Rechargable GPS

[cozmo469]

Has anyone ever wondered why Garmin doesn't make/offer a reghargable gps. Kinda like a cell phone. I understand that people need to use GPSr's for long periods of time, but It just seems like this is something that we would see.

 

I for one would like this option, especially if there was an option to use wither AA batt. or the recharagable battery

 

I know there is the option to purchace your own rechargable AA's but...

[Atilla the Pun]

The last thing I want to see is another device with a proprietary battery that I can only use for that device and have to throw away when it goes bad. And then pay $45 for a replacement battery.

Respectfully,

 

AtP

[Atilla the Pun]

The last thing I want to see is another device with a proprietary battery that I can only use for that device and have to throw away when it goes bad. And then pay $45 for a replacement battery.

Respectfully,

 

AtP

[cozmo469]

quote:

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Originally posted by Atilla the Pun:

The last thing I want to see is another device with a proprietary battery that I can only use for that device and have to throw away when it goes bad. And then pay $45 for a replacement battery.

Respectfully,

 

AtP

---

 

I hear ya, but you can easily spend $45 dollars buying 400 AA Bats. That is equivalent to 200 charges of a rechargable batt. I agree, I would rather use a universal battery, but I would much rather be able to plug my unit into the outlet and charge it up for the day. (I guess that is why they make rechargable AA's.)

 

To each their own.

 

Cozmo

[cozmo469]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Atilla the Pun:

The last thing I want to see is another device with a proprietary battery that I can only use for that device and have to throw away when it goes bad. And then pay $45 for a replacement battery.

Respectfully,

 

AtP

---

 

I hear ya, but you can easily spend $45 dollars buying 400 AA Bats. That is equivalent to 200 charges of a rechargable batt. I agree, I would rather use a universal battery, but I would much rather be able to plug my unit into the outlet and charge it up for the day. (I guess that is why they make rechargable AA's.)

 

To each their own.

 

Cozmo

[+Alan2]

How about having a unit that would charge the AA rechargeables in your GPS while plugged into the lighter cable in your car while you traveling to the cache location? That doesn't seem like too much technology to add to the existing units.

 

Alan

[Atilla the Pun]

That would be decent, I guess. I'm kinda fussy about things like batteries. I have a $150 quick charger for my ni-cads.

 

AtP

[+Vertigo]

Ni-cads? If you're so fussy why dont you have NiMH? I only paid $30 for my 1 hour charger.

[Atilla the Pun]

Actually, that's for my RC cars, I just use it for other batteries (not NIMH!) too. I have a Monster charger, but I want the good Ray-O-Vac for my NIMH batteries.

 

AtP

[+Sagefox]

Trouble with a proprietary rechargable in a gps is that when the battery goes dead you are dead. Unless, I suppose, you buy two $45 batteries.

[Alphawolf]

Like stated above, the batteries would be way too expensive to replace. I have been using rechargeable NiMH AA's for a long time now. I haven't bought alkaline AA's for a long, long time and I think it's a waste to do so! Get rechargeables! I use them in all my AA "devices".

 

[+apersson850]

Like the eTrex is today, you can use both rechargeables and ordinary batteries. If you would allow recharging in the unit, and still have the option to plug in alkalines, you face the problem that if you try to charge normal batteries, they get very hot and may explode.

 

As it is now, I normally run my eTrex on NiMH, but I have a set of alkalines in my car, just in case. Alkalines don't self-discharge as fast as NiMh or (even worse) NiCd does. While in the car, I use my home-made 3 VDC supply via the cigarette lighter output.

 

Anders

[cozmo469]

Good opinions!

 

Could someone suggest some good rechargable AA Systems out there. I was doing a search and found that there are a ton of different brands. Also, any cheap places to get them!

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Cozmo

[Alphawolf]

Here's my favorite dealer:

http://www.durashop.com/

You can also find a great many dealers on e-bay. I just bought 12 rechargeable GP 1800 NiMH AA's for a little over $2.00 each from an e-bay dealer a couple of nights ago.

