xxgg Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 Hello. I have Garmin 60CSx and I have a question about battery type. First of all, why does it even have this option? Alkaline & NiMH option. Does it change something when certain type of battery is used? What if I use one kind yet in option I set it to other type? What/Why does this matter? I would really appreciate your knowlodge regarding this option about batteries. +Your experience with it. Thank you! Quote
Tilly & Billy Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 Alkaline and NiMH cells have different cell voltages with and without load on them plus have different dynamic voltage characterisitcs as their capacity is depleted. Knowing the type of cell present allows a voltage detection circuit/feature to make a more accurate prediction of remaining cell life, thus giving you a better idea of how much remaining battery life you have. Quote
+mcope Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 I use lithium batteries in my 60csx. Does anyone know if the Nimh selection best matches its load characteristics as opposed to alkaline? Is there any reason why I shouldn't use lithium? Quote
eaparks Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 I use lithium batteries in my 60csx. Does anyone know if the Nimh selection best matches its load characteristics as opposed to alkaline? Is there any reason why I shouldn't use lithium? Typically alkaline batteries are 1.5v at full charge, Nimh are approx. 1.2v at full charge, Lithiums sometimes are higher than 1.5v at full charge. When the 60CSx first came out it had a Lithium option in the battery type setting. It was eliminated in the one of the updates. There were several posts on the forum of users saying that there 60CSx would shut down after installing a new set of Lithiums. The culprit was the high voltage output, being higher than 1.5v / battery; so the remedy they found was to discharge them slightly before using them in their GPS. The individuals that reported this discharged them slightly usually in a flashlight and then no longer had the shutdown problem. So to answear your question, I would think that the alkaline setting would be the better choice for Lithium batteries since it would more closely match the full charge voltage of the battery. Maybe a battery expert will add more detail. Quote
Hertzog Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 I use lithium batteries in my 60csx. Does anyone know if the Nimh selection best matches its load characteristics as opposed to alkaline? Is there any reason why I shouldn't use lithium? Probably the alkaline is better, but it doesn't really matter (I happen to have lithiums in mine right now, and I didn't think to change from the NIMH setting). The lithiums are fine if they work at all; some 60CSx's (mine included) will not turn on with most fresh lithiums - voltage is slightly too high for the sensor circuit - the unit momentarily comes on and then the display slowly fades away. If you put them in and the 60CSx turns on you are good to go (the higher voltage doesn't do any damage). The lithiums last a long time - 50 to 100% longer than alkalines - but when they go you don't have much warning (the discharge curve is very flat, with a sharp cutoff at the end). So you want to make sure you have some spares with you. Quote
gratefulHIKE Posted January 2, 2008 Posted January 2, 2008 all the science mumbo jumbo is there......it basically boils down to wether or not you like to just throw away your batteries I dont......so I use the 2500-2650 mah rechargeables.......I have 12 of them and use they have all been running fine for the past year, they have paid for themselves by now if you like throwing batteries away then just get the cheapo's......sure lithiums last a bit longer, but is it worth the price difference? I dont think so Quote
+mcope Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 ......it basically boils down to wether or not you like to just throw away your batteries I dont......so I use the 2500-2650 mah rechargeables.......I have 12 of them and use they have all been running fine for the past year, they have paid for themselves by now if you like throwing batteries away then just get the cheapo's......sure lithiums last a bit longer, but is it worth the price difference? I dont think so I appreciate the advice, but I don't think your comment tells the full story. Before I had my 60csx, I was using a Garmin GPS 12 that requires 4 AAs. The downside of NiMHs is that at least 1 out of 4 is a loser. I have a La Crosse Technology BC-900 charger because it's probably the best charger out there for AA/AAA NiMHs. It sort of makes you angry when you buy four rechargeables and at least one of them is a dud right out of the box. You can probably guess that your GPSr is going to go down when the weakest AA goes. At least the BC-900 can help you identify the duds, but that means you have to buy a 2 packs of 4 just to get your GPSr going for the full run time. If you want a backup set of 4, you better start off buying 3 packs of 4. Get my drift. While I haven't had a problem with my charger, NiMHs get awfully hot when charging and most chargers don't know when to shut down. That's why I got the BC-900, plus its ability to locate the duds. Unfortunately, I found this meltdown warning in preparing this response. The upside is, I have a 60csx and it only requires 2 AAs. Chances are I could buy 2 packs of 4 and be doubly backup'd. The downside I didn't mention above is that NiMHs are always discharging, even when not in use. So you have to make the extra effort of charging your whole set at least before every time you go out if you geocache just once a week or less often. Maybe lithiums aren't so bad. Quote
+Miragee Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Unless you are caching in very cold weather, Lithium batteries are a waste of money. If you switch to better-quality rechargeable batteries, particularly the new Hybrid rechargeables (Rayovac, Eneloop, etc.), you will spend far less money on batteries over the years. Off-brand rechargeable batteries are not a good investment, but name-brand, Hybrid rechargeable batteries are. Quote
eaparks Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 (edited) I second that on the newer Hybrid batteries. I started out using standard Nimh (before Hybrids were available) and they got to the point that they would only hold a charge for about a week while sitting unused. Switched to the Rayovac Hybrids and have been very happy with them, longer run time, and can sit for months with minimal self discharge. Edited January 3, 2008 by eaparks Quote
+mcope Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I was not aware of these low self-discharge NiMH batteries. I can't wait to try them. Quote
xxgg Posted January 3, 2008 Author Posted January 3, 2008 Umm... Can we stay with the topic please? Thank you. Quote
+Sputnik 57 Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Lithiums have a very flat output curve with a steep decline at the end of life. But all that means is that your battery indicator may show 3 bars for a long time, then suddenly you get no bars and a battery low warning. Keep a spare pair handy. They tend to last about twice as long as alkalines, but at three times the cost they are not a great deal. Atlanta Gal ran a test that she reported on in this thread. And of course if you travel, as of last Tuesday, you can't carry spare lithiums in your carry-on luggage. Quote
Hertzog Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 And of course if you travel, as of last Tuesday, you can't carry spare lithiums in your carry-on luggage. Good information; I wasn't aware of this. Technically, the AA lithiums are not the same as the lithium ions they are targeting (in fact, as I understand it the AA lithiums are more evionmentally friendly than alkalines), but the average checker probably wouldn't know that (I don't think some people at Garmin know it ) Quote
GregHarr Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I was not aware of these low self-discharge NiMH batteries. I can't wait to try them. What is your problem?? Greg Quote
+JSWilson64 Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I was not aware of these low self-discharge NiMH batteries. I can't wait to try them. What is your problem?? Greg You're right, what a jerk! Quote
+cmiked Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 Lithiums have a very flat output curve with a steep decline at the end of life. But all that means is that your battery indicator may show 3 bars for a long time, then suddenly you get no bars and a battery low warning. Keep a spare pair handy. They tend to last about twice as long as alkalines, but at three times the cost they are not a great deal. Atlanta Gal ran a test that she reported on in this thread. And of course if you travel, as of last Tuesday, you can't carry spare lithiums in your carry-on luggage. It's actually no spare lithiums in CHECKED luggage. You can carry one spare in carry-on luggage. Quote
+mcope Posted January 3, 2008 Posted January 3, 2008 I was not aware of these low self-discharge NiMH batteries. I can't wait to try them. What is your problem?? Greg You're right, what a jerk! ??? Quote
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