is there a “go to” external battery for the Garmin Edge series?

look at extending the life, need mapping/backlight on during Septembers dark hours, looking at around 600km

Garmin option seems overpriced

anything else?

Yes, look on eBay for a mobile phone battery back with a USB output – I have a 3400mAh that has lasted 24 hours and I have 6400mAh that have lasted a couple of days. You should be spending £15 or so. The garmin lead will plug into it and provide charge no problem. The only thing you may want to add is waterproofing – I use carefully applied gaffer tape on the garmin and put the battery in a plastic bag.

Anker batteries from Amazon are a good bet. Wide range of sizes and honest capacity claims. 7day shop have a decent range too.

I got one from Maplins (to lazy to order online as I wanted it there and then). It’s about the size of an AA battery and straps under the stem nicely. Reckon it’d last 24 hours judging by how many times i can charge my iPhone with it but I’ve never tested.

I looked for one for my Garmin 500, turns out you can’t do it. When you connect the cable the Garmin goes into charging mode and thinks it needs to upload. The best I managed to do was buy one of those external batteries and when I stopped I plugged it in and boosted the charge. This ws for the Puffer and I ended up with three separate files, if your just looking for navigation though it should be fine I guess (or maybe not if you’ve uploaded a course and it thinks your miles from the start).

Veering slightly off topic, does that Garmin problem also occur if you try and charge it from a dynamo? Presumably it would.

I have a amazon sources external pack that takes 4 AA batteries with mini USB connector.. Make sure plugged in and turned on before you power up Garmin to avoid mass storage/charging mode. Have used it with Edge 800 a few times during Solo 24’s with no probs, just unplug when drained or within internal battery’s life and then continue using internal battery to give one file.

I think the 500 is the one that can’t be used and charged simultaneously. others seem to work ok.

I think the 500 is the one that can’t be used and charged simultaneously. others seem to work ok.

From http://www.everesting.cc/the-rules/

Please note that units such as the Garmin Edge 500 will reset if plugged in mid-ride. Not cool. The workaround is to find an OTE micro USB cable (look it up, they only cost a few bucks). This cable has a pin removed which ‘tricks’ the unit into ‘thinking’ that it isn’t actually plugged in. Test it beforehand, but trust us – it works. Also good for charging your phone on alternate laps (#protips).

ive seen these mentioned on yacf, can i use multiple batteries with the Edge 200/800? i.e if one dies, there is no issue plugging in another? or does it have to be one big battery, i.e external dies, then flicks onto the Garmin internal?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007WOKBRY/ref=pe_385721_37986871_TE_item

Mine gives a message external power lost but keeps working. You can just plug in a second battery.

Best to run the external batteries down and keep the internal battery charged.

^ thanks

is there anything like this i could use, but instead of a dynamo a battery in the steerer tube?

http://www.en.tout-terrain.de/accessories/electric-power-supply/the-plug-ii/