Power for RoadMate

[Mike Y]

I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.

So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is on
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.

About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip out
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since the
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.

Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to the
Mini-USB connector?

Mike

[Gene E. Bloch]

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.
So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is on
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.
About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip out
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since the
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.
Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to the
Mini-USB connector?
Mike

You might have to use the Magellan charger cable, since their cable seems
to require a secret[1] internal connection to make it work.

This is at least true of my Maestro 4350; it is also not unique to
Magellan:

1. If I use a standard USB cable from a charger, my unit says it's USB
connected & doesn't charge.

2. If I use a Garmin USB charger, the Magellan charges.

[1] It's a secret to me :-)

[Mike Y]

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.
So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is on
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.
About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip out
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since the
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.
Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to the
Mini-USB connector?
Mike

You might have to use the Magellan charger cable, since their cable seems
to require a secret[1] internal connection to make it work.
This is at least true of my Maestro 4350; it is also not unique to
1. If I use a standard USB cable from a charger, my unit says it's USB
connected & doesn't charge.
2. If I use a Garmin USB charger, the Magellan charges.
[1] It's a secret to me :-)
--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

Yes, I noticed that. A standard cable makes the Magellan know it's
'connected' and then it appears as multiple drives to the PC. But that
implies I can leave off all the data lines and just put power and ground.
Strictly speaking, the PC might power down the USB port if it doesn't see
something there, but in this case, I think it might not matter, since it's
nothing on the 'host' end.

Mike

[Gene E. Bloch]

Post by Mike Y

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly

between

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
two of the air vents.
So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is

on

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.
About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip

out

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since

the

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.
Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to

the

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
Mini-USB connector?
Mike

You might have to use the Magellan charger cable, since their cable seems
to require a secret[1] internal connection to make it work.
This is at least true of my Maestro 4350; it is also not unique to
1. If I use a standard USB cable from a charger, my unit says it's USB
connected & doesn't charge.
2. If I use a Garmin USB charger, the Magellan charges.
[1] It's a secret to me :-)
--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

Yes, I noticed that. A standard cable makes the Magellan know it's
'connected' and then it appears as multiple drives to the PC. But that
implies I can leave off all the data lines and just put power and ground.
Strictly speaking, the PC might power down the USB port if it doesn't see
something there, but in this case, I think it might not matter, since it's
nothing on the 'host' end.
Mike

Please note that I said a "standard USB cable from a charger", not from a
computer, so the device thinks it's connected to a computer, but it's
wrong.

I have tried several times to figure out your last sentence. Would you be
kind enough to reword "I think it might not matter, since it's nothing on
the 'host' end"? Thanks.

I never thought about the computer turning the power off to the USB port.
I'm not sure I believe it :-)

BUT WAIT! Maybe I just made some progress! Suddenly I think I do understand
the above - and it makes both of my first two paragraphs null & void :-)

I now think you are saying that maybe a computer turns the USB power off
when there's no device connected, but that doesn't apply to the wall-wart
power supply, since there's no computer there.

[Mike Y]

Post by Gene E. Bloch
Please note that I said a "standard USB cable from a charger", not from a
computer, so the device thinks it's connected to a computer, but it's
wrong.
I have tried several times to figure out your last sentence. Would you be
kind enough to reword "I think it might not matter, since it's nothing on
the 'host' end"? Thanks.
I never thought about the computer turning the power off to the USB port.
I'm not sure I believe it :-)
BUT WAIT! Maybe I just made some progress! Suddenly I think I do understand
the above - and it makes both of my first two paragraphs null & void :-)
I now think you are saying that maybe a computer turns the USB power off
when there's no device connected, but that doesn't apply to the wall-wart
power supply, since there's no computer there.
--
Gene E. Bloch letters0x40blochg0x2Ecom

I seem to recall that hooking my GPS to the computer will charge it. But
while hooked the GPS will not operate as a GPS, it just appears as hard
drives to the computer and the GPS screen indicates it is connected.

But the charger doesn't do that, so I suspect it just provides power without
doing the USB enumeration.

Oh, and computers can and do shut off USB in the power management. I had a
weather station that was always being shut off at the wrong time until I
went in and configured it to stay on in the power management.

[PeterD]

On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:04:17 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.
So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is on
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.
About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip out
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since the
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.
Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to the
Mini-USB connector?
Mike

You might have to use the Magellan charger cable, since their cable seems
to require a secret[1] internal connection to make it work.
This is at least true of my Maestro 4350; it is also not unique to
1. If I use a standard USB cable from a charger, my unit says it's USB
connected & doesn't charge.

Funny, I think mine charges with a standard USB cable... However, for
the OPs purposes, the system may well try to interrogate the
cable/power source.

Post by Gene E. Bloch
2. If I use a Garmin USB charger, the Magellan charges.
[1] It's a secret to me :-)

Maybe a few minutes with a DVOM might provide some clues?

[Gene E. Bloch]

Post by PeterD
On Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:04:17 -0700, "Gene E. Bloch"

Post by Gene E. Bloch

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.
So I ordered the piece from Magellan that the thing snaps into that is on
the end of the windshield mount. I'm going to fasten that to the dash.
About power... I want to mount a small coaxial plug underneath the lip out
of sight and make up a small cable from there to the RoadMate. Since the
RoadMate is USB, it's 5v.
Does anything special have to be done other than to just feed the 5v to the
Mini-USB connector?
Mike

You might have to use the Magellan charger cable, since their cable seems
to require a secret[1] internal connection to make it work.
This is at least true of my Maestro 4350; it is also not unique to
1. If I use a standard USB cable from a charger, my unit says it's USB
connected & doesn't charge.

Funny, I think mine charges with a standard USB cable... However, for
the OPs purposes, the system may well try to interrogate the
cable/power source.

Also, my device is a Maestro 4350 and the OP's is a RoadMate (unspecified
model #). Maybe that matters. Out of curiosity, what do you have?

Post by PeterD

Post by Gene E. Bloch
2. If I use a Garmin USB charger, the Magellan charges.
[1] It's a secret to me :-)

Maybe a few minutes with a DVOM might provide some clues?

The pins on my DVM are too fat to get into the cable's mini-B connector. I
have thought of making a little circuit board with a bunch of different USB
connectors attached, with all the pins brought out to pads that I can
reach, but that seems like a lot of work. With such a device, I could plug
in any USB cable and easily analyze its connections.

Or I could disassemble a broken device and use its circuit board as above
:-)

OTOH, maybe just buying a connector with its connecting wires would do -
but I failed to find such a thing at my local Fry's the last time I looked,
and then I got lazy...

I never Googled either. Bad boy...

[[e-mail]]

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.

Outside of the technical issues......are you planning to have the GPS
mounted there all the time? If so, you might reconsider. In my part of
this globe (central NC USA) there have been more than 700 GPS units
stolen this year. I keep all evidence of the unit under the seat or off
the motorcycle when parked.

[Mike Y]

Post by ***@teranews.com

Post by Mike Y
I want to mount my RoadMate on my dash. It will fit just perfectly between
two of the air vents.

Outside of the technical issues......are you planning to have the GPS
mounted there all the time? If so, you might reconsider. In my part of
this globe (central NC USA) there have been more than 700 GPS units
stolen this year. I keep all evidence of the unit under the seat or off
the motorcycle when parked.

Yes, I am aware of the reality of the situation. I already ordered the
little plastic saddle that the GPS unit sits in on the end of the windshield
mount. It was pretty cheap, I think $10 with shipping, and they sent me two
of them. I plan on mounting one of them in my harness so the GPS will just
'snap' into place on the dash and easily be removable.

Mike