Email from Patrick Preminger

Had occasion to visit AUTO NAV 2000 PLUS, INC. in San José (CA) the other day to see if I could get a minor problem solved with a Magellan GPS system. Haven't fixed the problem yet (the Magellan won't operate on 24 volts, and doesn't like my converter), but I learned more about GPS systems and manufacturers than I ever knew even existed. James Keh spent well over 2 hours educating me--and he didn't have to do that. I hadn't bought the Magellan from him, and he didn't owe me the time of day. John (the chief installer) was equally affable and took the time to help me look for obvious solutions before trying drastic electrical surgery. It has been YEARS since I've run across a business that really seems devoted to customer service and that doesn't just hawk their favorite brand. The fact that Auto Nav 2000 sells, installs, and services a wide range of manufacturer's products puts 'em in a great position to do side-by-side evaluations of each. I'm impressed! They also do installations for many of the emergency service fleets in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a spare hour or two, it'd be both educational and entertaining to visit the website: www.autonav2000.com Give the site a shot! Disclaimer: nope; I'm not related to anyone at Auto Nav 2000, and I don't get a kickback for recommending 'em.

Email from Patrick Preminger to VP. Tim Zeigler at Magellan

Tim, You responded to my plea for assistance in getting the 750M working in my old 24-volt military truck, and you referred me to James Keh at Auto Nav 2000. I want to let you know that I visited Mr. Keh (on short notice, I might add), and found him to be an outstanding individual. After John (chief installer) spent time with me to troubleshoot my problem (still unsolved, but that's a matter of my not yet having the time to try the things John suggested), James spent well over 2 hours with me. I learned more about GPS systems in those 2 hours than I ever knew. Mr. Keh charged me nothing. He spent considerable time with me. He obviously loves his work and is devoted to customer service. I wasn't a customer the other day, but I certainly will be in the future! I thank you for referring me to James Keh. As long as he continues to work with Magellan products, Magellan can only benefit from the relationship. Again, I thank you. Had I known of AutoNav 2000's existence before I bought the 750M for my Pinzgauer 712M elsewhere, I certainly would have purchased from them. I truly appreciate your taking the time to assist me. /Patrick K. Preminger The Preminger Group San Francisco Bay Area

Email Reply from Patrick Preminger to VP. Tim Zeigler at Magellan

Tim, I want to let you know that the problem with the 750M running in a retired Swiss Army troop carrier (24 volt electrical system) has been solved by James Keh (Auto Nav 2000 Plus) in San José after James and John (chief installer) spent some time checking both the 750M and the truck's electrical system. It turned out to be a simple (but un-obvious) problem: the ignition signal that the 750M requires in order to boot, charge, and operate simply wasn't there. The solution? Build a switched power cable (with fuses on both the positive power lead and the pink ignition wire) that bypasses the 750M's battery charging system and run it directly from the vehicle's 12-volt system to the CPU power input. James gave me the appropriate cable, connector block, and fuses for the power input to the 750M, and John drew a simple diagram so that I could built the cable myself. Total cost for parts was about $6 at Radio Shack. Everything works! (I might suggest that Magellan supply--as standard equipment or as an option--a switched power cable for the mobile units so that you have an 'off the shelf' solution for those rare situations in which the 750M can't detect the necessary ignition signal. Might not be a bad idea, either, to create a unit that will operate within a voltage range of 10-36 volts for increased applicability...) Total charges from Auto Nav 2000 Plus? Twenty-five cents. I had wagered a quarter that James' experiment of plugging directly into the CPU's power input wouldn't solve the problem. It did. James collected. I sincerely thank you for referring me to James Keh and Auto Nav 2000 Plus. And I want you to know that I've already begun to spread the word to other Pinzgauer owners/addicts that Auto Nav 2000 Plus is an outstanding organization. So far, Mr. Keh has not charged me a dime for his time and expertise (the .$25 bet was my proposal, not his). The folks at Auto Nav 2000 Plus greeted me by name on my second visit, and I hadn't even met most of them. And it's important that I remind you that I did NOT purchase the Magellan unit from Auto Nav 2000 Plus, yet I was treated as a valued customer. It doesn't get any better than James Keh and Auto Nav 2000 Plus. And their website is outstanding, too! Sincerely, Patrick K. Preminger The Preminger Group San Francisco Bay Area