GPS - Nuvi 660

Author

Nuvi 660

Ken

2007-07-24, 10:33 pm

I'd like to hardwire a Nuvi 660 to the panel but don't see any cords
available. Not even on ebay. Is cutting the cig plug the only option?
Would it be long enough to reach from the left side of the dash by the
door to the top center of the dash?

quietguy

2007-07-27, 4:33 am

If you are going to cut the cig plug off, check inside it first. Very
often the voltage regulator is inside the plug.

David

Ken wrote:

> I'd like to hardwire a Nuvi 660 to the panel but don't see any cords
> available. Not even on ebay. Is cutting the cig plug the only option?
> Would it be long enough to reach from the left side of the dash by the
> door to the top center of the dash?

Jack Erbes

2007-07-27, 3:33 pm

quietguy wrote:
> If you are going to cut the cig plug off, check inside it first. Very
> often the voltage regulator is inside the plug.
>
> David
>

What David said!

We had this conversation here once before. I got myself soundly abused
here for suggesting that it is probably possible to use the optional
vehicle power cable to supply power to a nuvi 660. I'm going to say
that again, the following considerations apply:

1 - There two kinds of power cables:

One that has the FM-TFC receiver built into it and that is,
therefore, probably not a good thing to cut up. I think it has a DC-DC
inverter (for the receiver) and the receiver's electronics and antenna
built into it's somewhat over sized plug and cable. The is the "cable"
supplied with the 660 and is described as the "FM traffic receiver with
vehicle power cable" in the What's In the Box list. I think the North
American models are received with the GTM 20 (Part Number: 010-00544-01)
and the European models get the GTM 21.

The second kind of cable is an optional accessory cable. It is the
Vehicle Power Cable 010-10747-03 in the accessory list for the 660. I
think that cable only supplies power, is not a FM-TFC receiver too, and
that it connects the automobile's battery voltage (13.8V max, nominal
value, engine running) directly to the 660 cradle.

2 - The power details are for the 660 are mysterious. The specs for the
660 says it requires 12-24VDC. So I think the input voltage to the 660
is whatever voltage you are getting out of your car's DC outlet. I
would test the output from the vehicle power cable with a VOM to make
sure of that before I cut the end off and wired the cable into the
vehicle's power system. And I would put a fuse on it too but that is
just common sense.

However many pins are on the connectors that connect the GTM 20 and the
vehicle power cable to the cradle, their number and purposes are not
documented anywhere that I know of. So however this is done, it
requires common sense and some technical skills to figure it all out and
make it work.

And finally, if you want to use the FM-TFC traffic advisory info that is
received by the GTM-20, you are not going to have that with a 660 that
is hard wired in using the accessory vehicle power cable.

All standard disclaimers apply, you are one your own, you may void your
warranty, etc., etc., etc.

Good luck and let us know what you figure out and how it went.

Jack

Larry G

2007-07-27, 10:33 pm

On Jul 27, 3:55 pm, Jack Erbes <jac...@midmaine.com> wrote:
> quietguy wrote:
>
>
> What David said!
>
> We had this conversation here once before. I got myself soundly abused
> here for suggesting that it is probably possible to use the optional
> vehicle power cable to supply power to a nuvi 660. I'm going to say
> that again, the following considerations apply:
>
> 1 - There two kinds of power cables:
>
> One that has the FM-TFC receiver built into it and that is,
> therefore, probably not a good thing to cut up. I think it has a DC-DC
> inverter (for the receiver) and the receiver's electronics and antenna
> built into it's somewhat over sized plug and cable. The is the "cable"
> supplied with the 660 and is described as the "FM traffic receiver with
> vehicle power cable" in the What's In the Box list. I think the North
> American models are received with the GTM 20 (Part Number: 010-00544-01)
> and the European models get the GTM 21.
>
> The second kind of cable is an optional accessory cable. It is the
> Vehicle Power Cable 010-10747-03 in the accessory list for the 660. I
> think that cable only supplies power, is not a FM-TFC receiver too, and
> that it connects the automobile's battery voltage (13.8V max, nominal
> value, engine running) directly to the 660 cradle.
>
> 2 - The power details are for the 660 are mysterious. The specs for the
> 660 says it requires 12-24VDC. So I think the input voltage to the 660
> is whatever voltage you are getting out of your car's DC outlet. I
> would test the output from the vehicle power cable with a VOM to make
> sure of that before I cut the end off and wired the cable into the
> vehicle's power system. And I would put a fuse on it too but that is
> just common sense.
>
> However many pins are on the connectors that connect the GTM 20 and the
> vehicle power cable to the cradle, their number and purposes are not
> documented anywhere that I know of. So however this is done, it
> requires common sense and some technical skills to figure it all out and
> make it work.
>
> And finally, if you want to use the FM-TFC traffic advisory info that is
> received by the GTM-20, you are not going to have that with a 660 that
> is hard wired in using the accessory vehicle power cable.
>
> All standard disclaimers apply, you are one your own, you may void your
> warranty, etc., etc., etc.
>
> Good luck and let us know what you figure out and how it went.
>
> Jack

..... "receiver's electronics and antenna built into it's somewhat over
sized plug and cable."

hmmm.. this also sounds like something that may not work very well if
you embed it in the dash panel... either...

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