Favorite GPS batteries?

[Anton]

What is your favorite brand/model battery for a GPS receiver?

 

Anton, N2RUd

[+EraSeek]

Radio Shack nickle metal hydride 1500mAh

 

~EraSeek

[SergZak]

1. GP Battery 1800mAh NiMH

2. Monster Power 1800mAh NiMH

[+LarsThorwald]

I am totally into a Lenmar "No MEM" package that I got a gpsworld.com. I got 4 AA's and a charger for about 20 bucks, and the charge lasts forever.

 

Charlie

 

"One should never begin a journey by heading in the wrong direction."

[+15Tango]

I have 8 1500 mAh NiMH and 8 1700 mAh that I use--I can put in a pair of the 1700's, use them the night before to load my waypoints, and use the same batteries all day seeking caches. When I first got them, I was ready to be disappointed--I put in a full charge, and they lasted until I got out of the driveway, but now that I've discharged then recharged them a few times they seem to be working great. 15T

 

www.1800goguard.com

[+st_richardson]

I have 4 sets for my GPS & 2 chargers.

Also I have two sets for my digital camera.

[+apersson850]

I use NiMH too, rated at 1700 mAh. I have some with less capacity also, but I use the best one most of the time.

I normally don't hike for days, so a pair is sufficient for my needs for a day. Then I can recharge, if necessary. And I have external power whilst in my car.

 

Anders

[+Tedoca]

I use plain old alkaline batteries. Put them in my digital camera first and then when the camera say's they're 'dead' I take 'em out of there and put them into my GPSr for another 5 hours or so of use.

 

Regards,

Tedoca

 

[+GOT GPS?]

Radio Shack NiMH 1600's, or Kroger Alkalines(Get on discount).

 

My home page about GPS units and information

[+Vertigo]

I use some Rayovac 1600mAh NiMH rechargeables (purchased at walmart for like $10). I also have the Rayovac 1 hour charger which works great. I charge them up before I leave and they have allways lasted all day for me, even into the night witht eh backlight on.

 

I still carry spares just in case, but I've never had to use them. I LOVE my 1 hour charger

[+Vertigo]

I use some Rayovac 1600mAh NiMH rechargeables (purchased at walmart for like $10). I also have the Rayovac 1 hour charger which works great. I charge them up before I leave and they have allways lasted all day for me, even into the night witht eh backlight on.

 

I still carry spares just in case, but I've never had to use them. I LOVE my 1 hour charger

[+Renegade Knight]

I have some 1600mah panasonic NiMH batteries. At first they lasted 9 hours in a Garmin GPS V. But after a few cycles they are up to 13.5 for normal use. Now I need to get a better charger and more batteries. The kids keep using them in their gameboys.

[Team BLT n E]

I have been using Quest NiMH in my Garmin GPS12 for a few months and I really enjoy the flexibility they provide. One annoying feature I am wondering if others have seen is that my battery strength indicator never dips below about 40% so i have have little to no warning of imminent failure, the unit just shuts off. I never had this problem with regular alkaline batteries. I always carry a backup set, but I was wondering if this was common for NiMH in general, or perhaps it is related to my battery brand or GPS?

 

[Team BLT n E]

I have been using Quest NiMH in my Garmin GPS12 for a few months and I really enjoy the flexibility they provide. One annoying feature I am wondering if others have seen is that my battery strength indicator never dips below about 40% so i have have little to no warning of imminent failure, the unit just shuts off. I never had this problem with regular alkaline batteries. I always carry a backup set, but I was wondering if this was common for NiMH in general, or perhaps it is related to my battery brand or GPS?

 

[+Alan2]

I use Alkalines on "the trail" and lighter cable in the car. I don't think I do enough geocaching to warrant rechargeables.

 

Alan

[?]

I use rechargable NiMh and NiCad's but ALWAYS carry spare Duracell Ultra Alkalines as a backup.

[+ClayJar]

I've got a good handful of various brands of NiMH cells, and it's definitely a nice thing. I never worry about leaving my receiver on, since all I'll have to do is charge them up again with my Rayovac PS-4 1-hour charger when I get home.

[+CYBret]

The slightly more expensive NiMH versions, not the Alkaline's that seem to like to blow up in my charger.

 

What's up with that, anyway?

 

I was able to pick up a few of them cheap when Kmart closed a couple weeks ago.

 

Bret

[+Moosiegirl]

we use NiMHs in the camera and in the GPS ... one thing a lot of people don't know is that NiMH's won't hold a charge (it trickles out) at room temp, so you might not be leaving home with a full charge if they have been sitting out of the charger. When you take them out of the charger, throw them in the freezer and they will still be at full charge when you pull them out.

