TomTom BT

[mwade]

This may seem a slightly daft question but I can't find the answer anywhere...

With the TomTom BT GPS device, how do you go about powering it ? Presumably it has batteries in it - are these rechargeable & if so how long do they last. Is it possible to provide power to the device from the car ?

The reason for asking is that my car has the reflective coating on the front windscreen and it's also heated so I have doubts if the GPS will work very well on the dashboard. I was thinking of going for the BT option so that I could put it on the back parcelshelf near a side window - there's a power socket in the boot that I can use if this is a feasible solution.

If this is a problem - how long is the supplied lead for the wired GPS option ?

Thanks

Mike.

[Charlie]

Welcome to our forums.
It has a built in rechargeable battery that lasts for about 5 - 7 hours. It comes with mains charger and a seperate charging cable that can be attached to an official TomTom car kit (and some 3rd party models as well) to power/charge the receiver when required. Obviously your car kit would be up frnt with you so you can extend the length of the cable yourself or by purchasing a suitable extension from somewhere like Maplins.

The length of cable with a wired receiver is about 1 metre for reference.

[mwade]

Thanks for the info Charlie - I'm a bit concerned about the 5-7 hours as I often might drive to a client in the morning for about 4 hours and then later that day onto a hotel for the next days client which might be another 3-4 hours. Sounds like that might be pushing the battery life a bit.

Am I right in thinking there will be a problem with the windscreen and detecting satellites ? The car is a Landrover Freelander HSE if that helps.

Unfortunately not being able to 'try before you buy' with any of this stuff makes it a bit of an expensive mistake when it's your own money.

Mike.

[Charlie]

I don't know if the Landriver model will cause problems, check wit hyour dealer and he should be able to confirm if it's a heated/athermic screen.

[rbartlett]

Originally Posted by mwade

Thanks for the info Charlie - I'm a bit concerned about the 5-7 hours as I often might drive to a client in the morning for about 4 hours and then later that day onto a hotel for the next days client which might be another 3-4 hours. Sounds like that might be pushing the battery life a bit.

Am I right in thinking there will be a problem with the windscreen and detecting satellites ? The car is a Landrover Freelander HSE if that helps.

Unfortunately not being able to 'try before you buy' with any of this stuff makes it a bit of an expensive mistake when it's your own money.

Mike.

I never ever got 7 hours..more like 3-4 when on. nav man is far better for battery life

The only way it's anywhere near acceptable is to have it hard wired permently on. This i did myself with the supplied cable and now it's usable..certainly not brilliant, not even good but just usable - most of the time.....

i found that even with my cig lighter it wasn't enough to keep a charge and would often drop out a signal and leave me completely stranded!!

I complained to TT but -as others can testify- they couldn't give a toss..their 'support' is one of "stop bothering us, we've already got your money"



cheers

richard

[Charlie]

Obviously there are factors that can reduce the batteries performance...most of all temperature is the biggest cause. Unfortunatley every rechargeable battery is different and no two will ever perform exactly the same. Charging habits can affect the performance of a battery as well. Lots of people forget that the TomTom Bluetooth GPS receiver is designed primarily as a cordless device, therefore it should be charged fully then used until the battery requires another recharge, however some people keep them in their vehicle where they are continuosly connected to the charger which in its self can (not always) cause problems with the battery. Overall I think the battery life is adequate for such a small device.