Hardwiring Navigation
07-10-2007, 09:37 PM
#1
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iTrader: (47)
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: North FL.
Posts: 2,189
Hardwiring Navigation
I am looking at " portable " navigation systems right now. The question is, if I decide to hardwire it is it the same as hardwiring the radar detector? Thanks in advance.
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http://www.freestyleconcepts.com/v1.html
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http://www.freestyleconcepts.com/v1.html
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07-13-2007, 03:42 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Silicon Valley
Posts: 655
I am using a Garmin Streetpilot 2610 here are the installation points:
1. Power
I used the '98 TEL power harness near the shifter in the center console. Tapped into the ignition switched 12V and mounted a 2nd cig lighter outlet in the passenger side foot well. The Garmin DC/speaker plug goes in this cig outlet. The Garmin Streetpilot 26xx/27xx/28xx uses a hard rocker switch and it is left in the ON position so the unit is turned on every time the car is started. This eliminated the GPS satellite search time whenever it is powered on.
2. Antenna
Although the GPS unit is mounted on the dash just above the center A/C louver and has an internal antenna, I mounted a powered external antenna just above the rear view mirror at the top edge of the windshield. Many OEM installation have the antennae here. This antenna is small enough to just squeeze in between the mirror rubber post and the headliner edge. The pigtail came down the right side A pillar and behind the glover box. This antenna lead came out the dash between the center A/C outlet and the radio bezel at the right edge and goes up to the GPS mounted on top of the dash.
The GPS gets a cap whenever it is parked and removed in high risk parking areas. So far no problems. When I need the GPS, the cap comes off.
The Garmin 2610 and 2620 are not the latest and now available for less than $300. I prefer the 2610 since it uses CF Flash cards and should be more reliable than the HDD based 2620 for permanent dash top use. A 2GB card will hold maps for all US and Canada.
Most other GPS models use a soft switch so they require you to push a button to turn it on. Then they typically have to take a few minutes to find their location again if the car was moved between GPS power-on. So hardwiring a Garmin 26xx/27xx/28xx is definitely the way to go.
1. Power
I used the '98 TEL power harness near the shifter in the center console. Tapped into the ignition switched 12V and mounted a 2nd cig lighter outlet in the passenger side foot well. The Garmin DC/speaker plug goes in this cig outlet. The Garmin Streetpilot 26xx/27xx/28xx uses a hard rocker switch and it is left in the ON position so the unit is turned on every time the car is started. This eliminated the GPS satellite search time whenever it is powered on.
2. Antenna
Although the GPS unit is mounted on the dash just above the center A/C louver and has an internal antenna, I mounted a powered external antenna just above the rear view mirror at the top edge of the windshield. Many OEM installation have the antennae here. This antenna is small enough to just squeeze in between the mirror rubber post and the headliner edge. The pigtail came down the right side A pillar and behind the glover box. This antenna lead came out the dash between the center A/C outlet and the radio bezel at the right edge and goes up to the GPS mounted on top of the dash.
The GPS gets a cap whenever it is parked and removed in high risk parking areas. So far no problems. When I need the GPS, the cap comes off.
The Garmin 2610 and 2620 are not the latest and now available for less than $300. I prefer the 2610 since it uses CF Flash cards and should be more reliable than the HDD based 2620 for permanent dash top use. A 2GB card will hold maps for all US and Canada.
Most other GPS models use a soft switch so they require you to push a button to turn it on. Then they typically have to take a few minutes to find their location again if the car was moved between GPS power-on. So hardwiring a Garmin 26xx/27xx/28xx is definitely the way to go.
07-16-2007, 08:46 PM
#6
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Location: Cherry Hill, NJ / Hoboken, NJ
Posts: 1,325
With the newer Garmin models, or at least the Streetpilot, although they have soft power buttons on the sides, they power up as soon as power is connected and turn off if they lose power for 30 seconds, so if your 12v source is only on when the car is, you never need to turn it on or off.
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