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Explorist 500 Battery

wlfgng13

By wlfgng13
in GPS technology and devices

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The Hazelnuts

+The Hazelnuts

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried the universal battery charger that Escout sent the link for? I have an Explorist 600. I am having big time problems attaching the cable to the back of the GPS unit. I think the threads on the unit are stripped or something. So I need a battery charger for the Magellan 3.7 volt Li-ion battery. Does this kind of thing exist? Any advice?

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embra

+embra

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried the universal battery charger that Escout sent the link for? I have an Explorist 600. I am having big time problems attaching the cable to the back of the GPS unit. I think the threads on the unit are stripped or something. So I need a battery charger for the Magellan 3.7 volt Li-ion battery. Does this kind of thing exist? Any advice?

Rather than using a charger (which will require swapping the batteries frequently) I'd look for the swivel cradle on Froogle...I think I got mine for under $15. You can install the cable "permanently" in the cradle such that you need only click the GPS into the cradle to charge it or upload POIs.

 

Here's a convenient link.

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Trail Buzzards

+Trail Buzzards

Posted
Posted

I agree with Embra. The inside threads on my eX600 stripped as well. The screw was just too short to reach the good threads... but if you removed the screw and inserted it into the unit, the screw threaded properly.... Since the screw didn't get shorter, it appears that the threads had worn. I purchased the windshield mount and highly recommend it. I also recommend sending the unit in for repair if it is still under warranty. Magellan needs to be brought to task for their poor engineering of the data/power hookup.

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The Hazelnuts

+The Hazelnuts

Posted
Posted

I agree with Embra. The inside threads on my eX600 stripped as well. The screw was just too short to reach the good threads... but if you removed the screw and inserted it into the unit, the screw threaded properly.... Since the screw didn't get shorter, it appears that the threads had worn. I purchased the windshield mount and highly recommend it. I also recommend sending the unit in for repair if it is still under warranty. Magellan needs to be brought to task for their poor engineering of the data/power hookup.

 

Someone on the Houston Geocaching Forum had a similar problem with his Explorist 500. He removed the small washer from the cable connector and now he can attach it to the GPS. I did the same thing and had success as well.

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jreth

+jreth

Posted
Posted

i bought the 500LE several weeks ago and using AAA's gives pathetic life (IMHO). I tried to get the Li-ion / AC adapter Bundle from magellan, but it's been backordered for 2 weeks now . . .

So I like the idea of the ebay SNN5636b battery for ~$5, questions is how to charge. I found this deal: http://store.everydaysource.com/cothxxxxtc02.html Any opinions? Seems like a small solution to the problem. Thanks.

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Warriorrider

+Warriorrider

Posted
Posted (edited)

The charger looks ok. I picked one up on ebay for about 10 bucks that works well. I rarely use it though. I did the same as embra mentioned above... mounted a Magellan swivel mount next to my pc. Just click the GPSr in and it is charging (same with the car). Also makes for easier transferring of POI's, maps, etc back and fourth. No cables to mess with.

 

As for the battery, I am not familiar with that battery no. you have. The ones that I scored off of ebay were the same as others here mentioned... SNN5595A and SNN5595B.

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?f...satitle=snn5595

Edited by Warriorrider
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MtSpaz

MtSpaz

Posted
Posted

I ordered two of those last week; the ones just listed as "SNN5595".

 

I asked the seller if the picture was accurate. They said they weren't sure; that it was a 'stock' photo.

 

They are listed as T720 1100 mAH batteries, so I figure they should be the ones.

 

For ~$20 I figured it was worth a shot. I'll let you know when they get here; hopefully this week.

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EScout

+EScout

Posted
Posted

the SNN5595 size is correct. The thinner battery has a different number. I saw the thinner battery in a clearance pile at an electronics swap meet. The package said for the T720, and it looks like the SNN5595, but thinner. It would probably work, you might have to add some padding so it does not move around.

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Rye_n_Coke

Rye_n_Coke

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried using AAA NiMH batteries in an Explorist 500LE? I just got a 500LE and wanted to take advantage of the "sale" Magellan has on their Li-ion battery, but the shipping to Canada was $25 for a $20 battery and charger so I started looking for alternatives.

