Charging your GPS....... Or forgetting to!

Seve OB

I am forever forgetting to charge my GPS and whenever I do I always have this great idea that I should be able to charge it on the move from my golf battery.

I have searched the interweb but cannot find a charger that would do it.

I'm sure it would be possible to wire up a charging lead to the battery, but it wouldn't be my area of expertise!

Anyone ever do this or is there chargers available on the market

fred funk }{

If your GPS came with a car charger then you can very easily use that to power the GPS. The USB charger is 5vdc and your cart is more than likely 12vdc (same as car power port).

The tricky bit for you would be to do it so it'll be water proof.

bren2001

You can wire something up but as already stated you have to step down the battery from 12V to 5V. You'd need some kind of dc-dc converter.

A much easier solution is to buy a small portable powerbank. Something like this should do it (or anything like it):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerCore-mini-Aluminum-Lipstick-Sized/dp/B005QI1A8C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469832936&sr=8-5&keywords=portable+charger

Seve OB

bren2001 wrote: »

You can wire something up but as already stated you have to step down the battery from 12V to 5V. You'd need some kind of dc-dc converter.

A much easier solution is to buy a small portable powerbank. Something like this should do it (or anything like it):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerCore-mini-Aluminum-Lipstick-Sized/dp/B005QI1A8C/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1469832936&sr=8-5&keywords=portable+charger

Have one of those. Have 2 actually. Of course they are never charged :rolleyes:

redzerdrog

I tend to charge mine in the car. So basically the gps come straight back into the car and onto charge after a round.

I would have been a disaster for charging it previously and its one of the main reasons i don't have an electric trolly!

Although my mate who also charges his in the car had his robbed from it yesterday

slave1

Some of the new model trolleys have a USB charging port, time for an upgrade?

MiniGolf

Here ya go... Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390662618749
2 connections to the battery, stick the socket in one of the golf bag pockets, plug in the lead and charge away.

slave1

MiniGolf wrote: »

Here ya go... Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390662618749
2 connections to the battery, stick the socket in one of the golf bag pockets, plug in the lead and charge away.

Nice find but would that USB output be too strong?

bren2001

slave1 wrote: »

Nice find but would that USB output be too strong?

What do you mean by "too strong"? The gps will only draw as much current as it needs.

The only concern with these is poor regulation which can degrade the performance of the device you connect with. I'd personally look for something from a more reliable source but it would "do the job".

Seve OB

MiniGolf wrote: »

Here ya go... Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390662618749
2 connections to the battery, stick the socket in one of the golf bag pockets, plug in the lead and charge away.

Cheers. Been looking at a few of them things.

Problem is there is no easy connection to the battery that you can plug in and out so it means leaving it permanently connected to the battery (which will mean that no doubt it will get broken) or connecting it up each time.

I'm looking at trying this, so...... Opinions please.

My battery is a torberry (red and black) connection. Was going to put a second connection on the battery, I have a spare one.
Then taking a USB extension cable, again I have one spare lying around. Cut the end off that, I believe from watching YouTube there are power and data lines inside, so I can ditch the data lines and wire the power lines up to another torberry connection.

Then take my newly made cable and feed it up through the inside tubing of the glider and have a USB socket up around the handle that I can plug in the GPS, or even phone!

Would it work?

MiniGolf

Seve OB wrote: »

Cheers. Been looking at a few of them things.

Problem is there is no easy connection to the battery that you can plug in and out so it means leaving it permanently connected to the battery (which will mean that no doubt it will get broken) or connecting it up each time.

I'm looking at trying this, so...... Opinions please.

My battery is a torberry (red and black) connection. Was going to put a second connection on the battery, I have a spare one.
Then taking a USB extension cable, again I have one spare lying around. Cut the end off that, I believe from watching YouTube there are power and data lines inside, so I can ditch the data lines and wire the power lines up to another torberry connection.

Then take my newly made cable and feed it up through the inside tubing of the glider and have a USB socket up around the handle that I can plug in the GPS, or even phone!

Would it work?

You would be better using one of the usb sockets with cable and putting Torberry connections on it. Much sturdier than usb cable. Plug that into your 2nd Torberry connection on the battery and you are sorted.
The socket I posted the link to was just a sample... there are better quality ones available.
If you are stuck I have some of the Torberry connectors available.
K

Seve OB

MiniGolf wrote: »

You would be better using one of the usb sockets with cable and putting Torberry connections on it. Much sturdier than usb cable. Plug that into your 2nd Torberry connection on the battery and you are sorted.
The socket I posted the link to was just a sample... there are better quality ones available.
If you are stuck I have some of the Torberry connectors available.
K

fair points. might just take you up on that spare connection if you have one knocking around gathering dust