+Sissy-n-CR Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 In my quest to power my STMap and to use it with my laptop, I've come up with a scheme to use a mouse PS2 extension cable as a quick disconnect. As you may know a mouse cable has 6 wires. The STMap needs only 4. I plan on using a pair of the mouse cable wires for common and another for my +3.8 volts. The other two will be for data. A little background: I've found a cellphone glove (pic) that I've modified to fit my GPS. I've since added a quick clipping belt holder to the belt loop seen in the photo. I have the counterpart to the beltclip on my CamelBak and it makes for quick and easy retrieval and replacement. I've also come by a second-hand laptop to which I connect the GPS unit for in-truck navigation. The problem comes with using the unit during auto navigational by way of power drain on the batteries and hooking and unhooking the data cable. Now, upon reflection and a few very useful links in on the forums, I decided to create my own cable using a thin connector to the back of the unit. It will have to be something then will fit under the glove and have a wire extended out to connect to the rest of the world. The only small readily available 4+ conducter connector I can think of is the PS2 mouse connector. The wire from the unit to the connector will be about 4" - 6" long. The wires to power and the date will be the standard wires that come in the power and data cables that come from Magellan. My query though is, can the two pair of light weigth wires handle the ~150mA of the GPS unit? Am I setting myself up for failure with using too light a wire? TIA CR Quote Link to comment
+Goodguys Posted May 30, 2003 Share Posted May 30, 2003 I ran my Garmin 12 off the PS/2 port on a multi-day road trip, so it was on for >12 hours at a time, no problem. My G-12 was happy with 5 volts, so it was a simple set-up. I just used an old mouse cord to make the cable. Quote Link to comment
+smithdw Posted May 31, 2003 Share Posted May 31, 2003 Most mouse and other computer cables of the same type are either 24 or 26 gauge wire. A 26 ga. wire will safely handle 4 amps of current in free air or 2.8 amps when bundled with 6-15 wires together. This is assuming a low temperature insulation similar to what is usually found on a mouse cable. A 24 ga. wire will handle 6 amps free air and 4.2 amps in a similar bundled cable. "The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec." -Marcus Dolengo Quote Link to comment
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