Garmin X96 Battery Life / Usage

[Whitestone]

Lots of people out there are using the Garmin X96 series GPS and i was wondering what kind of usage you are getting out of one battery with the back light on all the time and intensity at approximately 80% (or what ever setting you use)?

 

What is your habit when using the battery? Do you run it right down or just charge after a partial discharge? What about the battery's performance charging from a complete discharge verses from a partial discharge?

 

Also have any of you ever "killed" a battery and had it take a charge again? I have one when in the GPS (296) says "Battery Missing" and it will not take a charge.

 

Thanks.

 

W.

[Coastal]

Hello,

 

I'm a big fan of the 2/3/496 series. For the last couple of years the machines I've been flying haven't being wired to power these units, so I've been running off the batteries. Initially I would use and recharge right away, but got a battery that shortly failed and wouldn't take a charge. I returned it to Garmin (with a unit that had software issues) and since have been running the batteries until they are nearly depleted, then recharged. I run the backlight with just enough juice to make it readily visible, and turn it off when I don't need it. Getting an 8 hour (flight time) day has been no problem. The batteries I've had have seemed to be inconsistent as to charging back to full but seem to like it better when I drain them down as much as possible before recharging. You may luck out in bringing a 'dead' battery back to life, but the best way to go for me has been to have two batteries, use one until it's dead and have the other as back up. Even better have two batteries plus an aircraft wired to power your unit. Can't say enough about these GPSs, wish Garmin knew how good a product they had and didn't botch it all up by introducing the 500 series...where do they go from here? If they don't figure they're siht out the IPad is going to run them out of business.

 

C

[Whitestone]

Thanks Coastal,

 

I have been thinking that it would be better to run the batteries right down too seeing that they are LI and there is that "memory" issue with them so that is what i will be doing from now on. I am a relative new user of the 296 with the battery pack as i have been using ships with other hard wired models in them. I did have our Electronics Tech. make me up a power cord for the aux power plug that also powers the fuel pump but one has to be careful as not every ship is wired "A" pin hot or "B" pin hot (in different fleets). I have yet to use the power cord, an old "car" type 12v power cord but tote it around with me as the wire is not in the most convenient place but it is good to have for those longer days.

 

As for Garmin not producing the 296 anymore i did write them an email not long ago and this was their reply:

 

"Unfortunately, the GPSMAP X96 series of GPS will not be manufactured again due to part shortages. I have passed your comments and concerns to software engineering and Marketing. I would also recommend visiting this link http://www.garmin.com/ideas "

 

 

Part shortages? Are you serious? How about making some parts? I mean they "made" parts before when they were producing the X96 series....

 

W.

[WTF_was_that]

I get around 8-10hrs of life out of my 296. Usually i run it 50-70% brightness. The battery is 5 years old so i think im on borrowed time. As for garmin, there doomed. They have a stupid business model of locking devices and making everything way to complicated. Smart phones and tablets will kill them. If you own stock in garmin sell it..

 

Apple does a good job of explaining charge cycles and what they mean. Apple Inc.

[Whitestone]

There is one thing that i have discovered and that is a battery charger. I no longer use the unit its self to charge the battery but just pop it into the charger and it tops up that battery. Nice little unit,not much bigger than the battery its self and it has a light which glows red while charging and green when complete. This is also handy if i have more than one battery to charge.