Foretrex 101 and Lithium Batteries

Hmmm, well I work in technology for a living and I can't for the life of me figure out how to answer your question, David! On the battery selection screen Lithium is for sure an option and I don't have to drain the batteries before I put them in the unit. I know they work because I took it into the Grand Canyon for a week and only used one set of batteries (excellent!) I would recommend you check with Garmin again.

I agree this is an outstanding unit. It is on the heavy side but it is a LOT of fun, especially geocaching. I enjoy making maps as well and creating a topo map and then field-testing it is a lot of fun for me. Then again most things I think are fun are am absolute snooze to others.

Good luck and let us know if you get those lithiums working in your unit!

Hey, I checked on Garmin's web site:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=1245

It looks like there was a fix to improve support for lithium batteries a long time ago. I am not sure what version of the software they added the Lithium option to the GPS but I did figure out I was at version 3.0 and current is 3.3.

Just for grins I ran the updater and it worked fine. I still have the option for Lithium batteries.

Well, my Garmin Edge 205 with the SiRF III chipset arrived today. Of course I plugged it in and powered it up. I got 8 meter accuracy from a cold start in a few minutes not remarkable if I were in the open, but I was sitting at my desk on the 6th floor of an office building in downtown Tokyo. That is quite amazing compared to my older Garmins. This unit also gets a warm fix from power up literally in 5 seconds. It weighs 78 grams.
This Edge 205 seemed to be the cheapest way to get a SiRF chipset into my gear inventory; about $150 shipped.

I will do a side by side comparison with an Etrex and Geko and report back.

Here are the pictures to accompany my review:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=7479&cat=Navigation%20Gear%20%26%20Accessories&cid=57

Guess I better call Garmin again. I just ran Web Updater and got the latest version (Software 3.30 & GPS Software 2.90). Set the battery mode to lithium and restarted the unit. It initially came on but the screen dimmed and it shut off entirely within 10 seconds. Same problem as before.

Thanks for checking though.

David or John, is there a reason you are not using Nickel Metal Hydride rechargeables? They last for a thousand cycles, have no memory effects, work at sub-freezing temperatures, and are cheap and lighter than alkalines. All my replacable battery devices use 900mAhr AAAs. I highly recommend the Energizer brand.

Brett:

Being rechargeable, NiMh is probably a more cost effective solution in the long run. However, Lithium has several advantages in the field:

Lighter weight
20% more capacity than the largest NiMh (Lithium 3000 mah vs NiMh's 2500 mah)
Does not drain power on the shelve

Of course, on the flip side, you can start every trip with a fully charged battery. So maybe I should look into it.

Gee…I think I talked myself into it while writing this! Thanks for the suggestion! I'd still prefer Lithium for longer trips; but I rarely get to do those anymore.

I don't use NiMh for anything other than the kids toys. While indeed they don't have battery memory they "leak" meaning they discharge even when you don't use them. NiCd batteries don't "leak" however they have battery memory. The only solution that seems "perfect" are rechargable lithium batteries (like those used in cell phones)… if you find those for sale anywhere as AA or AAA let me know.

My current theory is that they are not made as part of a conspiracy to keep us buying batteries. Fnord!

I don't have any of these yet, but the eneloop NiMH batteries are rechargeable but can be stored for much longer periods without self discharging. They have less power initially, but make up for it in uses when storage is important.

http://thomasdistributing.com/sanyo-eneloop-batteries-aa.php

Hi James,

You're correct that NiMH cells self-discharge, and NiCd cells do as well, only at a slower rate.

Technical progress has been spectacular the last couple of years, and the newest NiMH formulas (e.g., Sanyo Eneloop) appear to have resolved the self-discharge problem at the cost of reduced capacity compared to the latest high-capacity cells. This is only an issue with longer trips, of course.

My understanding is AA and AAA equivalent Li-ion cells are a very tricky proposition, not only to get them down to 1.5V but cramming the required control circuitry into them. I'm sure somebody's working on it.

I have experienced rapid self-discharge with the 'Lenmar' company purple colored AAAs. So bad I just threw them in the trash. Do not buy those!

However, my Energizers show no appreciable discharge over a period of MONTHS. Just yesterday I found an old mini-maglight (remember those?). I hadn't used it in maybe a year; it lit up with the two NiHMs which had been sitting in there for a year. I dropped in a new set to see how bright the maglight 'seemed' relative to the LEDs I use now.. still dim, no real difference between fresh AAAs and old AAAs.

I use these in three headlamps, a digital recorder, a GPS, krill lights, etc.. they have paid for themselves many times over and I highly recommend them. Get a quality brand. I got mine at Frys Electronics in a multi pack at a very good price.

When I go on an outdoor trip I top off all the batteries in two chargers. It is nice that they have no memory effect.

I'm sorry, I'm not allowed to argue unless you pay…

;)

James, just put it on my tab; I'm good for it..
But I was not trying to be argumentative, just relate my experiences. :)