Regular USB cable for Colorado in car power?

[+RangerR47]

Now that you can pick spanner mode, does anyone know if you could maybe use a normal USB cable hooked up to a car stereo for power?

[+fegan]

Now that you can pick spanner mode, does anyone know if you could maybe use a normal USB cable hooked up to a car stereo for power?

 

I've been using a Motorola cell phone car charger for almost a year now. If your car stereo's USB port provides power, there no reason it shouldn't work. Just set the Colorado's interface to Garmin Spanner and respond NO when prompted to enter Mass Storage mode.

[+Chris CA]

Now that you can pick spanner mode

Now? When couldn't you pick Spanner mode?

does anyone know if you could maybe use a normal USB cable hooked up to a car stereo for power?

Assuming the stereo puts out 500mA out the USB port for charging, no reason it shouldn't work though I don't believe (not sure) most car stereos are set to power/charge USB items.

Edited September 11, 2009 by Chris CA

[+RangerR47]

Now that you can pick spanner mode

Now? When couldn't you pick Spanner mode?

does anyone know if you could maybe use a normal USB cable hooked up to a car stereo for power?

Assuming the stereo puts out 500mA out the USB port for charging, no reason it shouldn't work though I don't believe (not sure) most car stereos are set to power/charge USB items.

 

Just going by old complaints that you couldnt use USB as it went to storage mode...

 

Anyways, yes you can charge IPhones, Ipods and such, as I do with mine currently, it just came to me that maybe I could do the same with the GPS.

[Wanthuyr Filho]

Which would be better to use my Oregon 300 in the car:

1) buy an adapter cigarette lighter --> USB ports to be used together with the Garmin´s original USB cable, or;

2) buy a generic cigarrete lighter --> USB cable to plug directly in the Oregon?

When I bought my Oregon I tried to look for a car adapter (not the original one, as I had read that it didn´t fit very well, oddly), but I didn´t find enough information and was really concerned about voltage/wattage that could "burn" the unit.

 

Rgds,

 

WF

Edited September 11, 2009 by Wanthuyr Filho

[+fegan]

Now that you can pick spanner mode

Now? When couldn't you pick Spanner mode?

According to the Colorado Wiki, it wasn't available prior to software version 2.5, released in May 2008.

 

http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/Versions

[+Walts Hunting]

Get an iGo. You can use different adapters for all your different devices.

[+bittsen]

Now that you can pick spanner mode, does anyone know if you could maybe use a normal USB cable hooked up to a car stereo for power?

 

Short answer is YES. Been done.

I have also hooked up a standard USB adapter with it in normal mode and didn't have a problem.

 

USB is a standard. As a standard, it has a standard power output (or input, depending on how you look at it) and it doesn't matter what device you are using, it will always be the same standard configuration.

[+Chris CA]

USB is a standard. As a standard, it has a standard power output (or input, depending on how you look at it) and it doesn't matter what device you are using, it will always be the same standard configuration.

Not quite.

USB has two "standard" outputs, depending on the what it is made for. USB standard calls for two different options.

Low power USB is simply for communication. It requires only 100mAmps output to the device. It will not power/charge a USB device connected to it.device

High Power USB is for communication as well as powering/charging the device connected. This requires 500mAmps output to the device.

When a device is plugged in, it will communicate with the USB host and negotiate the reqired power level.

If requires high power from the USB bus and it is not available, it will not work and you should receive some indication from the USB port device.

 

Plug a printer/scanner that is powered via USB into your keyboard and it will tell you to get bent because your keyboard is only low power USB.

[+bittsen]

USB is a standard. As a standard, it has a standard power output (or input, depending on how you look at it) and it doesn't matter what device you are using, it will always be the same standard configuration.

Not quite.

USB has two "standard" outputs, depending on the what it is made for. USB standard calls for two different options.

Low power USB is simply for communication. It requires only 100mAmps output to the device. It will not power/charge a USB device connected to it.device

High Power USB is for communication as well as powering/charging the device connected. This requires 500mAmps output to the device.

