What's involved in installing 12v aux power?[/quote]

Easy, Take the front cover off and all the connections needed are available. I wired mine up so it is HOT even when the key is off. I would recommend
getting your GPS hardened (filled with something). If you jump, or ride on rough trails they tend to shut-off or reset. You will have a problem with
the batteries also doing this from the vibration Battery Problem . I use a Garmin GPS IIIplus, it has been hardend and has never reset, or shutoff. Here are pictures of my
setup. Setup

 

Also, Under Bombardier just do a search on GPS. People use many different ways that all seem to work. The one big thing I have found is when riding hard on the enduro bike or the quad if not hardened and wired into 12v AUX they shut-off/reset all the time. Mine is hardened but a lot of my friends are not and theirs are always reseting.

 

I will for sure use a 12v setup. I want it on all the time and the light on all the time at night.

 

Thanks for the info guys!

 

how do u go about having a GPS hardend?

i was considering getting a cheap gps for the ds.....

what is a good cheap gps to get? the only one i know of off hand is the garmin etrex...its only like 100 right?

will that do me any good at all? and how much are the gps's mentioned that you guys are running?

 

Hardening a GPS is when they fill/stabalize the insides so it will not be affected by vibration. I bought mine already hardened from a ENDURO shop, most of the ENDURO shops will harden them before they sell them. Any GPS will work, its just they may reset more often from the bumps. I run a Garmin IIIplus on the bike/quad, paid around $290.00 for it 3 years ago. It has been a rock for durability and functionality. For hunting and other stuff I use the Garmin etrex (its small and nice to fit in the pocket). I will say that I ride with a lot of others using other models and brands and they always seem to have some type of problem.

 

The Garmin eTrex is the most ideally suited GPS for this type of use. One of it's advantages is that it has two abtteries instead of four, so it gets less movement of the batteries. My GPS12 isn't hardened, and it has -never- reset. However, it has powered off about a thousand times. As long as I keep the 12v hooked up well it rides along just fine. I paid $150 for it in like 1999 or 1998. It has a few more features than the eTrex, but the eTrex is much more suited to this type of work. Get an eTrex, RAM mount and a 12 power kit then hook it all up and you should be 100% set. If you can find a place that will 'harden' it for you, that doesn't sound like a bad idea - if I knew of a place to do it I'd get my next GPS hardened.

 

I agree, any GPS does the job. The etrex is great, check out this site for any info you want on mounting and using a GPS on bikes/quads. Cycoactive Here is info on hardening the Garmin GPS's. Vmod

 

There are alot of good parts at Cycoactive. I just got a really some cool accessories to go with my existing RAM mount for my Cobra GPS.