My Colorado Eats Batteries!

[+Warriorrider]

I picked up a Colorado 300 the other day and did the firmware upgrades but the thing goes thru batteries like there is no tomorrow. Less than 5 hours and the unit shuts down. And this with no backight and using new Hybrid batteries. Also the time changes to central time (I'm pacific) at random times. Anyone else seeing this behavior too?

[yogazoo]

If you would have even mildly skimmed through the other posts about the Colorado you would find this topic discussed many times over and in abundance. Your right, it does eat through the rechargables at a voracious pace.

 

It has been noted that they don't quite have the power management stuff worked out in their firmware. I am hoping, man am I hoping they can get it worked out. I am fairly confident that its a firmware thing and not so much a hardware thing. Yeah, the backlight is obviously going to eat more power for its sheer size but everything else should be closer to par with a 60CSX. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe the thing is just a power hog. Only time will tell.

[+g-o-cashers]

I picked up a Colorado 300 the other day and did the firmware upgrades but the thing goes thru batteries like there is no tomorrow. Less than 5 hours and the unit shuts down. And this with no backight and using new Hybrid batteries. Also the time changes to central time (I'm pacific) at random times. Anyone else seeing this behavior too?

 

There are definitely people having issues with NiMH batteries in the Colorado but yours sounds a little more extreme than most. With new batteries you also have to run them through a dozen cycles or so before they hold a good charge. You might try with an older set or a set of alkalines to compare.

 

As for the TZ changing I haven't heard that one yet. Are you changing profiles by any chance? I'm guessing the default TZ setting is Central (Garmin HQ). If you are switching profiles the settings will change for the TZ as you switch back and forth.

 

GO$Rs

[+Marky]

I had a thought on this issue. Can the people doing testing make sure that they have a clear view of the satellites while they are testing? I believe the unit draws more power when the reception is poor (like when it is inside). That might explain the time zone issue as well, if it is constantly lost. Just a thought.

 

--Marky

[+RRLover]

As for the TZ changing I haven't heard that one yet. Are you changing profiles by any chance? I'm guessing the default TZ setting is Central (Garmin HQ). If you are switching profiles the settings will change for the TZ as you switch back and forth.

GO$Rs

Is this to be interpreted as "one must adjust the time zone for each profile independently in their respective

'set-up' menus"? Not that that's a big issue, just nice to know if that's the case.

 

Norm

Edited January 31, 2008 by RRLover

[+g-o-cashers]

As for the TZ changing I haven't heard that one yet. Are you changing profiles by any chance? I'm guessing the default TZ setting is Central (Garmin HQ). If you are switching profiles the settings will change for the TZ as you switch back and forth.

GO$Rs

Is this to be interpreted as "one must adjust the time zone for each profile independently in their respective

'set-up' menus"? Not that that's a big issue, just nice to know if that's the case.

 

Norm

 

I just checked one of the profiles I haven't used and the TZ was set to Central (my others have been changed to Eastern). It seems TZ is dependent on profile and needs to be set for each one.

 

It might be nice when the CO first starts and asks you about Language and TZ to set all of the profiles uniformly and let you customize from there.

 

GO$Rs

[+Warriorrider]

I picked up a Colorado 300 the other day and did the firmware upgrades but the thing goes thru batteries like there is no tomorrow. Less than 5 hours and the unit shuts down. And this with no backight and using new Hybrid batteries. Also the time changes to central time (I'm pacific) at random times. Anyone else seeing this behavior too?

 

There are definitely people having issues with NiMH batteries in the Colorado but yours sounds a little more extreme than most. With new batteries you also have to run them through a dozen cycles or so before they hold a good charge. You might try with an older set or a set of alkalines to compare.

 

As for the TZ changing I haven't heard that one yet. Are you changing profiles by any chance? I'm guessing the default TZ setting is Central (Garmin HQ). If you are switching profiles the settings will change for the TZ as you switch back and forth.

 

GO$Rs

 

Yep, that explains the TZ thing. I just didn't realize that it would have to be changed for each Profile.

 

So I just put freshly charged NiMH batteries in and kicked the light to always on. Batteries are hlf dead in about an hour so far.

It seems that the folks with the 300 are getting less battery life than those with the 400t according to posts here. If that's true then maybe I should return mine and upgrade. I do not want to carry a case full of batteries around with me.

[Grasscatcher]

Somewhere in the forum someone said ......even if you have NIMH batts installed, change the setting on the unit for the "type of battery" to "alkaline" and it will be closer to reading correctly.

It's not actually draining the batts that fast, it's just telling itself that. Batts that show to be drained in the Colorado can be placed in another GPSr and they show to be fine.

 

Worth a try.......

Edited January 31, 2008 by Grasscatcher

[+Timpat]

Somewhere in the forum someone said ......even if you have NIMH batts installed, change the setting on the unit for the "type of battery" to "alkaline" and it will be closer to reading correctly.

It's not actually draining the batts that fast, it's just telling itself that. Batts that show to be drained in the Colorado can be placed in another GPSr and they show to be fine.

 

Worth a try.......