When a device is plugged in, it will communicate with the USB host and negotiate the reqired power level.

If requires high power from the USB bus and it is not available, it will not work and you should receive some indication from the USB port device.

 

Plug a printer/scanner that is powered via USB into your keyboard and it will tell you to get bent because your keyboard is only low power USB.

 

You focused on my statement out of context.

ANY USB power source has enough juice to power a Garmin Colorado. So the answer is still yes.

 

If someone had asked about a Printer/Scanner, the answer would have been different.

[+burtsbodgers]

I Bought a cheap motorla charger and it works fine with my oregon and colorado both mounted in a cheap craddle i think the charger cost me £4.99 and the cradle £6.99.

Just set the device to Garmin spanner in the profile you wish and off you go!

[+Chris CA]

ANY USB power source has enough juice to power a Garmin Colorado.

This is not correct.

Low power USB will NOT power the Colorado or any other device.

Low power USB provides only 100mA and according to the standard will not be used to power devices. It can only be used to provide communication on the bus.

Remove the batteries from the unit and plug it into a USB port on your computer, which is likely low power USB. It will NOT be powered up.

When a device is connected to the USB bus, it it then polled by the USB controller to see if it is a high power device and see if it requires 500mA from the bus. If it does and the USB is high powered, it will send the juice to the device and enable communications.

If the port is not high powered, it will not enable the device on that port and should send a message to the OS and the device telling them that it will not run the device.

[+fegan]

Remove the batteries from the unit and plug it into a USB port on your computer, which is likely low power USB. It will NOT be powered up.

Uh, sorry, perhaps you should test that theory before you post it...it works on my computer. I've done it many times and just re-tested it to be 100% certain it works.

[+bittsen]

Remove the batteries from the unit and plug it into a USB port on your computer, which is likely low power USB. It will NOT be powered up.

Uh, sorry, perhaps you should test that theory before you post it...it works on my computer. I've done it many times and just re-tested it to be 100% certain it works.

AGREED!

 

I do it with mine all the time. My Colorado runs off of my USB when I am logging my finds and my batteries are in the charger.

 

The Colorado power consumption is MUCH lower than the 100mA specified by ChrisCA or it couldn't be run for 8+ hours on a pair of AA batteries. I suppose I could look up the power specs if I was all that concerned about it.

Edited September 12, 2009 by bittsen

[+Bad Duck]

I have a cigarette adapter and a mini usb connector. I Also just bought a new stereo for the truck and it has a usb port on the front. I can use that also for powering my Oregon. Just wish it would charge the batteries...

[+Chris CA]

My point in this discussion is about USB because incorrect statements were made about USB.

Not all USB ports will power everything that is plugged into it.

 

Uh, sorry, perhaps you should test that theory before you post it

If I did had not just sent my Colorado back in for replacement, I would, but I did say "likely won't work"

it works on my computer. I've done it many times and just re-tested it to be 100% certain it works.

So it is plugged into a low power USB port? If you don't know the difference between a low power USB port and a high power USB port, then the point is moot.

AGREED!

 

I do it with mine all the time. My Colorado runs off of my USB when I am logging my finds and my batteries are in the charger.

So you are also plugged into a low power USB port?

Mine runs off USB also with no batteries.

I never said it won't run off USB at all. I said likely it will not run off low power USB. I have not tried running off a low power USB port.

The Colorado power consumption is MUCH lower than the 100mA specified by ChrisCA or it couldn't be run for 8+ hours on a pair of AA batteries

Huh?

Might try doing a little math.

If it was MUCH lower than 100mA, it would run a LOT longer than the 14-15 hrs stated in specs.

A device that uses 100mA will run for 20 hours on a full 2000mA battery. (2000mA / 100mA = 20)

 

This post give some measured powered consumption for the Colorado.

-> http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...w=&st=&

It shows 134mA at power up with no other options (backlight, WAAS, etc.) enabled.

Therefore, with 2000mA batteries, it should work for up to 15 hrs, which is what the specs state. (2000mA / 134mA = 14.93)

 

I'm done here.