 

I have two chargers, a little 4-cell one I got from aspencer.com and a big one from Radio Shack that will do 8 AA's at a time, and quickly, too. Does not overcharge, which is important with NiMH's for battery life ... make sure you get one that will cut back when the batteries are charged. We use them so much for so many things we have 32 batteries, I think! They range from 1100 to 1600 MaH. I'll have to start monitoring how long they last, but if we start with fresh batteries we can go the entire day with the Vista and have power to spare no matter which ones we throw in.

 

Happy Trails,

Candy

 

Candy (moosiegirl)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralTexasGeocachers/

[+Moosiegirl]

we use NiMHs in the camera and in the GPS ... one thing a lot of people don't know is that NiMH's won't hold a charge (it trickles out) at room temp, so you might not be leaving home with a full charge if they have been sitting out of the charger. When you take them out of the charger, throw them in the freezer and they will still be at full charge when you pull them out.

 

I have two chargers, a little 4-cell one I got from aspencer.com and a big one from Radio Shack that will do 8 AA's at a time, and quickly, too. Does not overcharge, which is important with NiMH's for battery life ... make sure you get one that will cut back when the batteries are charged. We use them so much for so many things we have 32 batteries, I think! They range from 1100 to 1600 MaH. I'll have to start monitoring how long they last, but if we start with fresh batteries we can go the entire day with the Vista and have power to spare no matter which ones we throw in.

 

Happy Trails,

Candy

 

Candy (moosiegirl)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CentralTexasGeocachers/

[m49crabill]

I also use NiMH batteries and discovered with my new Magellan Meridian the power display never goes higher than 80% on freshly charged batteries. Contacted Magellan and they do not recommend NiMH. I'm going to continue using NiMH because they last soooo long.

[+avaloncourt]

I also use the RayOVac NiMH batteries and the 1 hour charger. If you buy the 1 hour charger from WalMart right now it comes bundled with a cigarette lighter cord as a bonus. Can't beat that. Good batteries and the ability to charge 1 hour in the car.

[+apersson850]

The bahavior of the battery meter gauge is typical for NiMH batteries. They don't reach the same voltage, even when fully charged, as the alkalines do. On the other hand, the voltage doesn't drop that low while discharging either.

 

This means that the battery meter will not indicate full, when they are, but will not indicate empty either, when they are, since the NiMH batteries will keep their voltage longer, and then drop dead suddenly.

 

Anders

[+mikemtn]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Anders:

The bahavior of the battery meter gauge is typical for NiMH batteries. They don't reach the same voltage, even when fully charged, as the alkalines do. On the other hand, the voltage doesn't drop that low while discharging either.

 

This means that the battery meter will not indicate full, when they are, but will not indicate empty either, when they are, since the NiMH batteries will keep their voltage longer, and then drop dead suddenly.

 

Anders

---

 

I don't know what this does, but, For the Garmin GPS V Changes made from Software version 2.02 to 2.03: includes Added NiCad and NiMH battery support.

 

_______________________________

Thanks, Mike

 

It's Purple Martin Time in Tennessee

[+CharlieP]

I am using 1500 mah NiMH cells with brand name Telepower. I bought 4 cells and a small overnight (low amperage) charger at Ritz Camera (now Wolf Camera in the Atlanta area) for $15. They work fine, but required a 3 cycle break-in before they delivered full capacity.

 

FWIW,

CharlieP

[Cache Canucks]

Eveready also produces a line of rechargable NiMH batteries (AA's at 1700mAh) under the 'Energizer' name, along with a 5 hour charger that 'trickles' your batteries once fully charged so that they remain 'topped-up' until you need them. I found both the charger and the batteries available at 'Home Depot' (the charger and 4 AA's cost me about $50CAD/$30USD). Like the commercials say, "...they just keep going, and going, and going...".

[Dru Morgan]

I saw one of these at A-16 (local camping outfitter) and thought I might get it. I currenly have the 15 hour charger for my AA's

Solar Charger

 

Everywhere that cache is found,

Bound to Cover Just a Little More Ground.

-Dru Morgan www.theheavenlyhost.com/dru

[+worldtraveler]

They last for 30+ hours in my Garmin V and handle the extremes of temperature with no degradation in performance. A package of 2 costs $5 at WalMart.

 

Worldtraveler

[TheMadHungarian]

Gotta go with worldtraveler Lithium

 

The Mad Hungarian