How to assemble the ePlug, and make a cable for your Garmin eTrex.
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WARNINGS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-verison3 eTrex is OK with up to 6VDC but all others must be less than 3.3VDC. We have a bunch of surplus cigarette lighter power supplies with 3.3V output - (May 2011)

HOW TO: ASSEMBLY by Kazuo, Pfranc of Japan. .
  • First feed the wires through the holes in the mid section then solder or crimp (or both) the pins to the wires. Then one at a time place each pin in the bottom to hold it and with your thumb nail holding it in the slot, bend it up 90 degrees (see photo below). Then use the safety pin idea for final assembly.

    The "Safety Pin" idea:

    Mr. Naoya in Japan sent this idea that makes assembly much easier.
    Saftey Pin idea.

    How to make a PC cable:

    Notice marks on the plug to identify the pins. "-" ground, "+" power, "i" data in, "o" data out.

    Both eTrex and eMap can take the RS232 voltage levels no problem, however, do not supply power to the + line in excess of 3.3 Volts DC.

    To connect to a PC just attach a DB-25 or DB-9 female connector to your cable: On the DB-25 pin 2 is "data-out" (of the PC) hook it to "data-in" of the Garmin, and pin 3 is the PC's "data-in" ... hook it to the Garmin "data-out" (see above), and lastly pin 7 is ground. The DB-9 has different pin assignments ... swap them! Swap 2 and 3....pin 5 is ground.

    How to make a Power cable:

    Warning! Do not exceed 3.3 Volts DC! Several people have told me the official range is 3.15VDC +/- 0.15V. I also hear the eTrex uses a MAX 1677 DC-DC converter chip inside. If the external supply voltage goes lower than 2.8V then the internal batteries are used.

    Ulf, Pfranc of Estonia, has a eTrex hacking page! A DIY connector and power supply circuits.

    POWER from USB? Yes. It's 5 V and you can take 500mA per device how to modify USB adapter to supply power to eTrex.

    See here for how to get power from your PC. -- like from almost everywhere possible.

    So you want POWER and DATA?

    No problem.  Just do it.  The ground pin on the GPS is used for both power and data.  It is no problem for the GPS, power supply, and computer to share the same ground.  Matter of fact, it's a good thing!

    A Garmin to Garmin cable.

    I've been told that because the eTrex and eMap do not have a SEND and RECEIVE command mode you cannot do Garmin-to-Garmin data transfers .... bummer....

    Macintosh? We didn't forget the Mac! Thanks to Pfranc Christer in Sweden! Check it out here: Clove Technology home page. Not only does he tell you how to make a cable for your Mac, he will send you software too!

    Here is a neat web site showing how to assemble our ePlug and making a cable for the eTrex: WeetHet.

    Please send any comments, help with links, facts, words, spelling, syntax, format, presentation, etc... (even if a comma is out of place).... E-mail to: Click here. .... thanks!

    IPO: 8/2000, Updated: May 2011 ... Credits to: Mr. Naoya Kuno, Mr. Daniel Siu, Mr. Takahiro Sato, Mr. Kazuo Nakazawa, Rob Smeets, Dan Diehlman, Dale DePriest, Dr. Antonio Rodriguez Franco Pfranc of Spain, Doug Miller, Troy Ellis, Mr. Isao Ota, ... ,tens of thousands of pledgers since 1996, over 800,000 plugs made.

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