Garmin Dakota 20 screen shutting off...

[+Former Hawkeye]

After a minute my screen goes blank and I have to push the power button.  I have tried putting fresh batteries in, but it does it every time now.  I have made sure to keep the unit update with Garmin.  Thank you!

[+ecanderson]

After installing fresh batteries, what does the battery indicator on the screen show?

Any chance you have the device set to Alkaline cells (or worse for mistaken voltage, Lithium cells) and you are actually using NiMH?  That will cause the device to think the cells are just about done when they're really not.

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by ecanderson

[+Atlas Cached]

Sounds to me like perhaps you have the Backlight Timeout set to 1 minute and Battery Save is enabled?

[+Atlas Cached]

11 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

After installing fresh batteries, what does the battery indicator on the screen show?

Any chance you have the device set to Alkaline cells (or worse for mistaken voltage, Lithium cells) and you are actually using NiMH?  That will cause the device to think the cells are just about done when they're really not.

 

 

The 'AA' battery selection has no affect on how the device functions. The only purpose for this selection is to calibrate the battery power indicator to accurately display the remaining battery charge.

[+ecanderson]

Yes, it does.  For example, if you set any of these units Lithium and install a pair of NiMH cells, the unit will detect a low battery state and shut off almost immediately.

That seems in keeping with the OP's problem, but we need a bit more feedback.

 

[+Atlas Cached]

23 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

Yes, it does.  For example, if you set any of these units Lithium and install a pair of NiMH cells, the unit will detect a low battery state and shut off almost immediately.

That seems in keeping with the OP's problem, but we need a bit more feedback.

 

 

This is what the internet is good for - Purely False and Misleading information.

 

I own more than 100 Garmin GPSr.

 

I just grabbed five at random, all of which have NiMH batteries installed, and set them each, one by one, to 'Lithium', and the only affect was that the battery gauge dropped two to three bars on each of them.

 

None of them 'shut off'.

[+ecanderson]

Well, I can tell you this:

a) I own several Garmin handheld units, including an old Dakota 20

b) Each one my units shuts down when it believes the pair of cells is sufficiently low - surely you have seen that behavior

c) 'Sufficiently low' is determined by the sensed voltage vs. the cell type that has been selected in Setup

d) Select the wrong cell type with NiMH cells installed (which run a lower voltage by nature), and in a very short time, the device will shut off.

 

Somehow, the profile on my Oregon 450 got reset to LIthium the other day.  I got about 15 minutes of use out of it before it shut down, and the doggone thing didn't even have the courtesy to give me the low battery warning first.

 

I have a Dakota 20 sitting right in front of me as I type.

Setup > System > Battery Type = Lithium, and it is operational on a pair of fully charged (1.32V) NiMH cells.  It shows a single green bar.  And that isn't going to last long.

Setup > System > Battery Type = Lithium, and have installed not fully charged (1.29V) NiMH cells.  The device won't even power up, much less shut down quickly.  I would note that the Dakota 20 is fussier than my 450, which would power up at least for a while on those cells at Lithium setting.

 

So YES, the Battery Type setting DOES impact how the device functions, at least insofar as when it declares cells in poor enough state to shut the device down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by ecanderson

[+ecanderson]

Interesting -- hadn't noted this back in the dark ages when I used my Dakota 20 regularly.

With one cell at 1.27 and the other at 1.28, the Dakota 20 won't even power up when set to NiMH.  It really IS fussier - much more so than my 450.

I think anyone commenting on this probably needs to have a Dakota 20 in front of them.

Edited August 7, 2020 by ecanderson

[+Atlas Cached]

I had to dig a Dakota 20 out just for these tests. 8^)

 

The Dakota 20, eTrex Touch 25, Oregon 650, Oregon 750, and GPSMAP 66 all show low battery voltage values when configured incorrectly, as described, but none shut down immediately, nor do any refuse to reboot after a power cycle.

 

If a Garmin GPSr loses power abruptly (crash, batteries removed, etc.) - there is a potential for data loss. When powered off normally (power button), you can see them pause while saving pertinent data be fore they finally power down completely a second or two later.

 

If the GPSr believes it is almost out of battery power (<3%) for any reason, including incorrect configuration by the user, the device will power down in a controlled manner to preserve user data integrity. 

 

This does not affect how the device functions. Either it is powered on and functioning, or it is powered off.

[+ecanderson]

I guess we have a different set of meanings for "function".  And all the OP was talking about was his/her device shutting down prematurely, which is where I've remained focused.

 

I would once have agreed that these devices always give warning (beep and "Batteries Low" message) before shutting down.  Have twice in the last month seen where not even the low battery beep occurred to suggest one pay attention to the display.  My 'navigator' had his pull this trick on him just last week.  We hadn't seen that before.  I agree that the lack of a controlled shutdown could very well be problematic depending upon what was being done at the time of the shutdown.

 

Would be nice to hear what the OP says happens after the shutdown and a re-press of the power button.

 

[+Atlas Cached]

22 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

I guess we have a different set of meanings for "function". 

 

 

Yes, perhaps. 'Function' and 'Functioning' are two entirely different things...

 

  

22 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

And all the OP was talking about was his/her device shutting down prematurely, which is where I've remained focused.

 

 

The OP did not say the unit 'shut down', you are assuming that is what happened.

 

The OP stated:

  

3 hours ago, Former Hawkeye said:

After a minute my screen goes blank and I have to push the power button.

 

'Screen goes blank' and 'Powers off' are also different events.

 

This could be a power off or a crash, or could very well be the 'Battery Save' function operating as designed.

 

  

22 minutes ago, ecanderson said:

Would be nice to hear what the OP says happens after the shutdown and a re-press of the power button.

 

 

Yes.

 

Does the unit come back to where they left off immediately? Or does the unit have to perform a complete boot sequence first?

 

8^)~

 

 

[+Former Hawkeye]

Wow!  I checked my battery selection correctly BUT I had the battery save on.  I only turn my GPS on when I am less than 2 miles from the cache to save juice already.

Thank you community( ecanderson and Atlas cached) for the quick and educational answers.  Asking Garmin in the past with my LegendCx was a painful experience, so that is why I asked here.  This little old granny appreciates the help!

[+Mineral2]

1 hour ago, Former Hawkeye said:

I only turn my GPS on when I am less than 2 miles from the cache to save juice already.

So... how do you know if you're less than 2 miles from the cache if your GPS is off? 

 

In all reality, your device with battery save mode on should last you all day on a single pair of NiMH rechargeable batteries. Most of us here use rechargeables so that we're not spending copious amounts of money buying and filling the landfill up with batteries. Bring a couple extra pair with you on any given trip and you don't have to worry about conserving battery usage. Turning these devices on and waiting for them to boot up ends up being less efficient, I think.

[+Former Hawkeye]

I look up ahead of time just exactly where I am going on a map on a cheap smartphone(and I do mean cheap) I own.  I usually do ONE cache as my area rarely receives a new hide since I moved here in 2017 in retirement.  It has been a long time since I had to change my batteries.  If I would ever power cache again-I would charge up the NiMH ones.  I don't think that is happening soon.  My husband has underlying medical issues and with the virus...trips are made for groceries and medical issues, caching is a side thing for "fun".