Customer Reviews

Arkon GPS-NHWC Mini-USB Hard-Wire GPS Cable (Black)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I hard wired several of these cables to my street and dirt bikes (BMW 800 GS, KTM 530, Husqvarna 310) for use with a Garmin Nuvi 550 and Oregon 450 T. They work well but prior units have failed. I traced the failure to breakage of the small internal wires due to shock and vibration. Riding aggressively off road creates quite a bit of shock and vibration. I suggest that if you use any of these small usb cable units on a motorcycle that prior to use, remove the box cover (2 small screws) and apply clear silicone sealant to the tiny wires and other internal pieces to secure them. Let dry, then reinstall the cover and you are ready to go. An added benefit to the silicone treatment is that it resists water which can also cause failure. Since going to this bit of extra effort i have had no problems and my GPS units work well. I would have rated 5 stars if the usb came pre-sealed and treated but then it probably would cost more. Overall these work great and the price is very reasonable.

Good solution for those who want to hard wire a charger (without using an accessory/cigarette lighter plug). I would have rated it 5 stars if the box that contains the circuitry had been a little smaller.

Requires a little bit of wire stripping and soldering, as should be expected with a hardwire install. Works great with a Garmin Nüvi 1490T. Unlike some vehicle power solutions, it doesn't send the Nüvi into USB mode. The toroid makes it a little difficult to snake the cable through your vehicle, but it's not too bad. It would be nice if the plug was a right-angle.

I installed this on my motorcycle in order to power my Garmin 14xx GPS. Works fine. The wire was a bit shorter than what would have been ideal, and if I was installing this on a car or truck, I would have had to splice extra wire to the power side. The wire is 24 gauge (very thin!), so it was a little dicey crimping on 14 gauge terminals to fit over my battery bolts, but it worked by double crimping.

So, one point off for using very thin gauge wire, which should have been an extra 3ft or so in length to insure universal mounting. BTW, it charges by Blackberry as well.

I have used 2 different TomToms on my motorcycle using this hardwire device and supplied power to both. After 1700 miles it still works. So if you have a TomTom you can feel confident that it will be well supplied with power.

Very good product. Came with no instructions. The reason it gets 4 out of 5 stars is that where the wire ends come out of the sheathing could have been a littler longer to work with, as is the industry standard.

I installed one of these on my wife's 275cc motor scooter. I found the wire lengths to be just right for this installation. The unit provides adequate power for my Tom Tom one.