Rechargeable NiMH batteries in a Garmin V.....

[Alphawolf]

Has anyone used the "battery timer" feature in the V to track battery life of these rechargeables in your V? I use GP 1800 Milliamp rechargeables, and am getting only about 6 hours when I checked the timer at the "low battery" warning. I wonder if my charger isn't "topping them off" fully?

[+Kodak's4]

quote:

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Originally posted by Alphawolf:

Has anyone used the "battery timer" feature in the V to track battery life of these rechargeables in your V? I use GP 1800 Milliamp rechargeables, and am getting only about 6 hours when I checked the timer at the "low battery" warning. I wonder if my charger isn't "topping them off" fully?

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Are you getting six hours from 'fresh batteries' to when the unit warns you about low batteries, or six hours to when the unit shuts down?

 

I use (in matched sets, of course) PowerEx 1800's, Nexcell 1800's, PowerEx 1600's, and some brand I don't remember 1500's. Of those, I seem to get the longest use (not measured, but estimated at 8-9 hours) from the Nexcells.

 

I use a Maha MH-C204F to charge them. What are you using?

 

[+CharlieP]

You should get more time than that. MY GPS 76 will go about 10 to 12 hours on fully charged 1300 mah NiMH AA's. Consider that NiMH cells lose charge quickly after charging, about 5% to 10% in the first day and then another 2% to 5% a day depending on temperature. So if you charge the cells and then let them sit in your GPS in your hot car for several days, you have probably lost half the charge. Another possibility is that the charger is not fully charging the cells, Some fast chargers may not fully charge the cells because they mayt be set so that the cells are not overcharged and overheated. This can be overcome by simply trickle charging the cells up to full capacity. Another thing to keep in mind is that new cells, or cells that have been stored a long time, may not perform at full capacity until they have been through 3 or 4 full discharge cycles.

 

FWIW,

CharlieP