50. Double check ACF50 can be used on electrical; I'm 90% sure - just right for 'interweb' advice.

Happy Trails!

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by capcrazy

I use one of these usb power adapters to power my PN60 while riding my dirt bike. it has survived rain, mud, complete immersion, and vibration. way more durable than the delorme item, as their 12v cigarette lighter adapter broke the very first time I used it. plus, it can also power a second device using the same power socket.

Meant to post a Thank You earlier for that. I got one of those adaptors for my primary truck (the newer one with a couple of 'power ports' and it works great there. Now I need a couple more for the old truck and camper, they are on the 'wish list'. This proved to be rather timely, having had a pin finally give up due to salt water related corrosion, my 60CSx (no longer supported, i.e. not repairable) needs to be powered by USB as well and this adaptor is working well (in the protected confines of the truck). Now the quandry becomes.... with 4 bikes and two boats currently wired for the Garmin 4 pin connector, do I buy a new 78 series (only thing that still uses them) or rewire everything to utilize USB? I am 'late to embrace' most technology, by the time I get everything wired to USB there will no doubt be something 'new' that everyone has changed to.


Bruce

[Fire Escape]

Originally Posted by Cromoth

Hey Bruce,
hope to ride near you some day...I run the Delorme USB cable into my tank bag which has a cig lighter socket. In the socket there's a Verizon phone car charger with a spare USB port "MiniUSB Dual Vehicle Power Charger w/USB Port". Phone is in the map pocket. Phone/car cable is another option vs the cig to 2 USBs.

I did have some issues when synching the PN60 & Delorme sent a new USB cable. Sounds like you'll need a few spares on standby.

There's also a longer lasting rechargable Delorme battery you can get http://www.rechargeable-lithium-batt...om/cabbat.html

Consider anti-corrosion treatments such as http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/dc4.php or ACF-50. Double check ACF50 can be used on electrical; I'm 90% sure - just right for 'interweb' advice.

Happy Trails!

I guess that I had better order a couple of spare cables from DeLorme. I was a fairly early adopter to dielectric grease for all my electrical connections but had been reluctant to try it on electronics back when my 60CSx was fairly new, they made a big deal about the 'gold' pins and gold doesn't corrode so I was pretty surprised to see how much crap was 'growing' in that connection after a couple of days on the boat. I cleaned it as best as I could but the damage was done, got about 6 years out of it though. Now everything (except a couple connectors specifically marked "NO Grease" on my Mercury, still wonder what that is about) gets greased. If you have a 'truck supply' or truck stop nearby you can find much larger tubes of Dielectric for reasonable price. I try to keep one on each boat, one in my electrical repair box, one in the garage and one in the 'mobile' (never leavesthe truck) tool box so that I never have an excuse for connecting anything 'dry' anymore.
Thanks!

Bruce

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by Fire Escape

Now the quandry becomes.... with 4 bikes and two boats currently wired for the Garmin 4 pin connector, do I buy a new 78 series (only thing that still uses them) or rewire everything to utilize USB? I am 'late to embrace' most technology, by the time I get everything wired to USB there will no doubt be something 'new' that everyone has changed to.

Just say no to USB as a power source, unless you have no alternative. The 78 is a good gps, and you do have the 4 pin plugs in your vehicles, but then it's not a lot less costly than the Montana which has a far better power source in the Rugged Mount with surface connectors..

[rwamf]

I have the Delorme 12VDC connector but do no use it on the bike anymore since I found this, a weatherproof USB connector and it works great, The nice thing about the Delorme GPS is it does not have the flimsy Mini USB connector on the unit, it has a cable that snaps onto the back and has proven to be very Robust, it works great, It is the same cable you use to connect it to your PC.

[alpo996]

Consider yourself lucky that Delorme doesn't make the 12V cable any more. They pretty much suck. I've had 2 of them for my PN-40 and both have failed; repaired one and it failed again. They are NOT robust in my opinion, failing in the gps side connector. This, combined with the small screen, my aging eyes, and short battery life have driven me to a Montana which should be here soon! Additionally, if I used AA batteries (even 8X lithiums), the batteries would be killed in about 2 days of the unit being off. Had to just leave it during non-use times with the batteries out. Unacceptable.