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Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

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wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

I'm adding a PDA GPS to my Model 4 and I'm kind of stuck on how to wire power to the PDA. I have a cigarette lighter adapter for the PDA but I don't really have a good place for a cigarette lighter plug in my panel (not to mention how ugly it would look). Ideally, I'd like to do some kind of permanent setup with the PDA's power cable, tucked and tie wrapped neatly into the rest of the harness. Problem is, the PDA is 5V so I can't just wire it into the buss. I suppose that I can hack the lighter adapter and tie wrap it to the frame somewhere behind the panel but I’d like something a little more ‘aircraft’ quality.



I know there are other PDA users out there so I was wondering if someone had a suggestion.

dave

Joined: 22 Sep 2006
Posts: 1382

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

I have a 4 way cig adapter under dash on right side and the adapters plug 

into that for Intercom, radio and GPS....

the Adapter is hard wired into master.



Dave

---

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Graeme Toft

Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 123

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 5:57 pm Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

I have the Garmin iQue and had similar issues to yourself. In the end I 

fitted the lighter in behind the dash and fed the supply wire out to the 

docking station through a small hole in the dash. Looks OK and is a 

permanent fixture. I can use the lighter for other things such as air 

compressors, lights etc when camping. Its a good compromise.

Regards

Graeme



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lcfitt(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest

Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:53 pm Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

Just a thought here.  This may not be significant for you.  There was a post 

in the Lancair list some time ago about using PDAs and Laptops in airplanes. 

It seems that if the memory is hard drive based, there isn't enough air 

pressure to keep the read/write arm on the hard drive from coming in contact 

with the drive disk above about 10,000 ft.  Several guys reported disk 

crashes - destroyed the disk - in their personal experience.



I found that an IPOD that I intended to use to record the sometimes crazy 

air to air talk in our group trips would crash predictably on every trip We 

were often at or above 10,000 ft..  The stated altitude limit is 10,000 ft. 

and is a hard drive problem.  If your PDA has solid State memory or if your 

not flying in the Western third of the US - probably no problem.  Most Ipod 

users will find that after a return to a lower altitude, the thing works 

normally again.



Lowell



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Michel

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 966
Location: Norway

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 4:17 am Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

On Jan 7, 2007, at 2:56 AM, QSS wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   I have the Garmin iQue and had similar issues to yourself.


	


This is interesting, Graeme, I also have the Garmin iQue M5 (with 

PocketFMS) and, like you, I installed a lighter socket behind the 

panel. I also use it for other purposes - when on the ground - like, 

recharging the battery of my cell phone. Always needed when on 

cross-country flights of several days.



Cheers,

Michel

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Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:23 am Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

On the 'Fox it's easy enough to remove the top cowl and install the power

outlet behind the instrument panel.  



There are tow points that I didn't see in the other posts.  



1 if possible wire the power outlets through a circuit breaker of no more

than 5 A.  That will be enough for a small radio and the PDA.



2 there is a difference between a power outlet and a cigarette lighter.  The

cigarette lighter has a small clamp to hold the lighter in until it gets

hot.  The power outlet does not.  If you buy one of these multiple outlets

they are usually one cigar and three power outlets.  Be sure to cover the

unused outlets and use tie wraps, Coraseal or wax string to hold the DC

adapter securely in place.



The guy who built my plane smoked like a tilt.  There is a cigarette lighter

right on the dash.



Noel



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Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:25 am Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

It can also be used to trickle charge the plane's battery.



Noel



[quote] --

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Kitfox III-A
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flier(at)sbcglobal.net
Guest

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:33 am Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

I use an L-shaped bracket behind the cluster with the cigarette lighter

facing downward.  Keep in mind that some (older) battery powered devices

like some handhelds and GPSs will backfeed when the master is off and that

will drain the batteries in the device so unplug it.



For 5V items with less than a 1A draw a 7805 voltage regulator and 2 caps is

all that's required for a cheap and simple 12V conversion to 5V.  I do this

all the time for PDA power.



The LM350 is a 3A adjustable (3 terminal) regulator that with just a few

more components can give you whatever voltage conversion you want.  I use

these to power XM radio receivers and such from 12V.



If an off-the-shelf auto adapter is more than $10 you're paying too much.



As far as HDDs and altitude go, the comments in the other messages are

correct for most of the drives out there.  I'd recommend using a flash-based

device (like most PDAs).  There are high-capacity flash hdds available now

if you have a notebook that you just have to have to fly.  Flash also takes

away most of the vibration concerns.



Regards,



Ted



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wingnut

Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 356

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 6:53 am Post subject: Re: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

Thanks for all the help guys.  I like the idea of being able to use the power outlet to trickle charge the main battery. There's one snag though; In order to do this, the power outlet would have to bypass the master switch so I wouldn't be able to turn it off. Most of these car adapters draw some current even with no load so I'll have to remember to reach under the panel and pull the adapter or it will drain my battery.  



I think what I'll do is start off with the power outlet but eventually transition to some sort of DC to DC converter like one of these: http://www.powerstream.com/dda.htm



It's a bit expensive at $30 but it's a nice package with integrated mounting flanges making it easy to bolt to the firewall. I tried using a 7805 and but was getting rather hot to the touch with just the PDA attached. I was surprised but when I looked up the specs I found that they're limited to 400mA. That's right on the edge of what my PDA is drawing at full bright.



Thaks again for all the help.

-Luis

Float Flyr

Joined: 19 Jul 2006
Posts: 2704
Location: Campbellton, Newfoundland

Posted: Sun Jan 07, 2007 11:09 am Post subject: Question for PDA GPS users: Hooking up power.

Correct you would have to leave the master and the power outlet breakers in

to trickle charge the battery...Max current 70% the amp value of the

breaker.   Remember to pull the breakers on everything else.



The DC to DC adapters do consume a small (almost tiny) amount of current

even while under no load but that is why you have master switches and as I

recommend an accessory beaker between the power outlets and the main buss.



You could use several 7805 in parallel to attain the current you will need.

Keep a good heat sink on all of them.  I used one on a converter I built for

a digital camera.  I could get three pics before the circuit board got too

hot for my liking.  The answer was to install a resistor in series with the

camera to reduce the load at the converter.  I didn't mind waiting an extra

second or two for the camera to cycle.  It's been working well for just

under ten years now.



Noel



[quote] --

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