Over the past 35 years, handheld GPS devices have grown from their infancy of being used solely for navigation to powerful tools used by hikers to plan and track trips, track weather updates, communicate and initiate search and rescue efforts. However,
Garmin’s new eTrex Solar doesn’t come with the same set of new features as the released model. As the name suggests, the novelty of the new eTrex Solar is its ability to run seemingly forever in sunny conditions. While this technology may not be a huge boon for casual backpackers in its current form, it’s an impressive indication of where handheld GPS devices and satellite communicators may be headed in the near future.
The 5-ounce device is only slightly thicker than a deck of playing cards and includes nearly all the features of the Garmin eTrex SE, an entry-level handheld device popular in the geocaching community. These include live tracking and TracBack options, route and course planning, compatibility with the Garmin Explore app, active weather tracking, and access to live geocaching and smart notifications. (Note that all features except tracking require a Bluetooth-connected phone and cellular service.)
The eTrex Solar brings a few upgrades that the base model doesn’t have: about 20 percent longer battery life, GNSS and multi-band frequencies for more Good navigation accuracy.Our main goal when field testing the unit was to verify Garmin’s claims of “unlimited”
Garmin GPS Batterylife in sunny, 75,000 lux conditions. produces about 1,000).The new device uses a proprietary solar collection panel that consumes the lower quarter of the device’s surface, unlike watches that use the entire display to cover it. The solar intensity display essentially converts lux into a percentage reading indicating the effectiveness of solar charging, with a reading of 100% indicating equal charge and usage.
A reading above 100% means the GPS battery is receiving more power than it is expelling.On a cloudy afternoon, we clipped the eTrex Solar to the top of our backpack and headed out to the wooded trails of a red rock quarry in Conway, New Hampshire.
The oaks and maples were so dense that we still had good access to the sky and most of the leaves had fallen. The first cell activity we noticed was the changing solar intensity readings. Even very small changes in the angle at which the device is exposed to sunlight can cause the intensity to fluctuate from 0% to 48%. During a two-and-a-half-hour hike with clear skies and even cloud cover, the unit showed an increase of 26 minutes of
GPS battery life. On other hikes, extreme sun exposure is commonly reflected in battery gain minutes. An overcast hike through the hemlock-rich forest of Sisters Mountain in Albany, New Hampshire, added 7 minutes of battery life over five hours; a sun-drenched day at Cranmore Mountain added 6 minutes to
GPS battery life Hours 6 minutes is over 9 hours.Based on our experience and considering the conditions (especially the time of year when the sun is lower on the horizon), it’s easy to see how bright overhead sunlight (ie perfect conditions) can provide endless uses. While these perfect conditions may be rare, constant charging still helps minimize GPS battery drain while in use. Even if it’s off, the battery will charge if it’s in a sunny location. In fact, after initially using a USB-C cable to charge the device, we never plugged it in again during more than three months of testing. An important warning for winter activities: Garmin’s published charging temperature range for the feature is 32 to 113 degrees, so if you’re hiking in sub-freezing temperatures, the solar feature won’t be particularly effective .
Base battery life is up to 200 hours in GPS-only mode and up to 100 hours when GNSS and multi-band tracking are activated. For most backpackers traveling long distances, this is more than enough.
So here’s the question: Do we really need to pay an extra $100 for solar charging compared to the base eTrex SE model? For us, the answer is yes. Not because it solves a thorny problem, but because the eTrex Solar’s sensitivity and minimal energy consumption are likely to be the tip of the spear for the future of handheld devices and other devices. There is no doubt that
GPS battery will continue to shrink to the point where ultra-thin devices will become a reality. It’s not hard to imagine Garmin’s popular InReach satellite communicator eventually adopting this technology .For those traveling long distances without an outlet or those who want to go crazy with GNSS and multi-band tracking, the eTrex Solar is already the obvious choice.Searching for a replacement GPS Battery? Find a replacement GPS Battery at the best price on Batteriesfast.co.uk.Free Shipping and 1 Year Warranty
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