winston61 Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 I've got a data/cigarette lighter cable for my Garmin GPS12. The serial connector portion of the cable is not detachable. I'd like to cut and splice a connector into the line so it can be removed for auto use. Can anyone suggest a connector type for this? Something I can pick up at Rat Shack or the local DIY? Thanks to all. Quote Link to comment
Dale_Lynn Posted December 18, 2006 Share Posted December 18, 2006 Let me get this straight.... You want to remove a connector and replace it with a connector just so you can have a removable connector on other end of connector... Dale Quote Link to comment
winston61 Posted December 18, 2006 Author Share Posted December 18, 2006 No, perhaps I did not make myself clear. What I have is a gps power/data cable with two leads leading away from the cigarette lighter plug. One for power, one for data with a 9 pin serial connector. I would prefer not to have to roll up the other cable with the serial connector when I want to use the power/data cable in my car. I would like to dis-connect this part of the cable. It is a power/data cable with two leads. One is for the power connector that goes to the gps device and the other cable has the nine pin serial connector at the end. What I want to do is remove the data cable close to the cigarette lighter plug. Anyway I believe I already have a solution. Thank you though for your reply. I will in future more carefully phrase my questions so as to be more better understood. Let me get this straight.... You want to remove a connector and replace it with a connector just so you can have a removable connector on other end of connector... Dale Quote Link to comment
Glenn W Posted December 19, 2006 Share Posted December 19, 2006 (edited) If you are handy with a soldering iron, these will work. The hoods give built-in strain relief which should ensure durability. There are crimp-on versions of the same plugs but I would not go that route. http://www.radioshack.com/compare/index.js...2032058.2032231 These would also work, but again I recommend soldering rather than crimping. These plugs have no built-in strain relief though, and I'm not confident they would hold up to repeated use. http://www.radioshack.com/compare/index.js...2032058.2032231 Edited December 19, 2006 by Glenn W Quote Link to comment
+NightPilot Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 (edited) Pretty much any connector with 9 pins would work, maybe fewer, depending on how many conductors are in the cable. I don't know how many are in that cable, but to be safe, I agree on the standard RS232 male & female connectors. Just be careful to wire them correctly. You don't have to use the same pins as the installed connector uses, just make sure the connections are straight through on the ones you install. It's a good idea to wire them the same, though, because otherwise they can never be used for anything else. Actually, for a GPS there should be only 3 conductors - Tx, Rx, and ground. So just about any connector can work - standard stereo plug and jack combos should do the job. I think all Garmins use 4 conductors, with the 4th being power, so if the other cable provides the power, there should be only 3 in the serial cable. I've made up many cables for my eTrex Legend, and they are all 3-conductor unless power is being supplied, in which case there are 4. Edited December 20, 2006 by NightPilot Quote Link to comment
+EScout Posted December 20, 2006 Share Posted December 20, 2006 Use 2 or 4 pin Molex connectors depending on which cable you using. I have done what you are describing for other devices. You can crimp these so, you do not have to solder, although I usually do. Quote Link to comment
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