Etrex Battery Ratings

[jackdp]

Hi, I just got a Garmin Etrex Vista for Christmas and am wondering what makes the battery usage so much lower than other etrex models? I notice that the Legend is rated to get 18hrs, the Venture 20hrs and the Vista 12 hours. I know the vista has the compass and barometer...is this rating assuming that the compass and barometer are being on? Will the battery life be more like 20 hours with WAAS, compass, and altimeter disabled. I guess a better question might be for the other Vista owners is how long do your batteries last and under what circumstances. Thanks for any help...as soon as the freeze lifts here in PA I hope to try my hand at this geocaching...looks fun!

[Team VaxCave]

Our Legend gets about 10 to 12 hours and our Summit gets about the same. What sort of batteries are you using? We are using 2200mAmp rechargables.

[jackdp]

I haven't really tested the batteries yet, I'm just using Duracell alkalines. I just want an idea of what to expect in real life vs. what Garmin states on their site.

[+stu_and_sarah]

Will the battery life be more like 20 hours with WAAS, compass, and altimeter disabled.

I believe it's the compass which really saps your batteries. I also believe that with those features turned off, you should get the same life as a Legend.

 

We use rechargable NiMH batteries (at least 2000mAh each) marked in pairs with coloured dots. We rarely have to think about batteries. Keep them in a small pot with points up if charged, points down if discharged, and regularly check your pot and charge pairs at a time. You should be fine.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Stu

[+Brer Rabbit]

Hi, I just got a Garmin Etrex Vista for Christmas and am wondering what makes the battery usage so much lower than other etrex models?  I notice that the Legend is rated to get 18hrs, the Venture 20hrs and the Vista 12 hours.  I know the vista has the compass and barometer...is this rating assuming that the compass and barometer are being on?  Will the battery life be more like 20 hours with WAAS, compass, and altimeter disabled.  I guess a better question might be for the other Vista owners is how long do your batteries last and under what circumstances.  Thanks for any help...as soon as the freeze lifts here in PA I hope to try my hand at this geocaching...looks fun!

I have owned Vista for over 2 years. First of all, turn off WAAS...you dont need it. Second, turn off compass feature until you really need it. (probably consumes the most power). Third, try battery saver mode which can extend my life to near 20 hours. This mode basically increases the time interval between "locking" points on your tracklog. At lower speeds you really dont need to store a track point every 10 seconds or so. At higher rates of speed, say your vehicle, use a cig cord and burn as much power as you want. There is also an option to manually set up the tracklog to a particular time or distance interval or even to cut off the tracklog entirely.

I typically get 12 to 14 hours on new alkalines w/o turning off options and about 12 to 13 on NiMh's now that I have learned to pad the batteries in compartment to keep a tight fit. If you use NiMh, be sure to change the battery type in the setup menu. I have used my unit on hikes side by side with Legends, Geko's and other GPSr's and haven't noticed much difference in battery life when I am careful to turn off the features I don't need. A couple pair of NiMh's is what I recommend.

 

It's really no different than any other gadgets which require a power soure...the more functions you have, the more power you need. Just learn to turn those functions off if you don't need them and be glad Garmin gave you some options to do so. After you have used the Vista some, you will be glad you have all of the functions. After all, I don't use 4 wheel drive everday but it's nice to have when I need it.

[+quills]

you might also want to check your settings and make sure your set up using alkaline batteries and not the rechargeables. I've read that this can make a difference in battery life. All these tips here are good.

[+fivegallon]

Hi, I just got a Garmin Etrex Vista for Christmas and am wondering what makes the battery usage so much lower than other etrex models? I notice that the Legend is rated to get 18hrs, the Venture 20hrs and the Vista 12 hours. I know the vista has the compass and barometer...is this rating assuming that the compass and barometer are being on? Will the battery life be more like 20 hours with WAAS, compass, and altimeter disabled. I guess a better question might be for the other Vista owners is how long do your batteries last and under what circumstances. Thanks for any help...as soon as the freeze lifts here in PA I hope to try my hand at this geocaching...looks fun!

some info from the users manual :

http://www.garmin.com/manuals/eTrexVista_OwnersManual.pdf

 

Manual Page 3(Page 13/84 in pdf doc)

"Rechargeable Alkaline,NiMH,NiCAD,or Lithium batteries may also be used"

 

"Rechargeable batteries may typically display less capacity than alkaline batteries"

 

""When using "battery saver" or "use with gps off" mode when not navigating,alkaline batteries can last up to 12 hours""

 

Manual Page 58(Page 68/84 in pdf doc)

"Alkaline batteries lose a significant amount of their capacity as temperature decreases.Use Lithium batteries when operating E-Trex Vista in below-freezing conditions."