Tomtom Start 20 Sat Nav

[mizfiesta]

Hi there, I bought a Tomtom Start 20 sat nav from Ebay (yea, maybe not the wisest idea. I should have bought new I'm thinking!)

I'm totally new to the world of Sat Nav and this is my very first unit.

Today, on my second day using the device, it ran out of charge. I attached it to the the usb cable 'cigarette lighter charger' extension and expected it to work whilst charging which it didn't )like a mobile phone would I guess). It just kept switching itself off and there was no 'icon' on the screen to let me know it was charging. The green light at the usb connection cigarette extension was alight, but nothing on the screen itself.
Which leads me to my first set questions - normally, can you use the device whilst it is being charged on the 'cigarette lighter charger'?
Is there a 'charging battery' icon which appears on the screen when it's being charged from either the usb cigarette lighter charger extension OR when charging when plugged into laptop? It's currently attached to my laptop but there's nothing to let you know it's actually charging :-( At least it's not switching itself off I guess!

Also can these devices not be charged at the mains like you would do a mobile phone?

Could you also tell me how long the unit holds a charge for before it needs charging again? I had left the device attached to my laptop for ages yesterday so was surprised it ran out of charge within 10 mins of using it today?

I'm trying to work out if it's the device itself that's faulty or the cable/usb cigarette lighter charger extension thingy, phew.

Apologies in advance and I hope this thread makes sense! As I said, it's my first unit/device so I've nothing to go on the the box didn't contain any instructions. I already left positive feedback on Ebay for the seller. How daft am I?

[bhg481]

Most sat-navs will only operate for about 2 hours if not connected to a charger, so you should have it plugged into a 12V socket in the car whilst driving.
The power output from computer USB sockets is often less than that from the charger supplied with the device, so charging may be very slow.

[jomifl]

Some satnavs don't work as navigators when plugged into a computer as they are expecting map or software updates. You can get a usb charger plug for the mains for a couple of quid. If it works as a satnav when plugged into the 12volt supply in your car then you have nothing to complain about as that is all they are supposed to do. I had a satnav that ran out of charge in 5mins but it worked perfectly well when used for its intended purpose.

[mizfiesta]

Jomifl, yea I have a mains charger (one I use for mobile phone) so I'm charging the device from the mains now. As I tried to explain in main message, the usb cable 'cigarette lighter' extension that came with the device did not charge the device today. The device lost charge after only 10 mins (if that) of use and I automatically plugged it in to usb cigarette lighter cable but the unit just went dead each time I tried to switch it on. Came up with a low battery icon just beforehand. I'm trying to work out if it's the device at fault, the cable supplied at fault or my actual cigarette lighter in car :-(

[mizfiesta]

Ps on thinking my 12v Accessory Socket MUST be working as it lit up green on the end of the connection that goes into it :S

[Tuvok]

If its charging from the mains, the try it in the car with the cable that you know works (ie. the one you are using now)

How old is the satnav - Tomtom are now offering lifetime maps - yours might not as it might have been made before they started.