[Jair2k4] learned the hard way not to lend out your expensive GPS to untrustworthy people. His Garmin 200 was returned with a broken USB port and unable to charge. Luckily, all it took was some inventive thinking and he had it repaired in no time. By breaking open a Nokia cellphone car charger, he had a source of 5 volts. After that, it was only a matter of soldering the connections. However, not content with the design he pulled out a Dremel and mounted it in his 1991 Suzuki Sidekick. Quick, dirty, and actually working afterwords, just the way we like it.
I wonder what he did with the battery. Doesn’t look like it’s still attached (I would think it would just use the car battery after this hack). It would definitely be a good idea not to leave the battery in since lithium ion batteries don’t like heat so much.
Excellent hack, though not the best choice of locations. You’d need to take both eyes off the road to see the GPS.
But still, an excellent hack!
mental note to myself: when creating the opening for a speaker … either try to find something to mount over the opening you create, like the cover for a tweeter, or print out something that you can then tape down on the surface and use a pattern for the hole spacing–free-hand looks pretty lousy :^P
A 91 Suzuki Sidekick? The GPS is worth more than the car.
Pretty cool. I may attempt something similar to rid myself of that terrible suction cup mount. Is GPS satellite reception an issue with the unit mounted near the floor and oriented like that?
Where do you live? In California, your Car would get broken into the first night you installed that.
Some people have to take the GPS out when they are not in their care, or it will get the window broken and itself stolen..
Let alone if you went to Frisco or something..
Good idea, not that good unless you have full coverage insurance I guess
@36Chambers:
Who looks for stuff to steal inside a 1991 Suzuki Sidekick? I’d be afraid of finding piles of cheeseburger wrappers and crap and move onto a better target.
ive heard of suction cups being stolen, apparently its not only the gps they want, but will take the mounting plates if they cant find the gps…
@Ryan,
I’m guessing that the thieves are just betting that the GPS has been stowed in the glove box if they see the suction-cup mount; I wouldn’t be surprised if that pans out half the time.
“However, not content with the design he pulled out a Dremel and mounted it in his 1991 Suzuki Sidekick.”
Well that sounds decidedly cool, though unsafe. Don’t Dremel and Drive!
Putting it right below where the handle to the handbrake makes it doubly hard to use being as you have to look completely away from the road and look around the handbrake to both see and use it. nice hack otherwise though
Yeah, it I were to mount a GPS in my ‘kick, I’d want it closer to the action.
Right now it sorta stands in the dashboard divot,
(if you drive a ‘kick you know what I mean), but it
slides out on sharp corners…
I’d also want to have a way to have the car battery run/charge it.
The GPS’s I use are a Visor and a Palm III, them and their Magellan GPS attachments are power hogs.
I dont use it for looking at streets… I use the voice guidance to help me pinpoint where i need to get off the freeway. I live in central washington. nobody will steal it, because it’s pretty well hidden under my ebrake. not to mention the fact that I JB welded it to the console….
What i want to know is: does the 200 have the same internal hardware as the 205, because the 205 can tell you the speed limit, and the 200 cant.. and i have a 200, and it has a microSD slot where i read 200 are supposed to have a big SD slot,and it even shows on the box it came in, a big SD slot. so i’m wondering how to go about upgrading my firmware or whatever, so that the 200 has the features of the speedometer &stuff. so if anybody thinks its possible, or knows for sure, email me or just post a comment
Where can I fund speedometer calibration tool?
Great post man…
I have a chinese no-name PNA navigation and I receive it with a broken USB connector, it charges up but not connects to the pc, It’s time to fix it, thanks for the pos :)
I’m amazed and happy to say that garmin products is of high quality albeit the price is also a bit high but it’s worth paying.
That’s really cool :)
I’ve got a Garmin Nuvi and now I know what’s inside one. Fitting it into my car would be a fun exercise but I’m a tad bothered someone might break in to steal it.