Can the Pocket Tracker be powered directly from the typical, nominally “12 volt”, vehicle electrical system?
Yes, the Pocket Tracker is designed to allow it to be powered directly from a 12 volt automotive battery. We support operation with a regulator input voltage up to 16.5 volts DC with ambient temperatures as high as 150 degrees Fahrenheit, provided that no additional load is attached to the Pocket Tracker regulator. The regulator in the Pocket Tracker is rated for an input voltage as high as 45 volts DC while delivering up to half an amp of regulated 5 volt output current – IF – it has an adequate heat sink. The Pocket Tracker only draws about 110 mA while transmitting, and only about 8 mA on a long term average (with the green GPS LED on full time), so in the interest of smaller size, less weight, and lower cost, we did not feel the need to include an additional heat-sink beyond that provided by the ground planes and hardware on the PC Board. If your automotive electrical system puts out more than 16 volts you’ve got bigger problems to worry about than your Pocket Tracker. We figured t
