How do people keep Garmin 800/810/1000 units running over a long brevet

[Ted Shwartz]

I just switched from an old etrex handheld that had replaceable batteries to a new 1000. How do people keep the newer units with internal rechargeables running over a long brevet?

Thanks

Ted

[Pam Wright]

I have 4 of these: 

Anker® 2nd Gen Astro Mini 3200mAh Lipstick-Sized Portable External Battery Charger with PowerIQ™ Technology for iPhone, Samsung, HTC and More (Black)

Start a 1200k with all 4 "lipsticks" and the Garmin fully charged.  Start each day with a new lipstick, run off the external battery first. Plan is to finish each day with the Garmin still fully charged.  Change to a new lipstick each day.  

By keeping the backlight turned off during daylight and on level 1 or 2 at night, I've finished 1200's with my Garmin still charged....which makes it it's own backup :)

Mine is the 800 and I've not experienced the issue some have had with the Garmin shutting down when it's 100% charged.  Mine just happily runs off the external battery until the external is depleted, which is how I like it :)

Hope you enjoy your new toy!

 

Pam Wright

---

From: Ted Shwartz <tshw...@gmail.com>
To: ran...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 8:09 PM
Subject: [Randon] How do people keep Garmin 800/810/1000 units running over a long brevet

I just switched from an old etrex handheld that had replaceable batteries to a new 1000. How do people keep the newer units with internal rechargeables running over a long brevet?

Thanks

Ted

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[Susan Otcenas]

​I use similar lipstick batteries on rides up to 400K.  Like Pam, I use the externals first.   On longer brevets I prefer s Tekkeon TekCharge with lithium ion batteries.  Easier to find on-the-go if necessary.

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From: ran...@googlegroups.com <ran...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of 'Pam Wright' via randon <ran...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Monday, December 1, 2014 6:53 PM
To: Ted Shwartz; ran...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: [Randon] How do people keep Garmin 800/810/1000 units running over a long brevet

 

[Eric Keller]

I also use a lipstick style battery.  They seem easier to store than some other external batteries I have tried. I have these, marginally cheaper than the ones that Pam listed per mAh: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CV11X84

Amazon tells me there is a newer version which is actually cheaper per mAh.

I use a twofish flashlight holder to keep them next to the garmin.

[James Halay]

Ted,

I have always used wheel dynamos to power my bike lighting and this past season I purchased a B & M Luxos U bicycle light with a USB charging port built in to the handlebar on / off switch. With the USB plug available I was able to keep my Garmin GPS, a small MP3 player and my cell phone charged up during the day while my lights were not on. This worked brilliantly for a full brevet series and the High Country 1200. Of course you can only charge one thing at a time but the phone and MP3 player seem to charge fully in less than an hour so I kept the GPS charging most of the time, especially just before dark when the lights would have to come on. This worked well because I didn't have to think about chargers and extra batteries when I really want to eat and sleep at the rest stops.

The initial reviews for the Luxos U were not good due to rain getting in to the unit I purchased this year handled the multiple rain / hail events on a number of rides including the High Country without a hitch. BTW, I tried the SP dynamo this year and had very good luck with that as well.

I did carry cue sheets, maps and battery operated lights as well but never had to use them.

Jim Halay

Eden, Utah

[dougm]

I use a Sinewave Revolution USB charging device with a Garmin 800, SONDelux dynamo, Edelux 2 light, and an Anker mini lipstick size external battery with pass through charging. The Sinewave Revolution has been flawless for me on 3 long brevets this year - 1000 k, 1500 k, 2200 k. None of these events saw a tremendous amount of rain. I'm not concerned about the Sinewave Revolution in the rain since it's innards are encased in epoxy and it has gold plated contacts. However, with any USB or battery pack charging system I am concerned about potentially exposed cable and Garmin contacts in a downpour. I have a custom clear vinyl cover to try out in a very long downpour but have not done so yet.


David Dean, the electrical engineer owner of Sinewave, is very helpful if you have questions.

[Bill Murray]

+1 on the Luxos U.  Worked like a charm for me charging my 800 except when it started raining.  Even though I had it covered, must have missed an opening, the unit would not charge in the wet weather.  Once the rain stopped and things dried up a bit it started working again.

Good luck!

On Monday, December 1, 2014, dougm <drmi...@gmail.com> wrote:

I use a Sinewave Revolution USB charging device with a Garmin 800, SONDelux dynamo, Edelux 2 light, and an Anker mini lipstick size external battery with pass through charging. The Sinewave Revolution has been flawless for me on 3 long brevets this year - 1000 k, 1500 k, 2200 k. None of these events saw a tremendous amount of rain. I'm not concerned about the Sinewave Revolution in the rain since it's innards are encased in epoxy and it has gold plated contacts. However, with any USB or battery pack charging system I am concerned about potentially exposed cable and Garmin contacts in a downpour. I have a custom clear vinyl cover to try out in a very long downpour but have not done so yet.


David Dean, the electrical engineer owner of Sinewave, is very helpful if you have questions.

[ripva...@gmail.com]

Aside from the mentioned external power sources, use some dielectric grease on the power input port (mini USB) to the Garmin; otherwise, disconnect the external power source during the rain and plug the connector when it rains.  Moisture will get in and ruin the device.  This grease can be bought at any auto parts store.  Gomadic backup connected continuously to an intially fully charged Garmin 800 with one set of AA Energizer Ultra lithiums will run my Garmin 800 for around 50 hours. Your mileage will vary depending upon how the 800 is setup.  The internal Garmin battery is around 1100mAH and the Energizers are around 3200mAH capacity; thus, a Gomadic connected with high quality lithiums will about quadruple your time.  Changing a new set of batteries into the Gomadic takes me about 20 seconds.  I put the unit into a bento type bag (gas tank) on my toptube along with food.  Four spare lithum batteries weigh 2 oz in total or they could be left in a drop bag. 

[ripva...@gmail.com]

Also forgot to mention, connect the external battery pack from the very start.  If you wait until the Garmin is nearly out, the drain on the external batteries is higher and is a less efficient current drain.  In short you will get more runtime and mileage from connecting straightaway.

[Eric Norris]

+1 on the Sinewave. I use mine to keep two external lithium ion batteries charged, and then use the batteries to charge my Garmin, iPod, etc. In my experience, the batteries charge faster than the Garmin, which means less time plugged into the Sinewave and less effort for me to make the electricity.

My batteries are made by PNY and have an LED display showing the remaining charge--a great feature when trying to figure out which one is charged.

Eric N
www.CampyOnly.com
CampyOnlyGuy.blogspot.com
Twitter: @CampyOnlyGuy

> On Dec 1, 2014, at 8:12 PM, dougm <drmi...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> I use a Sinewave Revolution USB charging device with a Garmin 800, SONDelux dynamo, Edelux 2 light, and an Anker mini lipstick size external battery with pass through charging. The Sinewave Revolution has been flawless for me on 3 long brevets this year - 1000 k, 1500 k, 2200 k. None of these events saw a tremendous amount of rain. I'm not concerned about the Sinewave Revolution in the rain since it's innards are encased in epoxy and it has gold plated contacts. However, with any USB or battery pack charging system I am concerned about potentially exposed cable and Garmin contacts in a downpour. I have a custom clear vinyl cover to try out in a very long downpour but have not done so yet.
>
>
> David Dean, the electrical engineer owner of Sinewave, is very helpful if you have questions.
>

[Sarah Bergstrom]

+1 Gomadic and lithium batteries.  (I have a Garmin Touring).  One caveat on the Touring that may also apply to the 1000 as they're newer Garmin software -- if I get to 100% charge with the batteries plugged in, it starts wanting to turn itself off.  Once I figured that out (and replaced my initially flaky Garmin that had other battery issues) I just put the charge on all my info screens, and unplug before 100%, cancel the one automatic shutdown that happens when you unplug, ride the batteries back down. 

On Tuesday, December 2, 2014 6:05:19 AM UTC-5, ripva...@gmail.com wrote:

[sk8er...@gmail.com]

The 1000 does not shut off when 100% charged. We use the Luxos U light with the USB port. This is a no-brainer for us. No need for external batteries, or the need to pre-charge anything. The power source is always there when needed, and also handy to keep cell phones, Ipod’s, etc. charged.

Thanks,
Charlie

Life is Short...Ride Long!

--

[Paul Toigo]

I recently started using a Garmin Edge 800. I keep the battery charged with the USB output on my Luxos U light. At the end of a 238 km ride last week, the unit reported a 100% charge when I connected it to my computer.

[Ron Stewart]

I am another happy Sinewave customer. I use my smartphone as a gps unit, and keep it going all day and night with the Revolution. The new bike is getting the Edelux treatment, though, to make a complicated thing a tiny bit simpler.

Ron

[steve saltzman]

for the garmin 810, do you need a volt regulator is you don't use a sinewave for a backup battery pack?

[Ron Stewart]

You need a regulated DC power supply for an 810. The Sinewave Revolution and Reactor are power supplies that take AC from your generator, rectify it (turn it to DC) and regulate it (keep it at constant voltage). There are competing products, but I like the Sinwave products. I would not try a homebrew regulator, since good products are commercially available at reasonable prices.

I hope that's clear and not overly pedantic? Feel free to ask more questions.

Ron

[Tim C.]

Hi, 

I'm bumping this thread because I had a problem with my Sinewave Revolution on Saturday.  I was trying to charge a Garmin 810 from the Sinewave. The Garmin would try to power down in 15s. 

I'm guessing that this was because I had it wired *after* the dynamo light (a Trelock 885)

The wiring I had was: Sanyo Dynohub --> Trelock 885 --> Sinewave Revolution --> Garmin 810

I think that the light was not putting out consistent power. 

I'm guessing that it would have been OK charging if I had done: Sanyo Dynohub --> Sinewave Revolution --> Garmin 810

For the Sinewave owners, do you unplug the dynamo light?

Thanks,

Tim C.

New York, NY 

[Brian Moyers]

The Garmin 810 is part of the problem here.  When the power source is removed, the 810 asks if you want to power down in 15 seconds - and this 'feature' isn't configurable.  I talked with Garmin support about it, and they say it is not a problem - it works as designed.  From what I've been told, some other Garmin models don't have this issue.

Personally, I have a Dynohub -> Luxos U.   The Luxos U has an internal cache battery that will power the Garmin for about 2-3 minutes after you come to a stop.  This makes the system work well enough to trick you into thinking everything is OK - but when you stop at a control and leave the bike, the Garmin will power down.   Sometimes, when you power back on you can continue where you left off, but sometimes the data is corrupted and everyone is very sad.

So, what I  do is charge a USB cache battery (choose any model from Best Buy, amazon, whatever that will fit in your bags) from the Luxos U, and use the cache battery to charge the Garmin and my Phone as needed. 

-Brian

[Tim C.]

Thanks, Brian,

That's helpful.  Based on what you wrote, I think it goes something like this. Because the light is in the circuit, the power is not conditioned well enough for the Garmin 810.  The Garmin 810 wants to power down after getting a little charge from the Sinewave.  I will try it without the light in the circuit, but the long term solution is probably to carry a battery pack, charge the Garmin, and then charge the pack.

  

That's too bad that this is a built-in "feature" on the 810.  It's a nice little unit.

-Tim

[Eric Keller]

I am happy carrying "lipstick" batteries.  One of them can get me through a 400k if the Garmin starts out fully charged.  I tried using a Luxos U, but a hill of any length will get the "external power lost" warning.  On my 800, that just goes away when the power goes back on, but it's still annoying. Granted, both the 800 and the Luxos were new to me when I tried it.  Don't know why Garmin likes to have you pushing buttons so often when you are riding, I think that means nobody there rides a bike.

--

[Joel Niemi]

Tim,
Try for a setup with "pass-through" charging  for the Garmin.
That is, the hub puts power into the battery pack, and the Garmin is plugged into the battery.
When the hub stops turning, thus not making power, the Garmin is none the wise, since it is getting power from the backup battery.
Not every battery can accept a charge (one plug) while also letting power out (second plug).  You might need a different battery.
The light is not a factor in this case; the Garmin doesn't know it's there.
Joel Niemi

[Andy Bailey Goodell]

My older Garmin eTrex had a setting that would allow me the choice of what to have it do when power is lost. That ability seems to be gone for newer models now. :(

My newer eTrex 20 lasts me about 700km on a set of AA batteries. For the one time I went farther than that, I packed a spare set in my drop bag. This unit cost me a whopping $125, uses free maps, and has successfully routed me towards the closest Chipotle on several occasions.

Andy

Richmond, VA

[Pam Wright]

+1 on the lipstick batteries.  Mine will keep Garmin charged for a 400k, leaving me with a full Garmin battery "just in case."  Also had great success using a piggyback adapter on my schmidt hub to power Garmin and lights.

But...all of these have been with my 800, which I think is wayyyyyyy smarter than the 810 :)

I'm curious if the 1000 has the same shut-down as the 810?

 

Pam Wright

---

From: Joel Niemi <jniemia...@gmail.com>
To: ran...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, June 29, 2015 1:13 PM
Subject: [Randon] Re: How do people keep Garmin 800/810/1000 units running over a long brevet

[Paul Toigo]

Frequently, I simultaneously use a Garmin Edge 800 and 1000. I have a Schmidt Son28 hub and a B&M Luxos U light. During long rides, I alternate charging of the 2 GPSs and am able to keep them adequately charged indefinitely.

Yes, the 800 will fill the display with an "External Power Lost" message that I'll need to acknowledge. The 1000 merely momentarily advises of a change in charging status in a small bar at the top of the display.

[littlecirclesvt.com :: mike beganyi]

Andy - what maps are you using for routing in the 20? I have one with various Topos and I tried the OpenStreetMap import - but haven't had any luck with routing (operator error most likely).

It works great for my mixed terrain camping / MTB / gravel rides.

[Andy Bailey Goodell]

I primarily use this site: http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

You can select a state to download, or create a custom area. It uses OSM data, which is very accurate for regular roads, and accurate-enough for some off-road adventures.

There are other map sets available from gpsfiledepot.com, some routeable, others not.

On Tue, Jun 30, 2015 at 8:58 AM, littlecirclesvt.com :: mike beganyi <mike.b...@gmail.com> wrote:

Andy - what maps are you using for routing in the 20? I have one with various Topos and I tried the OpenStreetMap import - but haven't had any luck with routing (operator error most likely).

It works great for my mixed terrain camping / MTB / gravel rides.

[dougm]

I have use the Sinewave revolution a fair amount and it has been virtually flawless on three brevets of 1500 K or longer.

I use it with an external battery which is really a no-brainer.
Currently I like the limefuel 6000 mA battery. I think it's called the blast or something like that.
I think it's better to have a separate external battery because all rechargeable batteries will wear out eventually. Others disagree with this preference . There are more wires with a separate Extertal battery and you have to make sure that the wire and connection integrity is good.

I keep my Garmin plugged into the external battery abdxInewave during the entire event except if I'm charging another device which is usually not the case.

I have however run into a problem with charging while riding with the Garmin 1000. Unlike the Garmin 800 which I also use, the 1000 uses a micro USB connector rather than the more stout mini used on the 800. The 1000 also attaches on the back of the device rather than
the bottom. So far my best improvement has been to reinforce the connection with high-grade electrical tape. However if you get going over a really bumpy surface while the 1000 is charging the device gets pretty unhappy and starts beeping that the charging is going on and off. An External battery by itself without the Sinewave revolution will not help with this problem.

I hope to call Garmin tomorrow if they're open. I'll wager this is a design flaw which gets fixed on the next Edge model. Oh well.

[Craig Robertson]

"the 1000 uses a micro USB connector rather than the more stout mini used on the 800"

While the mini is larger, the micro is actually a much more robust connection.  Its a step forward and the mini is no longer part of the official standard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#MINI

Note the discussion about wear.  After three years of near daily use, my 800 quit making a reliable connection to my computer via a USB cable.  If I choose to use it, I often have to plug it in to the computer multiple times to get it to connect - and then the connection is pretty unreliable and drops out sooner or later.  

Craig

[Guy Washburn]

The new 520 uses Micro USB. The port is directly below the mount.

[Hamish Moffatt]

On 03/07/15 09:47, dougm wrote:
>
> I have however run into a problem with charging while riding with the Garmin 1000. Unlike the Garmin 800 which I also use, the 1000 uses a micro USB connector rather than the more stout mini used on the 800. The 1000 also attaches on the back of the device rather than
> the bottom. So far my best improvement has been to reinforce the connection with high-grade electrical tape. However if you get going over a really bumpy surface while the 1000 is charging the device gets pretty unhappy and starts beeping that the charging is going on and off. An External battery by itself without the Sinewave revolution will not help with this problem.
>

Why not try a right-angled adapter? For example
http://www.amazon.com/Apollo23-Right-Angle-Female-Adapter-SamSung/dp/B00CSIOLXY

That will allow you to run the cable out differently and might avoid
this problem.


Hamish

[Brian Feinberg]

I'm using this one with my Edge 1000 and it works perfectly, runs right out the right side, closest to the USB port.

[dougm]

I use the light and sinewave revolution charging an external battery charging ( via pass through charging) my Garmin. I'm not sure what your wiring is as I'm no electrical engineering expert. I suggest you take a photo of your set up and send it to David Dean the owner of Sinewave. His contact info is on the Sinewave website. He is a great guy and will help you!

[dougm]

PS. You need an external battery that will allow for pass-through charging. Let the revolution device charge the extra battery and use pass through charging to charge your Garmin. You can use a small ext battery. However it has to allow for pass-through charging.