To only get about 2 1/2hrs out of a set of Duracells” finest?
The GPS is spotty dog, but it appears to be chewing through batteries?
What do I need to do to be able to follow a route all day, without having to carry a boat load of batteries around with me?
😐

I assume you mean Alkaline?

Go NIMH. I get around 16 hours out of a set of good ones.

Also – power save/screen blanking.

This site will show you the settings for better battery life. As Colin says, plain NiCad don’t really cut it.

Cheers gents.

There’s also a ‘Battery Type’ setting that needs to be changed between alkaline (i.e. Duracell) and NiMH so that the battery level indicator works properly.

It may be that if the “battery type” is set to NiMH when you’re using the Duracell alkaline batteries the device is telling you the batteries are flat when they’re not – or are you leaving the camera on? I would have expected better from a pair of AA cells (maybe 8 hrs?).

Rechargeable NiMH are the way to go though (Eneloop if you want a recommendation).

Mine seems to detect the battery type automatically.

I think it will if you use the Garmin battery pack (when it disables the option to set battery type), but not if you use separate AA cells, but I may be wrong.

It’s normal (non-Garmin) NIMHs I use, or Lithiums when necessary. It always seems to recognise the NIMHs, whether or not I “hack” the recharge button.

P’raps it’s set to NiMH? Dunno 🙂

The Garmin rechargeable is stupid money for what is 2x AA rechargeables clipped together – however the clip provides and important function as it depresses the switch that enables charging – you can bodge your own. I can usually get about 10-12 hours out the rechargeable and for multi-day rides use Energizer Lithiums – I was getting about 16 hours at -20C and below. Also turn off the backlight and mapping – just follow the ‘worm’ to preserve battery life.

Still struggling to work out what I’m doing wrong..
🙄 😳

Still can’t get anything like a decent time out of a pair of rechargeable batteries.

I’ve got Duracell rechargeables in mine (the gold and green ones) and get at least 12hrs out of them. As dovebiker says you can fudge the device that allows you to recharge any model of battery – it’s just a thin piece of foil, something like a bit of old toothpaste tube will do.

I have the screensaver set to 30 seconds so most of the time the screen (which is one of the big drains on energy) is off.

What batteries are you using Nick?

I just use Amazons own NIMHs these days – with a decent charger (currently a Youshiko YC4000).

With backlight off you should easily get 12 hours from a set of 2400mAh batteries. I’ve had 18hrs or more from 2900’s.

Have you tried a set of Lithiums yet?

I’ve got some Maplin own Nimh rechargeable ones Colin, along with their own charger..
I’ll try with the backlights off and see how I get on!
Cheers again.. hopefully no more bone questions will be asked.. 😥 😳

But if anyone is near Cheshire that could run through it with me.. monkey see monkey do and all that..