 

The best alternative I could find was some NiMH batteries which I can already charge in my camera battery charger. Just wondering if anyone has used them and what kind of life I should be expecting.

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MtSpaz

MtSpaz

Posted
Posted

That and the magellan deal is on backorder.

 

When I tried with NiMH I got a couple hours, 3-4 maybe (never really measured it so am keeping the numbers on the low side). I used a fast charger, so I'm not convinced they were optimally charged, or that these are the greatest batteries. These were 700mAH batteries where the pack I just got is 1100 and the Magellan pack is 1300 I think.

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AZTech

+AZTech

Posted
Posted

I bought the 500LE from Costco.com and was quite happy with it initially, except that I was going through tons of AAAs (a set only seemed to last a few hours, though I never did a timed test), so the rechargeable Li-ion was a must have for me to even consider keeping the unit.

 

So, I put in an order for two of the $20 charger/battery combos and when my order was still showing 'backordered' after two weeks, I called up Magellan directly. Took a bit of explaining to the customer rep what I was trying to do, but I basically just ordered two of the A/C chargers and two of the batteries (which you'll notice are not individually shown as backordered, only the combo is) and asked to be discounted the difference between those items and the 'special deal'. Surprisingly enough, they did it and I received my order in about a week.

 

Worked for me, but YMMV.

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EScout

+EScout

Posted
Posted

Has anyone tried using AAA NiMH batteries in an Explorist 500LE? I just got a 500LE and wanted to take advantage of the "sale" Magellan has on their Li-ion battery, but the shipping to Canada was $25 for a $20 battery and charger so I started looking for alternatives.

 

The best alternative I could find was some NiMH batteries which I can already charge in my camera battery charger. Just wondering if anyone has used them and what kind of life I should be expecting.

It would be cheaper probably for you to buy the cell phone battery on ebay, and save on cost and shipping.

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EScout

+EScout

Posted
Posted

I used the USB cable with the GPSr off to charge the battery. It worked but took a while. I'm now looking for a AC adapter.

 

This FAQ http://www.mtgc.org/robertlipe/exploristwiki/index.php from embra's sig line covers batteries & power pretty well.

 

I'm looking for a universal AC-DC adapter. Something like this http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?Page...amp;ProdID=1406

 

If you use a universal power supply, make sure it has the correct voltage and polarity. It should be 5VDC, with center positive. I would not go over 5.5V. The Magellan wall-wart is rated 1A, but you can use a different value, higher is better.

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AZTech

+AZTech

Posted
Posted

I used the USB cable with the GPSr off to charge the battery. It worked but took a while. I'm now looking for a AC adapter.

 

When using the wall charger, the GPSr shows 'Charging', but when it's just plugged into my laptop, it only shows 'Ext Power'. Is this because it's using as much power as it's receiving just to run and therefore isn't charging the battery at the same time?

 

How do I know it's actually charging the battery when the unit is off, since there's no external charging indication, like an LED or something? Also, does anyone have any idea how long it takes to fully charge a dead battery using a USB connection?

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FamilyDNA

+FamilyDNA

Posted
Posted

I used the USB cable with the GPSr off to charge the battery. It worked but took a while. I'm now looking for a AC adapter.

 

When using the wall charger, the GPSr shows 'Charging', but when it's just plugged into my laptop, it only shows 'Ext Power'. Is this because it's using as much power as it's receiving just to run and therefore isn't charging the battery at the same time?

 

How do I know it's actually charging the battery when the unit is off, since there's no external charging indication, like an LED or something? Also, does anyone have any idea how long it takes to fully charge a dead battery using a USB connection?

From the Magellan FAQ:

Question:

 

Will my PC charge my eXplorist 400, 500 and 600 through the USB cable?

 

Answer:

 

Yes, but only if your eXplorist is turned off. Power is provided by your PC to your eXplorist 400, 500 or 600 through the USB cable, but it is minimal.

 

Question:

 

How long does it take to completely re-charge the eXplorist 400, 500 or 600 battery using the AC adapter?

