moving map...

[englishal]

Like several others on this forum I use Anywhere Map on a Casio Cassiopeia and Garmin GPS35, and it is brilliant. The problem is that the GPS35 doesn't have an internal battery as its purely a GPS receiver, no display or anything. Its convienient though, its about the size of a computer mouse, 12 channel and fits nicely on the top of the dash board with a clear view of the sky through the wind shield. The system is designed to be powered off the aircraft 12v [12-40v] system via a cigarette lighter socket, but I've yet to fly an aircraft with a cigarette lighter or in fact any 12V socket that I've noticed.

Does anyone know where I can get a high capacity 12V portable rechargable external battery pack in the UK to power this system? I have been looking at digital camera external packs, but they seem to be mostly 6V, and from the tests I've done, these don't seem to be able to power the system. The other option is to build one from 8 NiCad or NiMH D cells, but I'm sure there has to be a 12V battery pack available somewhere in cyber-space.....

I've been getting around this by using the Casio internal battery and hooking up a Garmin eTrex, powered from its own internal batteries. Works ok, though battery life is limited.

Cheers
EA:D

[Genghis the Engineer]

Try either an external ICOM radio battery, such as is used with Communica or Lynx intercoms, or make your own up with a gell-cell battery from somebody like Maplins.

These high capacity gell-cells get used in everything from microlight aircraft to fire alarms, any major electronic supplier will have a large supply. Do be careful about charging them however, you need a special charger which charges at a slow rate then cuts out otherwise they tend to overheat, distort - and a spherical battery whilst very pretty is a pain to secure in an aircraft.

Quite a lot of light aircraft have 12V cigarette lighter sockets, I think that you've just been unlucky.

G

[englishal]

I hadn't thought of Gel Cell. I thought about a Lead Acid similar to the ones they sell in Maplin for home alarm systems. Trouble is, I don't think any commercial airlines would be too happy about me bringing it onboard in my hand luggage...:D

Cheers
EA

[flyingwysiwyg]

Try a Camera shop for a 12V PAG Light Battery Pack.

They're very powerful and last for a long time with a 12V PAG Light attached to a Camera or grip. They should last for hours on a GPS receiver as the current will be considerably less.

You'd just need to make up a lead with a male XLR connector to a cigarette lighter socket (which I think you can get from Halfords).

Hope this helps

FWyg :ok:

[danfulton]

Don't know if you could use one in an aircraft but some of the emergency car jump start boxes come with a 12V socket, could do the job for about 35UKP.

Quite small any handy to own in any case.