axamax wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 10:32 am
Does this mean they are now 12 volts at the unit instead of 5.2?
5V at the unit.
on the XT3, the hardwired motorcycle mount receives 12-18 vdc from motorcycle battery, then XT3 cable includes a small black box (transformer) that steps this 12V voltage down to 5V before it reaches the GPS unit
Do not wire 12-volt power directly to the pins on the XT3 mount without the included converter (black box), as this will damage the GPS unit. The 12-volt to 5-volt regulation happens in the supplied fused mount cable
jfheath wrote: Tue Feb 17, 2026 5:58 pm
I don't think I'll be biting this time.
If I bite it's for the fun of solving a puzzle. Not because my XT1 doesn't work as it should. (expensive puzzle!)
If you like expensive puzzles, you should try 3D printing. Hundreds of variables, mysterious firmware, multiple solutions, constantly changing software... And that's before you start figuring out how to create your own models with CAD.
lkraus wrote: Sun Feb 22, 2026 1:22 pm
If you like expensive puzzles, you should try 3D printing. Hundreds of variables, mysterious firmware, multiple solutions, constantly changing software... And that's before you start figuring out how to create your own models with CAD.
Should have chosen my words more carefully. 3D printing is way beyond my league.
Meanwhile a friendly employee of a well-known Dutch firm selling GPS units has provided me with some XT3 sample files. Busy puzzling.
The hardware mounts for the XT, XT2, and XT3 are reported to be interchangeable, which means you can mount an XT3 gps onto an XT2 mount and keep the XT2 power cable that's already installed.
the power cables for the XT2 and XT3 are the same.
While the XT3 is directly compatible with the XT2 mount, user reports indicate the XT3, XT2, and original XT all share similar mount hardware, allowing for compatibility across generations.
Though the mounts are compatible, the power cables are not.
