iQue with Palm hardware

[Walter Cullop]

I am getting ready (as soon as UPS gets here) to move from a Palm m515 to iQue) for the GPS functions. I am getting into geochaching.

Before I burn things up I was wondering if all the travel chargers I have (international plugin and a 9V charger) would work. They use the cradle input on the bottom while the iQue has the iso-tip input on the top. However since it sits in a cradle it must be charging through there. So is this safe?

Just hoping to save some money.

[AlanJ]

The power input pin is on the bottom of the IQue, there is also connector at the bottom for fitting into the IQue cradle, it will charge, output speech etc all from those connections. The only sockets on top are for headphones and external Antenna.

[donc13]

Originally posted by Walter Cullop
I am getting ready (as soon as UPS gets here) to move from a Palm m515 to iQue) for the GPS functions. I am getting into geochaching.

Before I burn things up I was wondering if all the travel chargers I have (international plugin and a 9V charger) would work. They use the cradle input on the bottom while the iQue has the iso-tip input on the top. However since it sits in a cradle it must be charging through there. So is this safe?

Just hoping to save some money.

Yes, they will all work. I'm not sure why Garmin chose to have a separate charger input port (on the bottom, not top) but it is in addition to, not instead of, the normal cradle charging capabilities. In fact, Garmin's own cradle charges from the Universal Palm Connector on the cradle although not from USB but rather from a separate wire on the usb cable that you plug the AC adapter into.

[Walter Cullop]

Well, oops the AC charger is on the bottom not the top. The reason for the seperate charger I believe is because of the GPS and people wanting to use it on the run. You can use Power Runner or iGO (from Radio Shack) to power it for hours and hours (one guy claims over 10 hours with the Power Runner). It would be difficult to attach a cradle adapter and keep it on while GPSing.

So it looks like I can use the 9V cradle adapter to charge it in the field if need be until I can afford the Power Runner or iGo.

Thanks for the help. Didn't want to risk crossconnecting and screwing something up when I got it.

[jonasolof]

Just to keep things complex and nice: You can very well run around while cradle charging. Logitech made a m5xx keyboard that doesn't sell well. You can get it for 13 USD or less. The cradle part of it is extremely lightweight and the iQue sits rock fast on it.

Little tricky soldering but it works to redo it as a charging cradle.

Also: The suction cup cradle is easy to transform into a bicycle handle bar iQUe holder.

Nobody should ever use the plug/jack charging option without opening up the inner lumen of the plug slightly >0.6 mm plus add some to the diameter of the plug at its base so that it doesn't move around and brake the pin. With these precautions it works well.

[apersson850]

The plug/jack charging combination is excellent, as long as you let the iQue lie on a desk while using it. Like on a trip, where I don't bring the cradle, I charge overnight with this option. But I don't use the iQue with the charger connected like this.

[Walter Cullop]

Thanks all. Got it today and it worked with all my old Palm stuff. Not even sure I had to put their cradle in but did anyhow.

I do need to have it hooked up to some sort of power when I geocache or hike since I will be using it long past its normal battery life on those days.

Looks like Power Runner or iGo for xmas.