[Az-Geocaching] Power Source Questions

[Brian LaFrance]

...now that I think about it, those batteries the guys at NASA were messing
with may have been nicads...still funny...and probably just as dangerous.


-----Original Message-----
From: az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com
[mailto:az-geocaching-admin@listserv.azgeocaching.com]On Behalf Of Jim
Scotti
Sent: Monday, September 22, 2003 10:15 AM
To: listserv@azgeocaching.com
Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Power Source Questions


Hi Brian,
    Definitely you should switch to NiMH batteries and get a 12V car adaptor
for your GPS.  I have a 12V adaptor and it immediately decreased my battery
usage by a huge factor since I'd say more than 50% of my GPS time is spent
driving around.  But then, I also use rechargable NiMH batteries, so that's
not quite as important (but it does add to the convenience of not having to
swap out batteries so often).
    My GPS is a Garmin Legend.  The only issue with the 12V adaptor is that
it doesn't take much to loosen the contact, and the GPS will automatically
shut down in 30sec if you don't notice it and press a button or reconnect
the
adaptor.  For the same reason, sometimes you don't realize you're actually
running only on batteries when you first start the car....  That's as much a
fault of the GPS as of the adaptor though...
    The NiMH batteries work almost as well as alkaline batteries.  I have no
hesitance in using a rapid charger (I use a 1 hour Rayovac charger, but my
transformer for that charger just busted and I'm thinking about getting a
Maha C-401FS charger) as long as you get one of the smart chargers (with a
built in microprocessor that watches the individual batteries and switches
to
trickle charging appropriately).  The NiMH are rated for 1000 charges, with
a
very slow decay in charge capacity.  Check out
http://www.thomas-distributing.com/nimhbattery-faq.htm
for an excellent FAQ on NiMH batteries.  Greenbatteries.com
(http://www.greenbatteries.com/) also have an excellent set of FAQs on
batteries.  I'd also look at getting the higher capacity batteries.  Mail
order them if you can, since you can get a better price and selection than
I've found at the local Walget (or is that Tar-Mart?) and you can usually
get a deal on getting both a good charger and a set of batteries at the same
time.  I've also just discovered plastic battery holders which help prevent
accidental shorting of batteries and makes carrying extra batteries in your
pocket more convenient.  Both the companies in the URLs I mentioned above
sell them or even give them away with battery orders.

Jim.

On Sat, 20 Sep 2003, Brian LaFrance wrote:

> I have a couple of questions about what people use to power their GPS.  I
> currently only use alkaline batteries, but I am thinking switching to
> something else or adding a cigarette lighter adapter.
>
> Have any of you used the generic cigarette lighter adapter for the eTrex
> series GPS that is selling on eBay?  Has anyone used one for a different
> GPS?  If you have ever used one, did it work well, or did you have issues
> with it?
>
> How many people are using rechargeables?  Do they work well?  Anyone using
> them in an eTrex Vista?  What kind of life do they have (per charge and
how
> many charges before they are trash)?
>
> Thanks for your input.
>
> Brian
>

Jim Scotti
Lunar & Planetary Laboratory
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721 USA                 http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~jscotti/

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