So in California, you're only allowed to have one device mounted on the dashboard. For a frequent traveler who does road trips on a regular basis, I've always had an issue with keeping three devices on my dashboard without it becoming an electrical nightmare or a security issue with all the tech flair.
I want to be able to merge my radar/LIDAR detector, my Garmin, and my Sirius satellite radio together into one device I can quickly remove from the dash, use one electrical cable so I don't have to plug in three cords every time I get into my car and then unplug everything and stow it when I get out of the car...
If there's enough power left I also want to be able to charge my Nokia (basically a simple USB charger for mobile devices would do)...
I know this sort of project would draw an intense amount of power that normal vehicles, especially for older vehicles like my 17 year old Corolla, but I've been able to get by with a cheap 3-way cigarette lighter splitter (but even then it doesn't solve my phone constant battery drainage problem)...
a) before we even think about merging any of this, can this be done in a power-only sense? (if it won't power up or if every single time I plug it in it ends up blowing a fuse... then it's not worth the trouble)
b) would a consolidated power cord be feasible or would I still need to dock three separate power cords for everything?
c) how huge would the merged device be? (if it gets too fat, I might end up blocking the rear-facing radar/LIDAR sensor since I would be mounting this to the lower left corner of the front windshield... state law dictates I can only use that corner's 5" x 5" square)
Thanks!
