Garmin auto-powering down problem

KnightOfTheLongTights

So my Garmin 500 keeps switching itself off after about 15 mins.
Sometimes it is preceded by a warning that it is having trouble locating satellites.
I don't see why it should suddenly have started failing to find satellites.
And even if it has, the cadence / speed sensor is clearly sending it a signal so it should not auto power off at all!?
Bloody infuriating these things.

DCDB

Do you start the stop watch/timer when you get going? The reason I say that is that I found the same problem, in that if the stopwatch wasn't running then the unit assumed it wasn't being used and auto powered down. With the stopwatch/timer running it didn't do it. I only found out by chance when i forgot to start the timer on a ride and it shut down in me. There might be a setting to stop that happening, but I never bothered to find it.

KnightOfTheLongTights

Ok I'll give that a try thanks.

alex222

You can also turn the auto power down function off.

colinsmith123

Alex222 wrote:

You can also turn the auto power down function off.

And then regret doing this, when you don't turn your Garmin off at the cafe stop and then it dies on you with 30 mins to go on your longest ride of the year.

It's a useful feature best left turned on, in my view.

meanredspider

If my Gatmin 1000 auto powers down, when it wakes up again it refuses (even if prompted) to find the sensors (Garmin HR and Stages PM) unless I switch it off and switch it back on again. It does too also randomly power down mid-ride whilst recording. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell me it's operator error and I should have RTFM :roll:

KnightOfTheLongTights

quote="colinsmith123"]

Alex222 wrote:

You can also turn the auto power down function off.

And then regret doing this, when you don't turn your Garmin off at the cafe stop and then it dies on you with 30 mins to go on your longest ride of the year.

It's a useful feature best left turned on, in my view.[/quote]

To be honest I don't often do cafe stops, or any stops for that matter, even on long rides - so this might be an option.
Thanks all.

alex222

colinsmith123 wrote:

Alex222 wrote:

You can also turn the auto power down function off.

And then regret doing this, when you don't turn your Garmin off at the cafe stop and then it dies on you with 30 mins to go on your longest ride of the year.

It's a useful feature best left turned on, in my view.

I actually only just switched on the feature, having run out of battery the other day.

itboffin

meanredspider wrote:

If my Gatmin 1000 auto powers down, when it wakes up again it refuses (even if prompted) to find the sensors (Garmin HR and Stages PM) unless I switch it off and switch it back on again. It does too also randomly power down mid-ride whilst recording. I'm sure someone will be along soon to tell me it's operator error and I should have RTFM :roll:

that's why i'm never buying one of those Gatmin 1000s

KnightOfTheLongTights

DCDB wrote:

Do you start the stop watch/timer when you get going? The reason I say that is that I found the same problem, in that if the stopwatch wasn't running then the unit assumed it wasn't being used and auto powered down. With the stopwatch/timer running it didn't do it. I only found out by chance when i forgot to start the timer on a ride and it shut down in me.

So this is it, it turns out.
Because I'd not used the thing in a while I'd forgotten that you have to start the timer - I just thought it started timing your ride when you started moving.
Still seems odd to me that the auto power off kicks in when you are still obviously moving.

wongataa

KnightOfTheLongTights wrote:

DCDB wrote:

Do you start the stop watch/timer when you get going? The reason I say that is that I found the same problem, in that if the stopwatch wasn't running then the unit assumed it wasn't being used and auto powered down. With the stopwatch/timer running it didn't do it. I only found out by chance when i forgot to start the timer on a ride and it shut down in me.

So this is it, it turns out.
Because I'd not used the thing in a while I'd forgotten that you have to start the timer - I just thought it started timing your ride when you started moving.
Still seems odd to me that the auto power off kicks in when you are still obviously moving.

But if you don't start the timer you don't record any of the ride. It is thinking that the rider isn't recording the ride so it isn't being used so it might as well turn off to save the battery.

KnightOfTheLongTights

wongataa wrote:

But if you don't start the timer you don't record any of the ride. It is thinking that the rider isn't recording the ride so it isn't being used so it might as well turn off to save the battery.

well yes I get that - but I might not want to record every ride - I might want to just use it as a bike computer to tell me how fast I'm going?
e.g., I don't really want to clog the thing up with dozens of recordings of my daily commute - but I still want it to stay on.

Bar Shaker

KnightOfTheLongTights wrote:

wongataa wrote:

But if you don't start the timer you don't record any of the ride. It is thinking that the rider isn't recording the ride so it isn't being used so it might as well turn off to save the battery.

well yes I get that - but I might not want to record every ride - I might want to just use it as a bike computer to tell me how fast I'm going?
e.g., I don't really want to clog the thing up with dozens of recordings of my daily commute - but I still want it to stay on.

You can do this by turning the auto power off function off. If you don't start recording, it won't give you averages though, as it won't know where your average starts or finishes.

If you don't want to clog it up, just discard the ride when you are finished, rather than saving it.