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jt002e2762
20th March 2008, 17:54
Hi Everyone, hope you are all well. I have a question, have been given a TomTom One XL for a present, am using it via the in car charger. Would it be difficult to 'hard wire' it in the vehicle? and any ideas how to do it?
As usual any advice would be greatly apprieciated. Many thanks, JRT:)

Raistlin
20th March 2008, 17:57
Where do you locate it?

Kandyman
20th March 2008, 18:05
Mike adapted a phone holder as a mount.

http://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/imagehosting/1047e2a72fadfed.jpg

jt002e2762
20th March 2008, 18:12
Hi Guys, thanks for your replies. I have the device fitted to a Pro-clip connected on the Dash by the clock and air vent, just wondered if it was possible to connect it to the vehicle electrics, (the live feed to the radio for example), instead of using the in car charger via the cigar lighter socket. Cheers, JRT.

Kandyman
20th March 2008, 18:14
You can hard wire it but you need to still use the cig charger lead as it has some fancy stuff in there.

Hope someone will pop on and give you better details of how and why :)

jt002e2762
20th March 2008, 18:28
Thanks Kandyman, So it may mean splicing a cigar lighter socket extention, from the in car cigar lighter wiring, and then connect the tomtom charger lead to that. Then hide the wires behind the dash. Not as simple as plumbing the device via the back of the radio. Cheers.:)

Kandyman
20th March 2008, 18:32
Wait till the experts have had there dinner and you should ( I hope ) get some tips :)

Raistlin
20th March 2008, 18:56
I had my IPAQ based GPS fitted to a Brodit clip between the two centre vents.

The cable dropped neatly down behind the centre console and the point where it disappeared couldn't be seen at it was behind the IPAQ holder.

I used one of those 12volt car extension cables. I cut the plug off and tapped straight into the radio loom. I left the socket on the other end to plug the IPAQ power adaptor into and just zip tied it all together.

sworks
20th March 2008, 19:13
as allready said, the tom tom socket has a circuit board inside so has to be retained. The best way is to buy a spare cigar lighter sochet and hard wire to the car and then plug the tom tom into this. If you lower the large trim below the steering wheel everything can be hidden behind, and you can wire into the connecter that feeds the ignition barrell.

jt002e2762
20th March 2008, 19:49
Hi Guys, Thanks for all that advice. Have taken it all on board. Cheers, JRT.:)

Raistlin
20th March 2008, 19:53
http://www.raistlin295.com/archive/download/rovertype/new75/PICT0018.JPG

That's what mine looked like - neat and tidy enough I think

jt002e2762
20th March 2008, 19:58
Hi Raistlin, Yeh thanks, thats exactly where my mount is, just want to hide the supply wire, cos now it's straight from the cigar lighter socket and on show.
cheers, JRT:)

Raistlin
20th March 2008, 20:24
You only need to ease the front of the centre console forward slightly to get the wire down the back if you decide to go this way. You don't need to remove the whole centre console :)

jt002e2762
21st March 2008, 07:01
Cheers Paul, thanks for that, re: supply wire. JRT:)

pondweed
21st March 2008, 08:33
mounting any lower than the centre vents is pretty dangerous, imho....one does tends to keep looking at a screen even with sultry command tones- so it needs to be easily done - from road view - and back?
(unless you keep stopping:D)

jt002e2762
21st March 2008, 10:40
mounting any lower than the centre vents is pretty dangerous, imho....one does tends to keep looking at a screen even with sultry command tones- so it needs to be easily done - from road view - and back?
(unless you keep stopping:D)

Hi, Yes, I agree about siting of the unit in a vehicle, and as always it seems to be a bit of a compromise between eyes on the road and eyes on the unit. I personally don't like the unit on the windscreen.
Mounted high on the dash, between the air-vents is my favoured compromise.
This has become a debate in it's own right, the safety of any ice, or in-car peripheral.
Indeed, it's been featured on news items with regard to safety and driver awareness. I must admit the voice instructions sometimes make me think twice. The one that got me was, ' go straight over the roundabout', and I wonder if anyone has, without checking the road was clear first-just because the voice instruction told them to. I know that no-one would admit to it, if they did. Just a thought. Cheers, JRT;)

Raistlin
21st March 2008, 10:51
I'm quite happy with mine in the same position as the OEM setup.

I certainly wouldn't want it any lower though.

Simon
21st March 2008, 14:12
To add my 2cents, I have a smartphone that I use for SatNav so very similar set-up required. I bought a cigar lighter extension and spliced into the original cigar lighter wires behind the centre console. The wires are then routed behind and under the steering wheel to the far right cubby hole above the light switches. Just behind here I have plugged the in-car adapter for my smartphone into the extension cable and securely taped it up and secured it in place. The wire for the phone then smartly pokes out through the dashboard just next to the cubby hole where I can plug my phone in and place it in it's holder that is one of those suction-cup thingies on the windscreen.

Variations on the theme are all welcome and this was my preferred place to mount the phone but the idea of wiring it up i the same regardless of location.

jt002e2762
21st March 2008, 15:16
Hi Simon, Many thanks for your input. I have spent a bit of time searching the forums, about the issue of hard wiring the device and have found a load of info.
Also from previous comments, the TomTom charger seems to do a bit more than simply charge the device's battery. I now understand that it contains a circuitboard needed to run and protect the unit. It's the last thing I want to do, fry the innards. Thanks to everyone once again. Cheers, JRT:lol:

Raistlin
21st March 2008, 15:26
I now understand that it contains a circuitboard needed to run and protect the unit. It's the last thing I want to do, fry the innards. Thanks to everyone once again. Cheers, JRT:lol:

Not always the case though.

I once spent a considerable amount of time carefully opening up one of those adaptors, only to discover that the cable was soldered directly to the terminals.

Cheap nasty and horrible. The Tomtom one, however, does NOT fit into that category

Greeners
21st March 2008, 16:53
Most small electroncs (phones, sat nav, Ipods) tend to require about 3.7v at 600-900ma. The 12v lead normally step the cars 12volts down to this.

Someone I know connected their brand new HP Ipaq to the 12V supply on their bike and cooked it in one go.

The other thing to be mind full of is what will happen to your satnav in the event of an accident. Trust me you dont want to be hit in the face by it if something hits you at 70mph......

jt002e2762
21st March 2008, 18:14
Most small electroncs (phones, sat nav, Ipods) tend to require about 3.7v at 600-900ma. The 12v lead normally step the cars 12volts down to this.

Someone I know connected their brand new HP Ipaq to the 12V supply on their bike and cooked it in one go.

The other thing to be mind full of is what will happen to your satnav in the event of an accident. Trust me you dont want to be hit in the face by it if something hits you at 70mph......

And if that did happen, the last thing heard from the sat nav is; 'You have reached your destination'.(sic).

e668ecp
21st March 2008, 19:28
If the weather is ok tomra i'll take a pic of what i've done to install my phone charger, tomtom 520 charger and speed camera detector and their positions on the dash

jt002e2762
22nd March 2008, 07:38
If the weather is ok tomra i'll take a pic of what i've done to install my phone charger, tomtom 520 charger and speed camera detector and their positions on the dash

Nice one Mate, that would be a great help. Thanks, JRT:)

jt002e2762
29th March 2008, 12:44
Hi Everyone, Just to finish this thread. Hard-wired my TomTom today, took the feed from the switched live and earth wires at the back of the radio, via an accessory socket extention lead. That, to the TomTom accessory socket lead, then to the device.
Thanks for all your help and advice. Regards, JRT:lol: