Batteries, Chargers and Power Saving.
We make no apology for returning to this subject which is top of the list when it comes to
your questions and queries when used in conjunction with GPS and particularly when used
with the most popular mapping GPS like the Oregon series.
Why has this become such a hot topic? The reason is the change of use from a basic GPS
with no maps to the use of GPS with digital maps that scroll when you are in motion and the
tendency to leave the map page active when on the move (recommended). GPS when
active with the map on display uses much more power; an issue recognised by companies
like Garmin and SatMap who are moving towards offering rechargeable battery options with
some of their devices.
With the larger GPS devices like Garmin Montana & Monterra and SatMap Active 10/12
there is room in the housing for a rechargeable lithium-ion battery with the option to switch to
3 x NiMH or Lithium AA batteries if required. This works fine for these larger devices but not
for the most popular devices where there is insufficient room in the housing for this option
most devices are powered by two AA batteries with NiMH or Lithium recommended.
As Lithium batteries tend to be on the expensive side most of our customers logically tend to
go for the rechargeable (NiMH) option and setup their GPS accordingly; when discussing
batteries the big question has always been can you recommend anything? Up to now we’ve
kept our response to make sure you purchase good quality rechargeable batteries preferably
over 2500mAh with no product recommendation.
Like most of you I’ve had issues with batteries use over the years and until recently had
been using the Garmin NiMH Battery Pack that came with my much loved Oregon 650 (SRP
£19.99) but if I had to be perfectly honest I’ve been less than impressed probably because
they are only 2000mAh don’t seem up to the job not only for time but speed of recharge. So
recently I’ve been using some batteries sourced from our favourite off-shore store 7 Day
Shop and I have to say I’m very impressed. I recently walked the fells for 2 days on one set
of batteries and as usual was on the fiddle all day and took loads of photos something that
would not have been possible with the Garmin battery pack without a battery change.
So for the first time we feel we can recommend a product that is
not only reasonably priced but does the job. I was using
7dayshop AA Ni-Mh High Performance Rechargeable Batteries
2900mAh – 4 Pack which were on offer at just £4.99 including
delivery from tax free Guernsey.
We already had a fast charger so just bought 2 packs of the
batteries; if you are starting from new then an efficient charger is
a must. We found a charger & battery starter bundle option on offer at the same website
which seemed like good value.
GPST Tip – to get the maximum return on your batteries you should edit the setting in your
GPS to match the type of batteries you are using > from the Main Menu > select Setup >
select System > select AA Battery Type > for rechargeable batteries select >NiMH.
Making the most of your batteries
Most GPS have comprehensive power saving options which you should make use of if you
want to get the maximum out of your batteries. They fall into two categories editing the
backlight timeout and putting your device into power saving mode.


Backlight Timeout – allows you to edit the time the backlight is on. Once you have
selected an option your device will reduce the backlight saving power (stays on but
with reduced power to the screen. (The GPS is still active and logging tracks & data)
Battery Save – takes backlight timeout one step further. Once you have selected this
option when the backlight timeout is triggered > then the
screen goes blank (the clever bit is the GPS is not off but is
still active and logging tracks & data)
So to get the best from power saving you should edit both settings
which will be found in Setup > Display we recommend Backlight
Timeout set to 30 Seconds and of course Battery Save should be
set to On as seen in screen capture right (you don’t need Screen
Capture On – I needed it to capture the screen)
GPST Tip – there’s one final thing you can do to extend battery
life; it’s a bit extreme and seems to us to go against the idea of
maps in the GPS but if you find yourself in a situation where you
need to prolong your battery life it may be worth a try. Simply
switch way from the map page and your device will no longer be
redrawing the map which would save power.
For more information visit www.gpstraining.co.uk
or call 01669621044