 

Answer:

 

Approximately 3 hours

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Rye_n_Coke

Rye_n_Coke

Posted
Posted

I received the AAA NiMH batteries I ordered the a while ago and have completed some testing with them for anyone who is interested in the results. The batteries themselves are 850mAh and this was their first charge. With the backlight on the lowest setting I got only 7 hours of life until the alarm sounded for low battery, but then I only got about 3 seconds before the unit shut off.

 

I also noticed that in the first few minutes of operation my unit would shut itself off as well. I've seen this with alkaline batteries too though (the screen starts to fade out a few lines at a time and then the unit shuts right off). Has anyone else had this happen with a 500LE?

 

For the price of NiMH batteries I was happy with these results, but a Li-ion battery still seems to be the best bet, though the price is considerably higher.

 

-Ryan

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geognerd

+geognerd

Posted
Posted

For the price of NiMH batteries I was happy with these results, but a Li-ion battery still seems to be the best bet, though the price is considerably higher.

The price of the t720 Li-ion batteries isn't considerably higher than a pack of 4 NiMH AAAs. Other forum users have picked up the Li-ion batteries on eBay for $4-10 a piece.
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Rye_n_Coke

Rye_n_Coke

Posted
Posted

For the price of NiMH batteries I was happy with these results, but a Li-ion battery still seems to be the best bet, though the price is considerably higher.

The price of the t720 Li-ion batteries isn't considerably higher than a pack of 4 NiMH AAAs. Other forum users have picked up the Li-ion batteries on eBay for $4-10 a piece.

 

You're right, the cell batteries are a great deal. I was reffering to the price of a new Li-ion right from Magellan.

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DP457

DP457

Posted
Posted (edited)

My 1st post.

Just bought the 500LE (CDN TRE) sale 150 bucks off.

Now I know why - it's the AAA batteries where I will spend that 150.

Never mind maps - I suppose.

Just catching up on all the reading since this thread started a few years ago now.

 

Any latest updates?

Edited by DP457
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WyleOne

+WyleOne

Posted
Posted

I just purchased three LiIon 1100 MA for $2.00 each $14 shipping Working great.

Go to www.thecellshop.net. Arrived in 5 days. ;)

FYI

Another good deal is on topo 3D at walmart.com $62.97

Thanks for the tip, I got one coming, I have been obsessing over the battery thing for two weeks now and have been caching for 4 weeks now, should have put two and two together sooner and searched these boards. Should have known the best answer was here. Soooooo TFTC :huh:

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Mon"rose"

+Mon"rose"

Posted
Posted

I may have to check into this. I upgraded from an explorist 100 to an explorist 500, so I had the download capabilities. I am eating AAA batteries like crazy, so I ordered a battery, but it has been on back order for quite a while now. So maybe I can check into one of these motorolla batteries. Thanks!

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beenhere

+beenhere

Posted
Posted

These work great for back up. I have both the regular and extended life battries and have been using them in my 600 since I bought it when it first came out. They will get you through a day of caching for most cachers. And they travel very well in your pack. I always have one along with me. :blink:

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hukilaulau

+hukilaulau

Posted
Posted (edited)

Here's my story. Some of the particulars address several of the comments or questions posted to this thread over the years...

I've had a 500 for over two years. (Actually two working units, but that's another story.) I have the original rechargable battery in it. I bought a AAA adapter from Cabela's right after I got the unit for backup, but I had never used it. My charging method was to use the cig adapter whenever I drove. This worked fine even though it seemed like the battery was gradually wearing out. Even though the indicator would get up to full charge while I was driving, as soon as I took it out of the car it would drop to about 1/2. This didn't matter because I never cached more than a few hours without going back to the car.

The only problem was, the threads for the cable had stripped, as others have mentioned. I have a suction mount cradle which the cable would NOT snap into, so I've been using rubber bands to hold the cable tight for several months.

Then I went to a 5 day conference in another city where I would not have a car and the "experiment" started.

The first night I tried to use the USB cable to charge the unit. BUT... I thought I remembered that the 500 and the computer both had to be ON. Rember the rubber bands? Before I went to sleep I inadvertently knocked the rubber band off the cable with the result that the unit was simply ON all night without charging. The next morning the indicator was at about 10%. (The good news is that after two years my rechargable battery was still good for at least 8 hours.)

