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Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:13 pm Post subject:
Sorry, while doing my long post above, I managed to miss out your last paragraph's questions.
Quote:
Also something entirely different to ask regarding how to mount the TT in the car. I looked at some things on the TT site and also ebay and I am more confused than ever. Seems like most everything mentions models like "one XL classic" or has model numbers like GO 720, 630, 920 etc but nothing simply says "for GO classic" or something like that.
The "Classic" was never officially called that (obviously it wasn't classic when it was new!), so it will also be referred to simply as the "Go".
Quote:
Plus I wonder if I am missing any parts - the bottom of my TT is, how shall I say it, empty??? That is, it is an open thing, kind of circular shape, with all the writing visible, serial number, has what look like some kind of connection slots, another kind of DC connector. Shouldn't there be a cap over this, or maybe some kind of cradle that fits over it, or something like that, that I would also need to even fit it INTO a mount of some kind??
No, that's how it should look, a bit messy isn't it!
Here's a close up picture of what the connectors inside the round section on the bottom should look like on the Go Classic
(note two 10-way multipin connectors and a circular RF connector for the aerial)
The bottom of the x00 series models (300,500,700) looked very similar to the original Go. However the arrangement of the connections was different (there was only one 15-way multipin socket for a start)
This means that a third-party mount for the Go x00 models will work on the Go Classic, except the round RF connector and the multipin connectors won't line up.
It means a bit of bodgery, but you can simply remove the multi pin connector from the mount and power the Go using the connector on the Go itself rather then through the base.
Quote:
The manual mentions a "docking connector" that looks like an extra piece that would fit here. Do I need that?? I guess I need to bug my friend some more to see if he forgot to give me something but thought I'd ask here first.
THIS Tom Tom page shows the original windscreen mount for the Go (although it might actually be the one for the x00 models), but it looks like they aren't selling it themselves any more.
You should still be able to get third-party versions from the likes of Carcomm, Arkom and Brodit, but often they only supply the windscreen sucker and the arm, the "docking shoe" is the last bit of the mount that the Go actually clicks onto (the bit on the right in that picture on the TomTom site. That bit can be quite hard to find now.
EBay or the forums are your friend here (Someone had all my various Go300 ones off me some months ago!)
Last edited by Andy_P on Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:23 pm; edited 5 times in total
--------------------------------------------
Any decent plug-in charger should do, so long as it can supply 5 Volts D.C with the right sized connector (positive volts on the centre terminal) and enough current (more then 500mA - say 1 Amp for safety).
---------------------------------------
I haven't had time to charge the unit up in the car and would really like to give it some juice here at home, so I can continue to explore it and figure things out, but my battery doesn't have enough charge and it keeps warning me/petering out.
I looked around my myriad of electronic devices with ac/dc converters and found one with an external plug that actually fits the TT. The symbol on the device makes it look like the center terminal is positive so I believe the polarity is AOK. The voltage supplied isn't 5V though, it is 6V, and has plenty of current (1000ma).
Is it OK to use this charger? Would 6V rather than 5V hurt it?
I decided to try it & it seems to work. Plugged in doing the hold the power button down bootup without the SD card in shows me 5000mv (which I think it is supposed to when connected to an external power source).
And leaving it plugged in for a while, then unplugging it and doing that test again shows it steadily building up (now up to 4062mv).
If I keep a sharp eye on it and stop charging it after it gets to 5000mv (which is 5V) is that what I should do? Meaning if I were to leave it plugged in and keep going for any length of time, even if it continued to show 5000mv, that doing that is where I could hurt the battery/overcharge it???
Also, I found another ac/dc converter that would fit except that the plastic around the actual plug is too fat and prevents me from plugging it all the way into the TT. This one is rated 4.5V and 700ma. also positive plug polarity, so I was thinking maybe it is safer to use (?) and would've tried it if I could get the plug in. However I also found some old "CD player power pack" rechargeable brick battery things, also with right plug end, also positive polarity, rated at 3-4.5V out (don't know the milliamps), tried those but they do nothing (I haven't used them in years and suspect they just have no charge). So I am charging them up (or trying to) and thinking of trying those also with the TT.
Any comments on all this? Am doing anything drastically wrong and risking frying my TT, or it's battery?
And speaking of which - in my experience rechargeable batteries go bad over time, don't hold a charge very long, or don't charge right period - how do I know if the battery in the TT is ok to even bother with using? Are there some kinds of tests or something I should try? And are these easy to find replacements, like at a local RadioShack type place?
