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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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 Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 4:30 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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I'm NOT electric smart.....
My battery is 1.3 Ah 12v
A milliamp is 1/1000 of an amp.
So my battery is 1,300 milliamps.
The unit draws <3 mA @ 5v on standby
If I divide the milliamps (3) into the battery capacity (1,300)
I get 433.333
This is milliamp hours?
If so divide by 24 and I get 18 days of standby capacity?
If this is correct, the battery can be disconnected fot quite awhile before the GPS dies.
????????? If you are electric smart, please correct the error of my ignorant brain????????
I'm making a run to the Shore tomorrow, I'm taking the GPS but will power it only from my 1.3 Ah battery. See how it does.
I actually put it on Battery now.......
Start test, Friday, 8 PM, 12.66 v dc.
10 hours, Saturday, 6 AM, 12.53 v
36 hours, Sunday, 10 AM, 12.06 v
58 hours, Monday 6 AM, 11.77 v
72 hours, Monday 8 PM, 11.53 v
82 hours, Tuesday 6 AM, 11.16 v
88 hours, Tuesday 12 PM, 4.48v we're about done, drawing 8 mA
A solid 3 1/2 days of power is good.
Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert
Last edited by djkeev on Tue Aug 15, 2017 9:53 am; edited 11 times in total |
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jimf909 
Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2014
Posts: 7472
Location: WA/ID
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| Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 11:29 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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This is not perfectly relevant, but my spot has been running two months on the (2? 3?) AAA batteries and sent 768 pings. It seems your back up batt should be good for quite a long time.
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- Jim
| Abscate wrote: |
Do not get killed, do not kill others.
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Current: 1990 Westy Camper - Bostig RG4, 2wd, manual trans w/Peloquin, NAHT high-top, 280 ah LFP battery, 160 watts solar, Flash Silver, seam rust, bondo, etc., etc.
Past: 1985 Westy Camper - 1.9 wbx, 2wd, manual trans, Merian Brown, (sold after 17 years to Northwesty who converted it to a Syncro). |
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Gizmoman
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2011
Posts: 1554
Location: Nevada
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| Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 8:11 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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After reading every post, TK103A ordered. My only concern is my proximity to the Southern border but this still seems like the best option.
Dave, I'll be watching your posts closely. I like your battery and box choice.
I plan on hooking it up to kill the fuel cut solenoid.
Thanks all for the great information everyone.
Jim
_________________
82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale). |
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32625
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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djkeev
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Gizmoman
Samba Member
Joined: September 10, 2011
Posts: 1554
Location: Nevada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 5:44 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Thanks for the update Dave,
I thought the website was fairly inexpensive but maybe you're adverse to "connecting" which is understandable.
I'm not all that savvy with electrical or internet stuff myself (have trouble connecting a DVD to the TV) so we'll see how I do once my unit comes in and I install it. Just getting the sim card is going to be a major challenge for me 
In regards to anti-theft in general, I see the fuel cut-off or some other disabling feature as priority one. If the jerks can't move it, I won't need to go looking for it. The tracker is more of a towed away signal which may come in handy for various reasons.
_________________
82 Vanagon Westy - AAZ 1.9 TD, HE200 Holset, WAIC, 27.75 dia tires, Electric power steering, 5-speed AAP w/.078 5th
Oversize spare carrier - stock location (no longer for sale). |
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djkeev
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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Paulbeard
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Joined: July 10, 2015
Posts: 2604
Location: Seattle
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 7:34 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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I'm with Dave on mostly wanting to know if the rig isn't where I left it. But that doesn't I'm not curious about what else it can do. So I did sign up for the free website and app and have used that to have it replay trips I have taken. You can see a playback of your route, based on a range of time. I am not sure if the free app is doing the heavy lifting there or if it connects with the tracker directly to pull the waypoints.
I am tempted to use some of the disablers, like the fuel pump shutoff, maybe set that each time I leave it like a kill switch that no on will find. But for now using it as a silent cell phone is good enough.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
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Abscate
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 8:45 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Just carry the units with the math(s)
My battery is 1.3 Ah 12v
Yes,
A milliamp is 1/1000 of an amp.
Also written 10E-3 Amp, mAMP, or, most commonly mA
So my battery is 1,300 milliamps.
Your battery is 1300 milliAMP hours You have to keep the hours units
The unit draws <3 mA @ 5v on standby
If I divide the milliamps (3 mA) into the battery capacity (1,300 mA Hours)
I get 433.333
This is milliamp hours?
1300 mA hours/ 3 mA = 433 HOURS
If so divide by 24 and I get 18 days of standby capacity?
Correct - except you can expect the electronics to start getting unhappy at about 1/2 of capacity, depending on how tolerant they were designed.
I would plan for 9 days of standby capacity with a fresh battery, 4.5 days with aged batteries.
"Aged" will depend on battery type and how many discharge cycles it has experienced.
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djkeev
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crazyvwvanman
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Joined: January 28, 2008
Posts: 9936
Location: Orbiting San Diego
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 9:59 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Notice how that spec says " @ 5v on standby" - but you have it hooked to a 12v battery.
My guess is there is a power converter between your 12v battery and the actual unit and that is where the power is going. If so then that spec isn't for the assembled kit but for the base unit. Or the unit isn't in " standby" all that time.
I'd stop draining that battery now, it is flat already.
Mark
| djkeev wrote: |
........
The unit draws <3 mA @ 5v on standby
..........
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djkeev
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Paulbeard
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 10:34 am Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Mine has a 12V plug and it's hooked to my aux battery. I have been away for a new days and am curious to see how it did. The internal battery shows at 100%. I'll meter the house battery to see how much drawdown there was.
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Currently -> Frida: 87 Tizian Red (mostly) Vanagon GL Westfalia w/ 2.0L ABA conversion
Formerly -> Steward of a 73 Super Beetle (Beater) and 67 Beetle 1300 (Little Max) both names by POs
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Abscate
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:04 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Dave - are you measuring the current draw from the internal battery or from the 12V house battery. Confused..
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djkeev
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Abscate
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:52 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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Your aux battery has to be bigger than 1300 mA hour - thats really small
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djkeev
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Joined: September 30, 2007
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Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:32 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| Your aux battery has to be bigger than 1300 mA hour - thats really small |
Yeah...... that ain't happening........ ^^^
Stealth is the name of the game.
In four hours My battery is coming up on three full days of power. I'll run it till it is quite dead, I'm guessing five or six, if I ruin it? I wasted $15 but it will be worth it to know my back up time frame.
I just want to keep the system running and transmitting data if a thief is savvy and pulls the battery wires for a few days.
This small battery will have a 24/7 12v power feed from the starter battery so it should always be fully charged ready for that situation.
Even if it died now, three days and 10 hours is far better than just 10 hours.
But, I'm not sure that I believe their 10 hour statement.
Dave
_________________
Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos
Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473
Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537
Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert |
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captcory
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Joined: January 20, 2010
Posts: 101
Location: swfl
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| Posted: Mon Aug 14, 2017 2:35 pm Post subject: Re: GPS locator to find a stolen Vanagon |
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| Abscate wrote: |
| Your aux battery has to be bigger than 1300 mA hour - thats really small |
agreed... you'd be better off with three 18650's wired in series to get your 12v and would have more like 2000mA to 2500mA. and would be smaller than a pack of cigs. check your battery specs or get a bigger battery.
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djkeev
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wyldryce
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