The next day I tried the AAA adater for the first time. I was only using the cheapest Energizer batteries.

The adapter worked fine but with those batteries I only got about 30 MINUTES of use!

The next night I used the USB charger again and after a few hours discovered it WILL NOT CHARGE with the unit on. Last night I hooked it up to the USB and turned it off and this morning the indicator is at about 90%. The highest it's been in a long time!

I've ordered the swivel cradle so i can stop using rubber bands. I'll let you know how that works. I'm also going to see if there are any of those replacement batteries left. I still love my 500!

Edited by hukilaulau
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Jhwk

+Jhwk

Posted
Posted

Here's my story.

The first night I tried to use the USB cable to charge the unit. BUT... I thought I remembered that the 500 and the computer both had to be ON. Rember the rubber bands? Before I went to sleep I inadvertently knocked the rubber band off the cable with the result that the unit was simply ON all night without charging. The next morning the indicator was at about 10%. (The good news is that after two years my rechargable battery was still good for at least 8 hours.)

I thought the unit would shut down if the location didn't change for 10 minutes.

 

I still do the rubber band thing in the truck (sad we have to resort to that)

I have the mount sitting next to my computer monitor so I can charge, upload caches, etc...

 

nice old thread. waiting for my 600 to die so I can switch to garmin - finally!

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CipparroneClan

+CipparroneClan

Posted
Posted (edited)

I've been using a T720 battery for almost 2 months that I "rescued" from being thrown out at work. Even got the phone as a charger (phone doesn't power on but does charge the battery). I just ordered a second battery as a spare so I'm good to go with 2 batteries to work with.

 

FYI I get about 8-10 hours use on low back light on a charge which is acceptable for my short chache hunts.

Edited by CipparroneClan
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hukilaulau

+hukilaulau

Posted
Posted

Here's my story.

The first night I tried to use the USB cable to charge the unit. BUT... I thought I remembered that the 500 and the computer both had to be ON. Rember the rubber bands? Before I went to sleep I inadvertently knocked the rubber band off the cable with the result that the unit was simply ON all night without charging. The next morning the indicator was at about 10%. (The good news is that after two years my rechargable battery was still good for at least 8 hours.)

I thought the unit would shut down if the location didn't change for 10 minutes.

 

Interesting point. When I got up in the morning the unit was definitely on with the cable and rubber band lying beside it. Maybe I knocked it off just before I woke up?

Anyway, the 90% charge I reported was a mirage. Within an hour of going out this morning it was down to 50% and quickly down to 25%.

So after all that, all I really know is that the AAA adapter does work, but is only good for dire emergencies.

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Bad Duck

+Bad Duck

Posted
Posted

I have bought several batteries. The knock off high capacity brand was too thick to fit in the GPS all the motorola batts worked great. Bought a T720 phone charger that also charges an addditional battery. All were had for 5 bucks or less on e-bay. With 4 batteries I can cache all weekend without needing to charge anything.

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RRLover

+RRLover

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

So after all that, all I really know is that the AAA adapter does work, but is only good for dire emergencies.

 

Try using the "hybrid" rechargeable NiMH AAAs. They have a high internal resistance to allow a long shelf

life, a side benefit is that that resistance probably meters the current flow allowing for a longer use life.

They seem to last almost as long as "regular" NiMH w/a higher mAh rating.

 

These type of rechargeables will not recharge in-unit(GPSr), and require a separate charger, I recommend one

that puts out between 30% & 50% ma rating compared to the mAh rating of the batteries, also one that charges

the cells as individuals as opposed to piled as pairs. Google : "Smart battery charger" or go to :

 

http://www.thomas-distributing.com/index.htm

 

Those so called "fast" chargers, that charge in say . . . 15 min., WILL KILL your batteries.

 

Norm

Edited by RRLover
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DP457

DP457

Posted
Posted
I've been using a T720 battery for almost 2 months that I "rescued" from being thrown out at work. Even got the phone as a charger (phone doesn't power on but does charge the battery). I just ordered a second battery as a spare so I'm good to go with 2 batteries to work with.

 

FYI I get about 8-10 hours use on low back light on a charge which is acceptable for my short cache hunts.

 

Just to make sure that I understand your post.

