Garmin Edge 305 battery boost

paulbricey
paulbricey Posts: 84
edited May 2007 in Workshop
Just ordered a 5v (4xAA battery) USB boost pack for my Garmin Edge as it runs out after 10 hours on long trips. Anyone know how/when to put the boost pack into the Garmin - do you do it up front, when the Garmin says battery low, or doesn't it matter ?......Also saw it says you get 5 full recharges from the pack - is this right or do you sling the batteries each trip (or put rechargeables in).....I'm thinking to tape the battery pack on the (already overcrowded) bars & use the Garmin USB cable to connect.



Briceyinstockport
Briceyinstockport

Comments

  • Garybee
    Garybee Posts: 815
    Hi, sorry to ask you a question without answering yours but could you tell me where you bought the USB pack from please? I am doing a long ride in a few days and could really do with one of these.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    http://www.addonsworld.co.uk/product.php/21360/2647/

    I ordered this one....haven't used it yet as it just arrived today

    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • Garybee
    Garybee Posts: 815
    It looks as if that has a male USB plug, how do you intend to connect to the Garmin cable?
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    I read it takes the regular USB cable so assume it will be female.....if it's male I have a couple of short & extenders from USB flash freebies that I could use - just makes an even bigger mess on the bars ! (Shimano riders wouldn't notice this of course...[:D])

    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • Garybee
    Garybee Posts: 815
    "Shimano riders wouldn't notice this of course..."

    Just a drop in the ocean of Shimano knitting on the bars.


    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    Funny thing is that the white one below in the link http://www.addonsworld.co.uk/product.php/27257/0/ looks like it deffo has a female USB...


    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • Garybee
    Garybee Posts: 815
    If you read carefully the last one you linked to is for charging batteries from the computer's USB port.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    Have to see what I got when I open the box that arrived at home today ! I ordered black battery extender but it looks like the photo is a charger !!

    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • Garybee
    Garybee Posts: 815
    I suspect that the owner of the site has used one photo for a few things as they look so similar.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
    Hypocrisy is only a bad thing in other people.
  • chriswcp
    chriswcp Posts: 1,365
    Anyone seen the thread on motion based about external chargers for the edge?
    http://forums.motionbased.com/smf/index ... c=5519.160

    Have a look at the last few pages. The energi by energiser looks very interesting. Has anyone had any experience with this or know where I could get one in UK?

    Go back to page 7 and 8 to see pictures of the device. It does look like it will do the job and very neatly.
  • paulbricey
    paulbricey Posts: 84
    Mate of mine found this one...... http://www.gpsforless.co.uk/product_details.php?id=9105 but it's 250g (no batteries though)


    Briceyinstockport
    Briceyinstockport
  • veryslowtwitch
    veryslowtwitch Posts: 321
    Dear Paul

    I couldn't find the Energiser charger anywhere in the UK.

    I made a charger from a 9v battery and a voltage regulator. Details recently on the weightweenies training forum, sorry, I can't paste URLs. Total cost, about œ3.

    A 9v battery gave me about 5 hours extra charge, I plugged in the charger when the the display went down to one bar, total 15 hours.

    But I couldn't charge the Edge while it was on the stem because the USB plug was fouled by the stem: the plug sticks down about 2.5 cm. So the next step is to use a USB plug with a rightangled bend to keep the profile down. (cost of new USB plug-59p)

    I know nothing about electrics but I appear not to have blown up my Edge. The whole thing weighs nothing and seems to work fine. It would be sensible to get a multimeter and be sure that you are getting 5v across the two outermost pins and that the polarity is correct. You can get online delivery from Maplins. Get heat shrink in different sizes to keep it all neat.

    Regards

    Alan
  • nashcom
    nashcom Posts: 255
    If I'm going for a long ride I connect the battery extender to the Garmin Edge at the beginning of the ride. I just use the standard USB cable (it's a female connector on the extender). I tend to put the extender in my saddle bag and run the cable along the top tube, securing it with three velcro ties. I haven't run it until it goes flat, but it lasted for a nineteen-hour audax ride.
  • Mister Paul
    Mister Paul Posts: 719
    <blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by veryslowtwitch</i>

    Dear Paul
    But I couldn't charge the Edge while it was on the stem because the USB plug was fouled by the stem: the plug sticks down about 2.5 cm. So the next step is to use a USB plug with a rightangled bend to keep the profile down. (cost of new USB plug-59p)
    Regards

    Alan
    <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

    Have you tried mounting it on the handlebars instead?

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