Yes, I have the 300 and this has been the case for me using Eneloop 2000mah NiMH batts. I tested different type settings and today I got about 5 hrs of full backlight using the alkaline setting. Overall batt life with the unit on with full backlighting is about 10-12 hrs so far. After the 5 hrs full backlighting, it dims to half level automatically and there is no user over ride. From there on it further dims till it showed a red half-bar with it dying shortly after.

[+Marky]

Yes, I have the 300 and this has been the case for me using Eneloop 2000mah NiMH batts. I tested different type settings and today I got about 5 hrs of full backlight using the alkaline setting. Overall batt life with the unit on with full backlighting is about 10-12 hrs so far. After the 5 hrs full backlighting, it dims to half level automatically and there is no user over ride. From there on it further dims till it showed a red half-bar with it dying shortly after.

Cool, I wonder if you had your setting on NiMH, and then when the screen dimmed, if you switched over to Alkaline, if it would come back to full brightness for a while longer. Of course, there is no advantage to this other than my curiosity. Until the next update, I'll probably just switch my setting to Alkaline (I use the Eneloop 2000s as well. Thank you Costco.)

 

--Marky

Edited January 31, 2008 by Marky

[+Warriorrider]

Yes, I have the 300 and this has been the case for me using Eneloop 2000mah NiMH batts. I tested different type settings and today I got about 5 hrs of full backlight using the alkaline setting. Overall batt life with the unit on with full backlighting is about 10-12 hrs so far. After the 5 hrs full backlighting, it dims to half level automatically and there is no user over ride. From there on it further dims till it showed a red half-bar with it dying shortly after.

Cool, I wonder if you had your setting on NiMH, and then when the screen dimmed, if you switched over to Alkaline, if it would come back to full brightness for a while longer. Of course, there is no advantage to this other than my curiosity. Until the next update, I'll probably just switch my setting to Alkaline (I use the Eneloop 2000s as well. Thank you Costco.)

 

--Marky

 

I wish I could squeeze that much out of my unit. 2 hours max of max light before it kicks down using the Alkaline setting.

[yogazoo]

Yes, I have the 300 and this has been the case for me using Eneloop 2000mah NiMH batts. I tested different type settings and today I got about 5 hrs of full backlight using the alkaline setting. Overall batt life with the unit on with full backlighting is about 10-12 hrs so far. After the 5 hrs full backlighting, it dims to half level automatically and there is no user over ride. From there on it further dims till it showed a red half-bar with it dying shortly after.

Cool, I wonder if you had your setting on NiMH, and then when the screen dimmed, if you switched over to Alkaline, if it would come back to full brightness for a while longer. Of course, there is no advantage to this other than my curiosity. Until the next update, I'll probably just switch my setting to Alkaline (I use the Eneloop 2000s as well. Thank you Costco.)

 

--Marky

 

I wish I could squeeze that much out of my unit. 2 hours max of max light before it kicks down using the Alkaline setting.

 

If I would get 5hrs with backlight on high I would swoon and faint.

 

Could there possibly be different types or brands or models of chipsets in these different units that could account for these differences? I know certain chipsets are more efficient than others. Hmmm.

[+zeroelevation]

I'm convinced the colorado 400t has issues with the lower 1.2 voltage NiMH batteries. I have three different types of NiHM batteries and i've been using them for a few weeks with varied hours of use. After putting a fresh couple in I saw a flicker of the low power screen but when i checked the power of the battery on the Colorado they were 100%. Obviously the Colorado can't monitor these battery types if it flickers a low power screen and doesn't reduce the power or brightness.

...yes, I have the battery options set correct and ver 2.3/2.6.

 

I've switched to 1.5 volt Alkaline to see if they last longer.

 

Looking foward to a fix by Garmin soon?!!!

Edited February 5, 2008 by zeroelevation

[+Manatee87]

I've been skiing wih my Colorado the last couple of days, using alkalines. I'm not getting a full day out of a pair -- and I'm just turning it on, and letting it gather data, sticking out of my pocket. I get "Low Battery" at about 6 hours, and they're gone soon after. I get more than twice that with the 60CSx, using it the same way.

 

 

I'm going to try lithiums, and see how that goes.

[+Marky]

I've been skiing wih my Colorado the last couple of days, using alkalines. I'm not getting a full day out of a pair -- and I'm just turning it on, and letting it gather data, sticking out of my pocket. I get "Low Battery" at about 6 hours, and they're gone soon after. I get more than twice that with the 60CSx, using it the same way.

Is the backlight off? Is the compass off? Also, having the GPS not sticking out of your pocket shouldn't adversely affect the reception and should increase the battery life by keeping the batteries warmer.

 

--Marky

[+GOT GPS?]

I have a 60Cx from Feb 2006, and it always was bad on batteries, and the batteries that died in the 60Cx would work in my fairly new 60CSx replacement. The old 60Cx had alot of issues, like the power level meter would bounce up and down, and it had receiver issues.

 

Hopefully Garmin works the bugs out of these new Colorados, then I may get one in the future, like a 400t

[dopoka]

I have been using Energizer lithium batteries in my 400t. I am using the lithiums because it has been in the teens and 20s and alkalines and rechargeables don't last very long at these temperatures. I got about 27 hours out of my first set of batteries. I have the backlight set to 15 seconds and I probably only use it 5-6 times an hour. So you could estimate that the backlight was on about 40 minutes out of the 27 hours.

Edited February 5, 2008 by dopoka