Question about car electrics.

[Creamcracker]

I'm sure this is an easy question for some of you but I have little knowledge of car electrics:

I have a MyFi portable XM system which I use in my car(s)--- it has a built in battery which lasts about 2 hours. It also has a 12v connector which you can connect to the cigarette lighter in the car to power it. This is what I did most of the time in my Jag -- when I shut off the car the power supply also shut down and I would switch off my MyFi.

Anyway--this is the question---I just traded my Jag for a Chrysler 300 which has 2 12v outlets -- 1 in the dash which powers up/down when I shut the car off but the other one in the center console maintains power to the outlet (by design) when the car is shut off. If I use this power outlet and leave it plugged into my MyFi it will continue to send power to MyFi even when the MyFi is shut off and it will charge the internal battery of the MyFi --- will it do this ONLY until the internal battery is full? Will it overload the MyFi battery? and/or drain the battery in the car? Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks Philip

[madjack]

Philip, the internal battery will only draw as much juice as is needed...it will reach equilibrium with the car battery and then just sit static...it will not overload the MyFi battery nor will it drain the car battery, since the car battery has MANY times the capacity of the myfi battery...a question to you...we are considering an XM system for Christmas...how do you like the MyFi system........
madjack

[Creamcracker]

Philip, the internal battery will only draw as much juice as is needed...it will reach equilibrium with the car battery and then just sit static...it will not overload the MyFi battery nor will it drain the car battery, since the car battery has MANY times the capacity of the myfi battery...a question to you...we are considering an XM system for Christmas...how do you like the MyFi system........
madjack

Thanks MJ....I like the MyFi since it's easily moved from one car to another. I have the Car Cradle permanently sitting in the Mini Cooper and I had a mount in the Jag..I have ordered a similar mount for the Chrysler 300. For me it works well although I don't fully utilize its capability. When my son or daughter are with me they seem to be able to find features that disappear when I touch it! On the Jag I was just listening to the MyFi through the FM signal capability and sometimes the signal was very poor.... with my Chrysler I have a direct connection available through an auxiliary input plug ...this has certainly improved quality and I have no complaints with it. Another thing ...I have the XM antenna sitting on my dashboard rather than run it out through the window to the roof...in most cases that has also been ok. Mine was a gift when they first came out with a price around $300. They are much cheaper now...this is the same one that I have:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Delphi-MyFi-XM2go-P ... dZViewItem

The short answer is I like it!
Thanks Philip

[Aaron Coffee]

I have the same thing(I think) and leave it plugged in to the full time power plug in my 98 Dodge Dakota, and if I leave the Dakota sit for two days, it won't start with a jump start, although that could just be a problem with the pickup and not caused by the XM. I have had trouble lately finding an empty fm frequency in my area. Used to use the record on mine and record 5 hours then listen to it at work on headphones, but they said we can't use headphones because its a saftey issue.

[madjack]

Aaron, I would think the problem lay in the vehicle(probably)...without the XM unit turned on, it won't be using any power...the battery of the XM unit is VERY small, not only physically but electrically as well and should not pull the vehicle battery down to the point of needing a jump...I'd do a test or two and find out, a new vehicle battery may be needed or some other problem may be present.......
madjack