[aprssig] Garmin GPS 18 PC

[Stephen H. Smith]

Gary wrote:
> I suppose that's a reasonable warning to make but I don't interpret the symbol as a car battery
> especially when it says right on it "POWER SOURCE" and the electrical specs clearly state the
> voltage limits on page 5 for each model. 

The "power source" with blocky rectangular outline with big stud 
terminals on top sure looks like a car battery to me.   It was a very 
bad and careless choice of symbol.  An outline of something like an AA 
cell with a bump on one end, or just a box with + and - characters 
inside it with "5 VDC" between the two signs (i.e. suggestive of a bench 
power supply) would have been far better. 



> You are incorrect about the GPS18PC power input limits. The
> GPS18PC comes with a voltage regulating circuit built into the cigarette lighter plug which is
> designed for standard 13.8Vdc nominal input. 
>
>
>   

I pointed this out in my original post.   However, many people don't 
realize that active regulator circuitry is "hidden" inside the lighter 
plug.   They assume that you can just cut the plug off and hardware 12 
VDC directly to the remaining lead.     Over the years there have been 
several "disaster stories" on various APRS-related mailing lists from 
people who have done exactly this.  


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Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
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