Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => GPS => Topic started by: trekker12 on 09 February, 2018, 09:56:19 am
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I have an Etrex 30 powered most of the time via the USB output of the Luxos U front light supplied by an SP PD8 dynamo. The Etrex has batteries installed as a back up.
At this time of year with front and rear lights on there is a considerable drain on the output of the dynamo so the Luxos quite sensibly keeps the power in its storage battery directed at the lights and cuts out the USB when moving slowly or stopped at traffic. When this happens, the Etrex realises it has no outside power but instead of automatically switching to the batteries it asks if I want this to happen and if no response in 30 seconds it switches itself off.
I can't find a function in the settings to stop it asking this question. It's easily possible to spend 30 seconds watching traffic at a junction rather than staring at my Etrex waiting for the moment it loses power from the USB. Can I just set it to automatically switch over?
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Why do you need to keep the Etrex connected?
When I had a Luxos, I only connected it during daylight to re-charge while the lights were not needed
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I vaguely recall the HCx units had a setting to disable this countdown, but if they did, it's one of the useful features that didn't make it to the 10/20/30.
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I don't really need to keep the Etrex connected. I'm just a bit rubbish at recharging the AAs in it so they have a habit of dying halfway to work by the middle of the week. Most often when I use the non-dynamo bike in the summer.
I don't really need the Etrex at all for commuting where this problem occurs the most as I know how to get to work and my phone records distance ridden via strava. I mostly use it as I can read my heart rate through it and for the time of day so I know I'm not late for work.
I might get round to a longer Audax one day which will require lights and navigation - and I could just use rechargeable AAs and not plug the Garmin in but it's just one of those things I've got so I might as well use but if I can't switch that function off then so be it.
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The classic Edge solution would be to use a USB cache battery between the eTrex and the Luxos. But the advantage of an eTrex over the cycle-specific Garmin models is that since it runs on AAs you don't need to do any of this faff, just carry a spare set of batteries.
Personally, I'd avoid powering the eTrex by USB on the bike, simply because mini-USB sockets are rubbish and it's easier to keep water out if there isn't a cable plugged in.
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This is one of the umpteen software problems that Garmin would fix if someone in the bowels of that apathetic company knew how its products were used in the real world. They do not and it will never be fixed although the relevant engineer could write the code in a working lunch.
An alternative solution to your problem might be to charge a batch of eneloops every weekend in a suitable charger and swap the cells every day, twice a week, or however often is needed to guarantee power in your use. Eneloops don’t mind sitting with a full charge, don’t self-discharge, don’t mind being fully discharged, don’t mind being partially charged from any depth of discharge, and are otherwise among the most reliable batteries of any chemistry I’ve used. Accept no substitutes.
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Unless the commute is more than 2 hours each way, a single pair of fully-charged black Eneloops would last all week.
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Eneloops rock.
Garmin do not.
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I vaguely recall the HCx units had a setting to disable this countdown
menu --> menu --> setup --> system --> external power lost --> stay on
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Just found this problem.
Finally finished setting up an eWerks between my SON dynamo and Garmin 30 on my bent trike.
It's fine until I drop below ~3.2 mph which is easy to do climbing a steep hill.
Then it starts to complain that it lost power -> stop complaining -> starts complaining -> stops complaining with about a 2 sec cycle ...... >:(