Joined: Jan 14, 2005 Posts: 19638 Location: Blackpool , Lancs
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:35 pm Post subject:
ONLY use the correct charger for the device, putting 6V in to it won't do it any good at all, you need the correct charger for these devices, it only takes a few miliseconds to fry the PCB - Mike
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:37 pm Post subject:
Elzar... Please note I was making a few edits to my post above about the mount compatibility, probably while you were writing your reply....
mikealder wrote:
ONLY use the correct charger for the device, putting 6V in to it won't do it any good at all, you need the correct charger for these devices, it only takes a few miliseconds to fry the PCB - Mike
So long as the electrical specifications are as I put in my post above, you don't really need the genuine TomTom supply (although it is still available from the TT website, it's £20!)
Actually, the 6V supply is probably JUST about OK too, but I'm not recommending it!
Much more then that will definitely fry the Go.
ONLY use the correct charger for the device, putting 6V in to it won't do it any good at all, you need the correct charger for these devices, it only takes a few miliseconds to fry the PCB - Mike
Thanks! Uh oh...
First (dumb) question - what is a "PCB"?
2nd question - since I've already had it plugged in for like an hour, and it seems OK and also building up a charge (now at 4136mV), can I assume (at some risk) that this then won't fry it, assuming chargers that would fry it would do so immediately, yet this one hasn't? I know it is best to use something exactly matching and officially endorsed, but afaik you can quite often get away with using something not spot on (with some risk), and right now since I don't have any other choice, I am willing to take the risk (alternatively I would have to wait until I have some kind of car time to drive around with it to charge it then which I don't currently have).
Also, I just found another home ac/dc converter that supports multiple selectable voltages and fits the TT, has the right polarity, and is 800mA. It can do 3V, 4.5V, 6V,7.5V, 9V, and 12V. Unfortunately it doesn't have a setting exact at 5V.
For safety sake at getting as close as possible to specs I will switch out the 6V charger and try this other one at 4.5V. Since that is below the 5V recommended TT setting I assume that 4.5V can't fry it and should be only minor risk - right? Or is using too low voltage as bad as too high??
The "Classic" was never officially called that (obviously it wasn't classic when it was new!), so it will also be referred to simply as the "Go".
Right, I get it, kind of like "Coke Classic"!
The pain about that then now for me though is if I just search on ebay for things related to TOM TOM GO I get all the thousands of listing for the models with numbers, since they call them GO along with the number. What a pain. I will wade through as much as I can I guess. Doesn't seem like hardly any bother to use the word "classic" in their listing so very tough for me to find the old stuff (and that could be because there isn't much, or could be because the lister doesn't know to put "classic" in there)!
Quote:
The bottom of the x00 series models (300,500,700) looked very similar to the original Go. However the arrangement of the connections was different (there was only one multipin socket for a start)
This means that a third-party mount for the Go x00 models will work on the Go Classic, except the round RF connector and the multipin connectors won't line up.
It means a bit of bodgery, but you can simply remove the multi pin connector from the mount and power the Go using the connector on the Go itself rather then through the base.
Thanks yet again. I was wondering what all those connection looking thingees were for. Sounds like they are power connectors of some kind? But unneeded if just using the power adapter.
Quote:
You should still be able to get third-party versions from the likes of Carcomm, Arkom and Brodit, but often they only supply the windscreen sucker and the arm, the "docking shoe" is the last bit of the mount that the Go actually clicks onto (the bit on the right in that picture on the TomTom site. That bit can be quite hard to find now.
Ah, that explains a lot. That docking thing is the thing that I hadn't seen in most of the mounting supplies I've looked at and it is that thing that I was trying to ask about, wondering if it is something I am missing. Sounds like I would need one of those PLUS whatever the mounting hardware is that ATTACHES to that (for windshield or whatever). Hmmmm. Getting all the more entangled. As much as I hate putting velcro on my dash I think that may be my best bet. From what I can tell that is what my friend was doing (the unit has 2 velcro pieces on the bottom).
Thanks again for all your help. This forum is great!
The shoe is "passive" so you need to plug the power into the Go itself (the original mount used a couple of the pins on the multipin connector for power so you could plug the power cable into the show on the mount instead).
I used this mount combined with the Brodit "Move clip" which is a pair of flat interlocking plates. One goes on your dashboard permanently, the other glues or screws to the back of the mount, which can then be slid on and off the other one in a moment.
Thanks, that gives me even more to go on & things to look for (here in the USA).