 

[+eustts]

search for thomas distributing on the net. I have 20 MAHA 1800mah AA batteries and they work great. Should have bought them alot sooner.

[+eustts]

search for thomas distributing on the net. I have 20 MAHA 1800mah AA batteries and they work great. Should have bought them alot sooner.

[Alphawolf]

quote:

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search for thomas distributing on the net.

---

The link I posted above "is" Thomas Distributing. Great company.

 

[rghermes]

what is the expected useful life on a fully charged set of NiMH batteries versus, a set of alkalines in a GPSr?

 

"Indecision may or may not be my problem"----J. Buffett

[MajBach]

quote:

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Originally posted by rghermes:

what is the expected useful life on a fully charged set of NiMH batteries versus, a set of alkalines in a GPSr?

 

"Indecision may or may not be my problem"----J. Buffett

---

Depends on the GPSr and it's voltage cutoff point. Some units have a setting to inform the GPSr what kind of batteries are installed so it knows to utilize the remaining capcity of those batteries. My GPS (GM100) sucks batteries like a leach to blood and cuts out at a very high voltage. Thus, there may be hours of useful current remaining in the batteries for another device, but their voltage is now to low for my unit.

Disposable alkalines are often rated at between 1800 to 2200 mAh ( that's just basically a capacity rating - like saying you get 500 miles on a full tank of gas, other batteries may have a bigger or smaller 'tank'). Unfortunately , that number does not indicate the drop in voltage the battery experiences during use. Since most digital electronic devices stop working based upon a voltage sensing, they cannot determine if there really is any juice left. Even if there is, it may not be 'pushed out' with enough 'force' for the unit to utilize.

I recently purchased 1700 mAh NiMH batteries for my GPS. On a full charge, my GPSr indicates there is only about 2/3rds of a charge in those batteries (this is because they do not chrage to as high a voltage as an alkaline). However, they power the unit well for 9 - 11 hours straight at 2/3rds charge. When they die, they die fast and have little life left in them.

Now, brand new Duracells, which have a higher capcity than the above NiMH (1800 mAh or better), only power my unit for about 6 hours, 8 if I'm lucky. But when the GPS shuts down because the batteries are dead, those batteries are still useable in a clock, remote, or flashlight etc.

So you can see, there is a science behind choosing the right batteries, and the application often determines what is best. Most GPSrs use quite abit of juice and have a fairly high cutoff voltage. Those NiMH batteries I purchased cost only three times the amount of disposable alkalines. In other words, they paid for themselves in less than three uses which took about a week.

 

MajBach

You can't have everything,where would you put it?

[+Jinkeez]

I posted this in an earlier thread, and I think it's a pretty good idea---

 

I've always thought it would have made a lot of sense to have a solar recharger-equipped unit. Ideally, I guess, it could have a small nicad, nimh, or liion battery that is constantly being replenished by a small solar cell, but still accept plain old batteries, too. Thus, the solar-rechargable feature would serve to augument the standard battery life and perhaps even run without batteries in an emergency, and on overcast days or at night, the standard AA batts could be changed out normally if they run out of power.

[toller]

I too would not buy it. I use NiMH batteries and am quite happy with them. But I have also had to bail myself out with regular batteries. I take long trips where it would be very tough to recharge my GPS. For around town, where rechargable would be most useful, I have my GPS plugged into my car anyway.

 

Think about how fast cell phone batteries get funny. I do not want my GPS in the same boat.

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

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Originally posted by Jinkeez:

I posted this in an earlier thread, and I think it's a pretty good idea---

 

I've always thought it would have made a lot of sense to have a solar recharger-equipped unit.

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Don't run to the patent office - these have already been out a while. REI sells

them.

 

[+Prime Suspect]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alan2:

How about having a unit that would charge the AA rechargeables in your GPS while plugged into the lighter cable in your car while you traveling to the cache location? That doesn't seem like too much technology to add to the existing units.

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The Ray-o-vac 1 hour charger has an optional 12v car kit, so you can charge batteries while driving.