RogerH Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Hi Folks, I bought a new Garmin SatNav the other week.. It sort of worked OK but always had problems turning on. It would come on, go off, come on again and scratch it's head. Whilst in France over the last two weeks it became more and more problematic until a few days ago when it would not switch on at all. Today, prior to returning it to Halfords, I checked it out in the Saab and the bl**dy thing worked. Why??? I have used a NextBase dashcam cable with the correct connectors I used a Halfords cable with the correct connectors Both produced the fault. This evening I used a Garmin cable with the same connectors as above and it appears to be working perfectly. Surely the cables must be the same OR are they. Aaaarrrggggghhhhhhh Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChrisR-4A Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Hi Roger, does it have traffic news, i know tomtoms with traffic use the lead which is special as the aerial are garmins the same? Or in the TR its not near a speaker is it, they dont like close magnets. Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
barkerwilliams Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Sat Navs typically need lots of power, if you have the dual USB power adapter one socket has high current available than the other. Likewise USB cables there are some designed to carry the higher current. I would start with a good (very good) usb cable designed for the unit, and always use the high output 2.1A socket on the USB power adapter. Alan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Freer Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 As others has intimated using the supplied cable makes a difference. I used a third party charger cable in my modern to charge my phone and the phone end of the plug has become so loose as to be useless and dropping the charge connection. In the TR I use a twin usb socket (TomTom in my case) to charge the sat nav and the phone from one retro fitted power outlet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Roger, A few years ago my sat nav cable became intermittent while on a journey. With the sat nav battery well past it’s death date the thing just kept switching off. I went into a shop (forget where or what shop) and picked up a “Sat nav “ cable. When I got to the car I discovered that on one end was the classic large USB plug (to plug into the 5volt power supply) on the other end was a “Y” splitter with two mini USB plugs (This was a few years ago, before the micro plugs) One plug was unmarked, the other had a label that said “Garmin only”. I never did discover the difference and both plugs worked on my Via-Michelin sat nav. So I guess there is a difference, but what it is I can not tell you. Charlie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 23, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 Thanks chaps. This is the second lack of info coughed up by Halfords regarding these devices. I'll interrogate them tomorrow to find out what is going on. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RobH Posted June 23, 2018 Report Share Posted June 23, 2018 There is apparently a difference between standard min-USB cables and those specific to Garmin, as the attached explains: http://pinoutguide.com/GPS/garmin_nuvi_power_pinout.shtml Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Hi Rob, that must be the answer. I'll pop into Halfords and see what they think. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Think? In Halfords? Surely not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 (edited) Hi Folks, I popped into Halfords and mentioned the situation. When I told the young man that the Garmin requires a Garmin lead he looked interested but suggested that they should all work. I repeated my message with more verve and vigour. I also told another youngster on the till. Will it help - I wouldn;t think so. Sadly there is nothing on the Garmin box or in their user manual to highlight this issue. There is nothing on the cable box to help. With the NextBase dash cam all the items have a tick box to show what they cover. Perhaps Garmin should look and listen. Thankfully nothing broken Roger Edited June 24, 2018 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Roger, It works in one car and not the other? Some moderns have a UV filter on the glass, in the form.of a metallic layer. Microthin but still a Faraday Cage that shields the signal. Could it be that? John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Hi John, no. Both cars are soft tops. Nice bit of lateral thinking. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Roger, Why not go back to Halfords and ask them why, if any cable will work, do they sell a specific cable for the Garmin. http://www.halfords.com/technology/sat-nav/sat-nav-accessories/garmin-nuvi-sat-nav-usb-cable Then ask him if that cable they sell has a 17.3K ohm resistor wired between pin 4 and pin 5 as mentioned in the link by Rob. Charlie D. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Hi Charlie, it would be easier to ask them to quote all of the Old testament. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nowtelse2do Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 In your area i'd try the Quran. Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 24, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 Hi Dave, our cousins are happy with the OT. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andy Moltu Posted June 24, 2018 Report Share Posted June 24, 2018 I found that Garmins get confused with some USB cables - they try and connect to the computer even if it is just a charger and can get stuck in the mode for being attached to a PC. The charger specific to Garmin has one of the pins in the USB lead disconnnected which prevents linking when being used. Pocketgpsworld is a useful reference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted June 25, 2018 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2018 (edited) Think? In Halfords? Surely not.Hi, this is Sue here.My mum always used to try encouraging me by saying if you dont get your GCE O & A Levels at school you will end up working in Woolworths. Halfords is probably the modern day equivalent. Sue Edited June 25, 2018 by RogerH Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Charlie D Posted June 25, 2018 Report Share Posted June 25, 2018 A couple of years ago I bought a valve grinding tool from Halfords. One of those sticks with a rubber sucker on each end. The quality was so bad I took it back the same afternoon. (The ends looked like they had the edges chewed by a rat, and they fell of the wooden stick as soon as I picked it up.) Instead of saying,: “Sorry to hear you’re are not happy, please have a refund”, the girl behind the till said : “I’m very surprised at that. We sell an awful lot of these and no one else has complained.” Is that what they teach at customer service school these days? And as for “We sell an awful lot of these.” Valve grinding tools? Halfords customers ?? Really ??? I got home and after a big search found the tool that I bought in 1969. Still in perfectly usable condition. Charlie. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stillp Posted June 25, 2018 Report Share Posted June 25, 2018 Instead of saying,: “Sorry to hear you’re are not happy, please have a refund”, the girl behind the till said : “I’m very surprised at that. We sell an awful lot of these and no one else has complained.” Is that what they teach at customer service school these days? It must be, that seems to be the usual response. I often wonder why large companies employ "customer service" staff who don't understand either of those words. Pete Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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