I gather many of you are in the UK. Is that where TOMTOM is originally made? Prior to being given this I had never even heard of this make, although I see "GARMIN" GPS devices over here in the USA in stores and constantly for sale in weekly circulars. Is TOMTOM the more common brand in Europe, and GARMIN more the brand here in the USA?
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:02 pm Post subject:
elzar wrote:
(here in the USA).
Sorry, keep forgetting that!
TomTom are a Dutch company, but this forum and website is UK based.
TomTom is probably the brand-leader in the UK, with Garmin a close second.
I would have thought that the mounts from Brodit etc. should be available in the US. The easiest answer would be to get your mate to find the original one though!
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Thu Sep 03, 2009 11:11 pm Post subject:
By the way, another missed question...
"PCB" stands for "printed circuit board" - the thing all the electronic components are soldered to.
The components (or the thin copper strips on the board itself) go bang when you "fry" the machine with too high a power supply voltage.
I would have thought that the mounts from Brodit etc. should be available in the US. The easiest answer would be to get your mate to find the original one though!
Right! I feel bad bugging him though, he did give me this as is which is very nice in the first place. He said he would look around for any mounts & the original CD but I didn't want to be a nag.
This reminds me something else to ask - and believe me I feel stupid asking all these dumb questions.
I had a bunch of spare SD cards that went with an old camera I had which died. But I gave those to my friend since he & his wife still have a camera (or cameras) that use that kind of card. I thought I had no use for them. Yet now I have this GPS which my friend gave me and I see it uses SD cards (doh! if only i kept them).
I'd like to get some SD cards for it, #1 as a backup, #2 in case I ever go back to the UK or travel elsewhere and want to have something for other countries & keep this one as USA, and #3 so I can use a new card as a guinea pig trying things knowing I still have the old card to just pop in should I completely screw something up.
I remember with buying SD cards for the camera that not only was the size a consideration, but also there were things associated with speed to write to the card, that are useful to know about for choosing a good card for a camera.
But what about buying an SD card for the TT? Other than the capacity is there anything important I should look for/know about? How important is the "speed" rating for a GPS, since I think that is more related to writing than reading?? Or am I completely wrong?
Joined: Jan 10, 2004 Posts: 2777 Location: Bonnie Scotland (West Central)
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:03 am Post subject:
elzar wrote:
Thanks, that gives me even more to go on & things to look for (here in the USA).
I gather many of you are in the UK. Is that where TOMTOM is originally made? Prior to being given this I had never even heard of this make, although I see "GARMIN" GPS devices over here in the USA in stores and constantly for sale in weekly circulars. Is TOMTOM the more common brand in Europe, and GARMIN more the brand here in the USA?
I presumed that TomTom were well known in the States. I had seen the Indycar sponsorship (and I seem to remember a NASCAR deal as well) and, (ignoring the fact that Dario is Scottish!) just presumed they were a well known brand. _________________ Jock
TomTom Go 940 LIVE (9.510, Europe v915.5074 on SD & 8.371, WCE v875.3613 on board)
Joined: Jun 04, 2005 Posts: 19991 Location: West and Southwest London
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:22 am Post subject:
Another couple of pics I found, (originally made by Mike B of this site) showing the difference between the mounting shoes for the Original (Classic) Go and the Gox00 models:
Note that although the Original/Classic Go had two multipin connectors, only one was used for the mounting base, but it's the one in the OTHER position form the Gox00 models (as well as there being a different number of connections on each plug).
As for SD cards, there are hundreds of topics about this on the forums (try a search) and there's a chart on the TomTom website HERE
Basically, you need ordinary SD cards (not HDSC) normally 2GB maximum size (although there are one or two 4GB non-SDHC cards around, they are hard to find), fast read/write speed (50x-64x min?), and from a GOOD BRAND (definitely not not the cheapest you can find!)
for your model, EVERYTHING lives on the SD card, so if you want to add a new map, all the software needs to be copied from the old card to the new one, then (if neccessary) you can delete the old map on the new card to make room for the new one.
Joined: Dec 09, 2006 Posts: 219 Location: Manchester UK
Posted: Fri Sep 04, 2009 12:50 am Post subject: Tom Tom device in US
Over in the UK Maplin Electronics sell a mains plug-in device with a ciggy socket output rated 12v @ 1 amp and use your existing car charger. Look around in electronics adverts (eg Tandy in the UK was Radio Shack in the US) _________________ HUAWEI P30 Pro (new edition) with Speedtrap Alert & alcatel1 for SatNav
CoPilot 10 with CamerAlert
RoadHawk in-car video
Reading glasses getting thicker as is my waist
Retired but want to go back to work for a rest.
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