External battery pack for Mio 168

LeighB · Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2005 7:10 pm Post subject: External battery pack for Mio 168

Hi,
I have posted this message twice already in the Mitac/Mdion forum and in TomTom Navigator, but no replies at all Sad

Perhaps someone here can help?
I bought a battery pack from pc-mobile a while back. I worked fine once or twice, but then the connection to the Mio became unreliable, I contacted them, and they very promptly sent me a new connection unit.
However this is no better.
When walking the connection light flickers on and off, and it may disconnect altogether, thus draining the main battery.
It seems that the Viewsonic (V35) generic connection is not an exact fit for the Mio, the V35 is curved where the Mio is straight, also the Mio supplied connectors are flat where the V35 has grooves.
More oddly, with the V35, sometimes even though the connection light is on, the battery status does NOT show it is charging.
Worst of all, one time when I was trying to get a solid connection it reset the Mio, thank God for Sprite backup!
I am sure the problem is with the V35 connection, as I cannot ever make the Mio supplied connectors (either car or mains) exhibit similar behaviour.
Incidentally I bought a different car charger with a neat retractable cable as I thought it looked better than the thick curly Mio supplied one, and this has exhibited the exact same problem. This also has the generic V35 type connector.
Has anyone else had similar problems?
Does anyone know if I can get a battery pack with a proper Mio fit connector?
_________________
Leigh

Mio168 Kingston 256SD
TomTomNavigator3 3.07
TomTom Navigator 5
Memory Map 2004 OS 4.4
Checkpoint 2.02

Pc-Mobile · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 3:48 am Post subject:

Could that a a problem with your own PDA?
Try your cables on someone else' PDA and see if the same symptoms exist.
_________________
Pc-Mobile
http://pc-mobile.net/gps.htm

LeighB · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 11:39 am Post subject:

Hi,
Thanks for the reply.
Unfortunately I don't know anyone else with a Mio 168. However, there is absolutely no problem with connection using the standard Mitac supplied mains and car charging cables. There is not the slightest suggestion of a flicker in the light, and the charging status is rock solid. It is impossible to affect this by fiddling with the cable.
Using the V35 connectors as supplied by you and a different supplier, the connection is very flaky, it is possible as I said to have the light on, yet not be charging, the light flicekers most of the time, and one time making the connection reset the Mio! If you touch the connection it will fliceker on and off, but it is impossible to find a position which is consistently on.
I believe the problem is that the Mio, although it uses the Viewsonic pinout, does not have the same shaped slot, so relative movement and thus poor connection occurs?
_________________
Leigh

Mio168 Kingston 256SD
TomTomNavigator3 3.07
TomTom Navigator 5
Memory Map 2004 OS 4.4
Checkpoint 2.02

Pc-Mobile · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 2:22 pm Post subject:

The connector is not the issue. V35 and Mio use the same one.
The shape may be different but that is not important.

I cannot think of any reason for the symptoms particularly if you say the same with the cable from another supplier.

I still suggest you use the same cables in another Mio and see if there is any difference.
_________________
Pc-Mobile
http://pc-mobile.net/gps.htm

neil01 · Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2005 4:11 pm Post subject:

It may be a little late now, but from experience I can say that the connectors definately seem to be the weak point of the product. They really are rather too easy to damage.

While most people will realise that you have to push buttons on both sides when removing the cable, if you want the unit to last, you MUST also ensure that they are FULLY pushed in when connecting.

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