Portable Charger for Garmin Edge 520

cgfw201
cgfw201 Posts: 680
edited July 2016 in Road general
Keep having the Edge 520 die on me on rides of over 10 hours in length.

Off on a 12-14hr ride this weekend and want a recommendation on the smallest portable charger on the market that i can tape to my stem.

Last week I tied my 1800mah pack to my stem which was ok but realistically I only need 500mah maximum for the 520 so don't want to carry unnecessary weight around with me on a 220km ride.

Lipstick sized seems to be the smallest one I can find, but they are still 2000mah +.

This tiny one looks ideal but doesn't seem to be available yet http://www.thegadgetcode.com/2013/03...ger-handy.html

any tips?

Comments

  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Just get a lipstick sized one then - why would you not ?
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    Fenix wrote:
    Just get a lipstick sized one then - why would you not ?

    Because still relatively unsightly and unnecessarily big. One of those little keyring sized fuel cans would be ideal, but I can't find one obviously, hence why I started this topic.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    how big is your 1800mAh pack? I just googled Small USB battery pack and they're all 2600mAh or bigger.
    The small ones are the size of a 18650 battery in a case - not sure you're going to get much smaller.
    Even if you did get an AAA sized pack you're not going to be saving much weight - less than the weight of a gel I would've thought.

    Have you thought about how to make the 520 battery last longer - turn down backlight, don't have it on map display the whole time, don't tether to your phone - actually, turn off bluetooth completely. Spec's say it's good for 15 hours ... yer - I'd take a battery! ;)
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    Slowbike wrote:
    how big is your 1800mAh pack? I just googled Small USB battery pack and they're all 2600mAh or bigger.
    The small ones are the size of a 18650 battery in a case - not sure you're going to get much smaller.
    Even if you did get an AAA sized pack you're not going to be saving much weight - less than the weight of a gel I would've thought.

    Have you thought about how to make the 520 battery last longer - turn down backlight, don't have it on map display the whole time, don't tether to your phone - actually, turn off bluetooth completely. Spec's say it's good for 15 hours ... yer - I'd take a battery! ;)

    1800 one is a couple of years old, think that size now do around 6500mah!

    Appreciate difference is minimal, just damn ugly having one strapped to the bars, so more discreet the better.

    I've dabbled with backlight and turning things off on the unit, however rides that long nearly always involve some kind of mapping, and are particularly useful for the elevation maps on climbs not previously tackled.
  • Flâneur
    Flâneur Posts: 3,081
    May be worth changing the satellite connection from the fancy multiple version to the simple single, takes less juice.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-PowerCor ... 29078031_2

    3350mAh 3.7 × 0.9 × 0.9in, 3oz

    I'd find it too big but I hate having extra kit
    Stevo 666 wrote: Come on you Scousers! 20/12/2014
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    CX
    Toy
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Pretty sure there's no call for a portable charger that can't charge a mobile phone fully.

    Just get the smallest one you can find and fill it half full. Bound to be lighter....
  • cgfw201
    cgfw201 Posts: 680
    So ended up buuying one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00 ... UTF8&psc=1

    Strapped under the stem, fitted nicely under there and out of the way.

    Anyway, Garmin must have updated its software or something as I rode for 9.5hrs with all sensors, mapping and routing on and 50% screen brightness and finished with 35% battery. Hooray.

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