Tracker power supply - 0.5A!

Smithyyy · 14 February 2012, 00:46

Just checked out a hardwire 12V-5V power supply/car charger I got (ebay) for my TK-102 tracker - it draws 0.5A off the 12V supply! So it's going to flatten the boat battery - and then its own - in no more than a few days - which rather defeats the point of the tracker.

I'm assuming I just ended up getting a particularly inefficient charger - anyone else had a look at what theirs draws and able to make a recommendation for something that takes a bit less juice please?

Thanks

Leapy · 14 February 2012, 05:00

Is your tracker a pukka Xenun TK-102 or an eBay sourced clone? In my experience, the clones and their chargers are riddled with problems. Google "TK-102 clones" for info.

Some clues - including photographs - on how to identify the clone are HERE

Smithyyy · 14 February 2012, 21:58

Thanks - I'm confident the tracker itself is the genuine article but I know the charger is not (that's a generic ebay unit). I assume those with genuine chargers find the current it draws is reasonable then? Or anyone found an even more power-efficient 12V to USB solution?
Cheers

mick · 14 February 2012, 22:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smithyyy

Thanks - I'm confident the tracker itself is the genuine article but I know the charger is not (that's a generic ebay unit). I assume those with genuine chargers find the current it draws is reasonable then? Or anyone found an even more power-efficient 12V to USB solution?
Cheers

Can you fix a small solar panel somewhere

Boatintercoms · 15 February 2012, 10:55

Have you tested it to see what it is drawing? mine says 1000mA but when I tested it with a flat battery it only drew 42.1mA!
I think mine is a copy, as I bought the tracker and 12v charger for about £40 on ebay.

PeterM · 15 February 2012, 11:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smithyyy

Thanks - I'm confident the tracker itself is the genuine article but I know the charger is not (that's a generic ebay unit). I assume those with genuine chargers find the current it draws is reasonable then? Or anyone found an even more power-efficient 12V to USB solution?
Cheers

Mines run for a month + with no abvious affect on the battery - still started the engine fine !

Smithyyy · 15 February 2012, 22:12

Thanks for the replies
- I do in fact have a solar panel, but it can't keep up with that current draw!
- I did measure the current taken by the charger from the boat battery - that's the 0.5A - the charger is rated to 1500mA output rather than 1000mA but still!
- interested to hear there are much more efficient chargers out there - PeterM, Boatintercoms, be grateful please for any more details about yours - manufacturer, make, where bought from, whatever, sound like the sort of thing I'm looking for!

Cheers

jyasaki · 16 February 2012, 16:20

Is that draw with the tracker unit connected? Curious to know how much the adaptor itself draws.

Since you're set to read current, it's probably worth getting a reading on the 12V line and the 5V line to see who's eating what as far as power goes. Sounds awfully power hungry for a small GPS device.

jky

Smithyyy · 09 September 2012, 15:59

Reviving this thread about a TK102-2 drawing an incredibly high level of current, as I am still having trouble with it. I've measured the current going into the charger (ie the current the charger is taking from the boat's 12V supply), which is 500mA. Then I've measured the current the tracker takes from the charger (ie the 5V feed to the tracker itself) and that is around 800mA. Left it running overnight, no change

So there's around 6W going into the charger and 4W coming out. But the culprit is the tracker itself, why is it taking so much? I actually have two trackers and they both do it.

If I unplug the cable into the tracker, the draw falls to zero so there's no short or anything in the cable.

The tracker draws the same with or without the battery installed (but switches itself on when the battery is installed, so the battery's connecting OK), and with or without the sim card. I've checked the meter calibration by measuring the current through a known resistance (nav light). Both trackers check out as genuine Xexun by running the IMEI numbers through the checker on the Xexun website

Hopefully this is one of those very simple things and at some point there'll be a "doh!" moment and it'll all become clear, just need to work out what the issue is..... is there a setting or something (that still leaves the GPS checking for movement) I'm missing? Or any other ideas please?! Thanks!