 

T720 is a type of a battery which fits and works in the Explorer 500 GPS - correct?

 

I saw a cell phone called Motorola T720 (AT&T) Phone w/ Battery on E-bay so that would be the product to buy since the cellphone is use full as part of a charger (I need to buy the charger though) for the battery - correct?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

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geognerd

+geognerd

Posted
Posted

T720 is a type of a battery which fits and works in the Explorer 500 GPS - correct?

 

I saw a cell phone called Motorola T720 (AT&T) Phone w/ Battery on E-bay so that would be the product to buy since the cellphone is use full as part of a charger (I need to buy the charger though) for the battery - correct?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

You want a battery that fits the Motorola t720 phone. In particular, you want the extended life version. Earlier in this topic, it is mentioned that the standard t720 battery is too thin to be used correctly in the eXplorist. You want the SNN5595 1100mAh battery discussed on the first page of this topic. This battery used to be plentiful on eBay, but now I only see one listing for it. No need to buy a special charger or phone for the battery. It can be charged in the eXplorist just like the original battery from Magellan.

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DP457

DP457

Posted
Posted

T720 is a type of a battery which fits and works in the Explorer 500 GPS - correct?

 

I saw a cell phone called Motorola T720 (AT&T) Phone w/ Battery on E-bay so that would be the product to buy since the cellphone is use full as part of a charger (I need to buy the charger though) for the battery - correct?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

You want a battery that fits the Motorola t720 phone. In particular, you want the extended life version. Earlier in this topic, it is mentioned that the standard t720 battery is too thin to be used correctly in the eXplorist. You want the SNN5595 1100mAh battery discussed on the first page of this topic. This battery used to be plentiful on eBay, but now I only see one listing for it. No need to buy a special charger or phone for the battery. It can be charged in the eXplorist just like the original battery from Magellan.

 

Thank you for your reply.

My eXplorist 500 never came with a charger, I was lucky to find a charger in a store but it only plugs into the car.

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geognerd

+geognerd

Posted
Posted

T720 is a type of a battery which fits and works in the Explorer 500 GPS - correct?

 

I saw a cell phone called Motorola T720 (AT&T) Phone w/ Battery on E-bay so that would be the product to buy since the cellphone is use full as part of a charger (I need to buy the charger though) for the battery - correct?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

You want a battery that fits the Motorola t720 phone. In particular, you want the extended life version. Earlier in this topic, it is mentioned that the standard t720 battery is too thin to be used correctly in the eXplorist. You want the SNN5595 1100mAh battery discussed on the first page of this topic. This battery used to be plentiful on eBay, but now I only see one listing for it. No need to buy a special charger or phone for the battery. It can be charged in the eXplorist just like the original battery from Magellan.

 

Thank you for your reply.

My eXplorist 500 never came with a charger, I was lucky to find a charger in a store but it only plugs into the car.

Did your eXplorist come with the data cable? If so, you can charge it through USB with the unit shut off. Do note that some laptop USB ports might not supply enough power to charge the unit in a timely manner.

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DP457

DP457

Posted
Posted

T720 is a type of a battery which fits and works in the Explorer 500 GPS - correct?

 

I saw a cell phone called Motorola T720 (AT&T) Phone w/ Battery on E-bay so that would be the product to buy since the cellphone is use full as part of a charger (I need to buy the charger though) for the battery - correct?

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

You want a battery that fits the Motorola t720 phone. In particular, you want the extended life version. Earlier in this topic, it is mentioned that the standard t720 battery is too thin to be used correctly in the eXplorist. You want the SNN5595 1100mAh battery discussed on the first page of this topic. This battery used to be plentiful on eBay, but now I only see one listing for it. No need to buy a special charger or phone for the battery. It can be charged in the eXplorist just like the original battery from Magellan.

 

Thank you for your reply.

My eXplorist 500 never came with a charger, I was lucky to find a charger in a store but it only plugs into the car.

Did your eXplorist come with the data cable? If so, you can charge it through USB with the unit shut off. Do note that some laptop USB ports might not supply enough power to charge the unit in a timely manner.

If it did then I must have misplaced it - can't 'for the life of me' find this important cable - although, instead, I am finding other long time misplaced stuff :laughing:

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