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I need to use the Sat Nav in the TR but I have no socket. I can buy a double output unit from Halfords, but I will need to cut off the plug and wire it directly in to my car. I am also positive earth so I will rivet the unit to the underside of the glove box, to avoid any possible short.

 

Where shall I connect for the power and earth and will I be able to make satisfactory connections after cutting off the plug supplied? The cable looks very thin.

 

Has anyone else tried this ? There are some advertised for £1.20 including postage from Hong Kong. how is this possible? I would prefer to go to Halfords and pay £10.00

 

Thanks

richard & H.

Edited by Richardtr3a
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Hi Richard

 

I do have a socket on my car, which is just loosely coiled under the dash. For SatNav I just wired it to the fuse box with a spade terminal and then picked up an earth. If you need to join the wires, best to use solder and heat shrink.

 

Don't forget Halfords probably buy from the Far East but check out the quality.

 

Regards

 

Kevin

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As your car is +ve earthed, be careful with whatever you plug into the socket. If it has any exposed metal parts which are connected to negative and it touches any of your car's metalwork you will have a direct short circuit. Use a low value in-line fuse.

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I need to use the Sat Nav in the TR but I have no socket. I can buy a double output unit from Halfords, but I will need to cut off the plug and wire it directly in to my car. I am also positive earth so I will rivet the unit to the underside of the glove box, to avoid any possible short.

 

Where shall I connect for the power and earth and will I be able to make satisfactory connections after cutting off the plug supplied? The cable looks very thin.

 

Has anyone else tried this ? There are some advertised for £1.20 including postage from Hong Kong. how is this possible? I would prefer to go to Halfords and pay £10.00

 

Thanks

richard & H.

 

I have bought various items from from the far east at what seem to be ridiculously low prices including postage. One or two "not quite what I expected" items but in general the items have been as described and as good quality as you might expect. If you want/need the item quickly you must factor in the 20 days delivery. Often there is UK stocks and the item is sent from a UK source that has the item in bulk.

Failing that here is an item on ebay you can collect from Argos http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OBLONG-RECESSED-CAR-CAMPER-CARAVAN-12V-ACCESSORY-CIGAR-LIGHTER-SOCKET-/201431448075?hash=item2ee63ffa0b:g:F34AAOxycD9TRRXL

 

Remember Richard, as stated above, sat nav and other modern accessories you plug in will be designed to work with negative earth - If you still have a dynamo, your car may well be wired postive earth as original. Be aware or it may fry your plug-in accessory, as I once saw happen on a Daimler Dart.

 

If in doubt ask for help.

 

Peter W

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Richard

 

Buy the female only half from Vehicle wiring co, that is what I did, but mine is neg. earth. I bolted it to the two bars from the dashboard to the bulkhead. It is not visible from outside the car.

 

Dave

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Steve - I would be very wary about using a multiple output device, such as the Roadpro, on any car still on positive earth. It would invite people to plug in to one of the sockets and, if the device's casing is metal, there could be a short to the car's bodywork.

Safest to convert to negative earth, which is easily achieved, then any modern device can be used without a second thought.

Ian Cornish

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I went down another road. I bought a small power pack with an USB on on end of a cabel and a red and black leads on the other end. I think it was from Halma. I attached the black and red to a switchable supply and hid everything behind the dash. I then took out the ashtray and ground a little bit off the forward RH lower corner. Put a grommet in and pushed the free end of the power pack USB conector through the hole So as of yet when I need the Tom Tom I open the ashtray pull the USB out a litle bit and stick into the Tom Tom. Now the suprise.The USB cable is taught enough to stop the Tom Tom from falling over, as it is just resting in the ashtray. So long as I don't rally it is ok with no tell tail marks when I leave the car. Cable off Ashtray closed That was it. It has not fallen over in the last four years

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Hi

 

I have a switch panel fitted under the glove box on a thin wood panel wired to the aux of the ignition switch and an earth with 2 line fuses with a cigarette lighter and an electric washer switch fitted, my 4 is still + earth and has a dynamo fitted we only use a sat nav in it occasionally which has a plastic case but i am aware that a metal case gadget could be awkward..

 

Phil...

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  • 4 weeks later...

Just keeping this topic alive for a while longer...

 

As I used my car stereo's USB output to charge my phone, but the stereo has died (note that under the new scheme, Alpine UTE72B is to be rated 'lignite' not GOLD) , can I just fix a cig lighter / USB charger to the power and earth wires that the now removed stereo previously used (power feed has an in-line fuse in already) ( car is alternated so has it poles reversed)

 

TVM

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I fitted one of those stereos recently, and a cig lighter and USB socket duo thing. All powered effectively on the same supply. You may need to adjust the fuse rating, or maybe not.

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SatNavs work off a USB port, that powers them (5V) and can connect to a PC to update etc.

 

You can now get USB sockets, that are the same size as a cigarette lighter socket, and contain two sockets, so run your satnav and recharge phone/camera/ tablet etc.etc as you go along.

 

I've just fitted one in prep for CLM that also acts as a volt meter!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01H2VYBVI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Easy to wire, it comes with two, well-labelled flying leads, one earth (negtive) and one live 12V.

 

John

PS Oopsd! dpb got there first, but anyway.

Edited by john.r.davies
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SatNavs work off a USB port, that powers them (5V) and can connect to a PC to update etc.

 

You can now get USB sockets, that are the same size as a cigarette lighter socket, and contain two sockets, so run your satnav and recharge phone/camera/ tablet etc.etc as you go along.

 

I've just fitted one in prep for CLM that also acts as a volt meter!

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01H2VYBVI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Easy to wire, it comes with two, well-labelled flying leads, one earth (negtive) and one live 12V.

 

John

PS Oopsd! dpb got there first, but anyway

 

That look like a nice adapter John, especially with the voltage display. I wonder if that 4.2 amps is the combined rating for both sockets (ie 2.1A each) or if both sockets can deliver the full 4.2 amps ?

 

Stan

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"Apple’s iPad charger, for example, provides 2.1A at 5V; Amazon’s Kindle Fire charger outputs 1.8; and car chargers can output anything from 1A to 2.1A."

http://www.extremetech.com/computing/115251-how-usb-charging-works-or-how-to-avoid-blowing-up-your-smartphone

 

But those are different from the USB port, whose current version, USB3. will charge at 1.5A, but this device is said to be a USB2, that can deliver 0.5A when recharging, so I'm not sure where this one's "4,2A" comes from.

TomTom say that their satnavs run off 1.2A but that their own special leads and car adaptors can supply 2.1A

What do you want to run off it?

 

John

Edited by john.r.davies
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