GPSlim 236 Auto off?

johnufc · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2005 Posts: 7

Quote from Darren's review: "A huge plus of this receiver is the hardware ON/OFF switch. Some users are keen to install their Bluetooth GPS in a remote location in the vehicle, hidden under the rear parcel shelf for example. Many current receivers have 'Soft' ON/OFF switches which makes them unsuitable but with the GR236, if it is supplied with an ignition controlled power feed then it will switch ON/OFF with the ignition if its power switch is left ON."

I can't make this work...duh
I switch the GPSlim 236 on, plug in the car charging lead (powered via ignition ON), but when the ignition/power is switched off the 236 continues obliviously until the battery runs flat etc. How do you get it to switch off when the power is shut off? Question

MarkRD · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 9:15 am Post subject:

Hi Johnufc,

Your GPS Slim 236 is performing exactly as it should.

Darren was referring to the possibility of hard-wiring the GPS in so that if permanently powered, it remained permanently on. If the power source is switched off, the battery will ultimately go flat and presumably it will loose its memory and need a cold start when it comes back on. If the machine were to switch itself off when there was no power, it couldn't be used as a portable hand held device when out walking.

Some cars have an accessory socket which is powered even when the ignition is off.

The soft off of some GPS's occurrs when there is no signal for a time. This is a nuisance if the machine is inaccessible for resetting.

Mark

johnufc · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 13, 2005 Posts: 7

Hi Mark,
I may be listed in this forum as a 'beginner' but I have been using GPS, including BT receivers, for some years now. Obviously, if the unit is left switched on the battery will go flat and if it switched off when not being recharged/powered it wouldn't be of much use. What I took Darren to mean is that, if the unit is powered from an accessory outlet which is controlled by the ignition ON/OFF, then when there is no power to the receiver's power input connector, and the unit is still plugged in, then the receiver would sense this condition and switch off, switching on again when power is restored. If he actually means that it simply stays on at all times and is recharged whenever the ignition is ON, then how is that different to say, the Fortuna Clip-On which I've used in that way many times - not particularly unusual or unique then...
Be that as it may, I'm still very impressed by the performance of the 236.
Thanks for your response Mark Wink

Darren · Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 8:53 pm Post subject:

My apologies for the confusion. My comments were in response to a raft of receivers that had 'soft' on/off switches.

These cannot be used 'hard wired' because when power is removed they power off but do not power ON when vehicle power is re-applied.
_________________
Darren Griffin

MarkRD · Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:58 pm Post subject:

Hi Johnufc,

It sounds as though you have trodden the same upgrade path as me. I replaced a Fortuna Clip-on during the summer as I thought it was malfunctioning (it turned out to be a different problem with interference with the Bluetooth connection). I have been very pleased with the GPS Slim 236 - far more sensitive that the Fortuna (I have a heated windscreen which was a problem with the Clip-on) and very quick to first fix. It's on/off characteristics are just the same as the Clip-on. I keep mine on the dashboard switched on most of the time, but I have a hard-wired USB socket for power which is live even with ignition off. There is a similarly permanently live cigarette lighter type accessory socket in the boot compartment which comes as standard (Jaguar X-type Estate). I do turn it off when in a garage/underground car-park etc. as I suspect that prolonged lack of fix would lead to a slower cold start fix on emerging - although I haen't tested that extensively.

Mark

Darren · Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 8:51 am Post subject:

nudibranc · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 26, 2005 Posts: 4

Reading this topic with interest as I want to do the same thing with my 236.

Have ordered a lead for my car which will give me an ignition switched 12v outlet and was planning on leaving the 236 connected at all times in order that it would switch on/off based on the ignition...

Now seems its not that simple - I already understood that leaving the unit in situ would run down the battery, my understanding was that I could leave the 236's switch in the on position with the battery removed to achieve the ignition based switching?

Am I barking up the wrong tree? Will leaving the battery out have any negative effects?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

MarkRD · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 12:28 am Post subject:

Thanks Darren,

That's good news - I'll leave it switched on and see what happens.

My old Garmin GPS II Plus was very slow to get a fix if it had been left on out of satellite range for a while. It always seemed to be a particular problem when emerging from a multistorey carpark straight onto a road as in addition it had to try to get a fix while moving. I wonder if the GPS Slim will cope better with this? As I use TTN 5.1, I'm a bit wary of slow first fixes as I understand that TTN5 can get into an unhelpful cycle of sending reset signals to the GPS.

Nudibranc, I haven't tried the Slim 236 without its battery so don't know if this works. Presumably its memory is power dependent and so it would have to do a cold start each time the ignition powered on - at least if the ignition had been off for a while. Darren?

Mark

Darren · Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2005 8:48 am Post subject:

nudibranc · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 26, 2005 Posts: 4

Darren,

Seems rifleman is doing exactly what I was refering to here: http://pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=159055#159055

and in effect getting the 236 to switch on and off with the ignition with the battery removed - be interested if you can confirm this mode of operation?

Rgds

Darren · Posted: Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

Indeed having tested this weekend I can confirm removing the battery works.
_________________
Darren Griffin

nudibranc · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 26, 2005 Posts: 4

Thanks Darren

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