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Pocket GPS World :: View topic - Has anyone used the LiPol battery pack yet?
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Has anyone used the LiPol battery pack yet?
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ManchesterRambler
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Joined: Feb 22, 2008
Posts: 9
Location: Chester, UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:59 pm    Post subject: Has anyone used the LiPol battery pack yet? Reply with quote

There seems to be precious little information around about the newly available LiPol battery pack. If anyone has tried it, would they care to report on how well it works in practice?
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lucevans
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Joined: Mar 21, 2007
Posts: 261
Location: Cambridgeshire, UK

PostPosted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 6:53 pm    Post subject: Re: Has anyone used the LiPol battery pack yet? Reply with quote

ManchesterRambler wrote:
There seems to be precious little information around about the newly available LiPol battery pack. If anyone has tried it, would they care to report on how well it works in practice?


Not had mine very long, but initial impressions:

1) Battery life seems MUCH longer than NiMH rechargeables (I was using 2300mAh ones), and longer that disposable AA lithium batteries (how long, I couldn't tell you, as I haven't had to recharge it yet after the inital charge-up I did when it arrived...)
2) No more screen flicker that I got whenever I used disposable lithium AAs.
3) Can't think why, unless it's a voltage-related issue, but my A10 now seems to be more sensitive reception-wise (will lock indoors occasionally now, never saw a single satellite indoors when using AA batteries of any kind)
4) Internal arrangement seems a bit amateurish -the battery is smaller than the compartment once the AA holder is removed, but it doesn't rattle around because the foam pads in the compartment cover wedge it against the floor of the battery compartment when the cover is closed
5) A10 is lighter with the LiPol than with NiMH batteries - a small difference, but noticable. As a result, it feels better-balanced in my hand now...
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ManchesterRambler
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Joined: Feb 22, 2008
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Location: Chester, UK

PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Thanks for the info Reply with quote

Thanks - that's encouraging. If you would be willing to provide an update on battery duration and what power saver settings you are using once the battery does run down, I (and I'm sure a lot of others) would be very interested.

I got disappointing performance last weekend in admittedly cold conditions walking High Street in the Lakes using 7-day-shop.com 2800mAH rechargables. I was repeatedly turning the Satmap off, hoping for a more or less instantaneous lock on turning on, as promised in the instructions. Sat lock could take anything up to 20 minutes to achieve, even at 2200 feet with no overhead obstructions.

It is encouraging, therefore, that you say lock improves with the use of the LiPol battery, and it is good news that the duration with the LiPol is greater even than with Lithium disposables.
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LostMike
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Joined: Jan 17, 2008
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Location: Monmouthshire

PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Not exactly on topic as I don't have the lipol battery pack but based on my use of 2700 mah rechargeables which give me all the coverage I need, I think your unit must be faulty. I suggest you contact Satmap.

With fully charged 2700 mah batteries I can walk for 5 hours (50% brightness and screen off after 30 seconds) and then play with the machine for hours afterwards studying the walk taken and planning the next one and I am at worst down to 3 bars.

Switching off and on during a walk does not seem to be a good idea from all I have read and seen. But even then your lock times are way out. I've given up timing my locks because the set normally locks before I have time to check.

Better luck in future.
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Satmap A10. Platform 21
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lucevans
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:17 pm    Post subject: Re: Thanks for the info Reply with quote

ManchesterRambler wrote:
I got disappointing performance last weekend in admittedly cold conditions walking High Street in the Lakes using 7-day-shop.com 2800mAH rechargables. I was repeatedly turning the Satmap off, hoping for a more or less instantaneous lock on turning on, as promised in the instructions. Sat lock could take anything up to 20 minutes to achieve, even at 2200 feet with no overhead obstructions.

It is encouraging, therefore, that you say lock improves with the use of the LiPol battery, and it is good news that the duration with the LiPol is greater even than with Lithium disposables.


I concluded that switching on and off during a walk was not a good idea, for the reason that lock was not instantaneous as the manual claims, so I went for an always-on power-saving scheme instead. While using AA batteries, I settled on "power always on - screen off after 30 seconds - 70% brightness" and got reasonable results (certainly enough for a 5 hour walk on fresh batteries) and now I've got the extra capacity of the LiPol battery, I've modified this scheme to "power always on - screen off after 30 seconds - 100% brightness" - I'll post battery life as soon as I know...(I've just got in from another short walk of ~3 hours, so far I've used the unit for ~9 hours without needing a recharge)
I agree with Mike that if you're experiencing lock-times of greater than 20 minutes, there's probably a problem with your unit.
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taylorib61
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi all,

Quick question, with the new Lithium battery pack is it still necessary to take it out when you are not using the satmap to stop it going flat ??
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FrequentFlyer
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Joined: Jun 12, 2006
Posts: 962
Location: London

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Well, I have to say that I am becoming totally disenchanted with my Satmap device. No follow up to my polite emails, no software/satsync updates, and to cap it all, my 'new' power pack has totally stopped working. I thought I had been charging it up overnight, only to find that switching it on for todays walk...nothing....totally flat, and no, I didn't carry the original battery pack with me either. I will have to call them first thing tomorrow, hopefully, before they go bust.
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ManchesterRambler
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Joined: Feb 22, 2008
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Location: Chester, UK

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:07 pm    Post subject: Thanks for the replies Reply with quote

Sat lock with my device is strangely inconsistent: sometimes I can get lock in the house and others not; acquisition can be quite fast when standing still, then interminable or not at all when walking around. I have obtained and kept lock in a moving car, and as I said in an earlier post I failed to get lock when moving/standing at 2200 feet in perfect, if cold, conditions.

I have also experienced problems with the unit crashing. I have the "middle of UK version" of the 1:50 000 map and sometimes the map disappears, leaving only the base map, necessitating reload of the map card and sometimes removal and replacement of a battery to get the unit to recognise the card again. This then leaves me with the long wait to reacquire lock and no guarantee that the map won't disappear again.

This all seems a bit of an indictment of the product when written down. Anyone else experiencing these problems with a large-ish map loaded? Like I say, most of this happened in cold conditions, with the unit having been in a tent overnight in temperatures of -9 celcius or thereabouts, so I am not sure whether this was a fair test and this is why I haven't yet thought about returning it. I put these issues down to cold batteries/cold unit.
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mikealder
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Joined: Jan 14, 2005
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Location: Blackpool , Lancs

PostPosted: Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What firmware version is your device running, as the SD card map loss was cured in the v1,03 release?

As for GPS signal acquisition I only ever use the auto screen off function rather than de-powering the unit, this method keps the track log going and GPS position/ display is instant when you press the power button, sure the downside is battery life, but you can get a full days walk from a single set of cells used this way (2700mAHr NIMH cells, backlight set to 70% and auto screen off set to 30 seconds) - Mike
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ManchesterRambler
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Joined: Feb 22, 2008
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Location: Chester, UK

PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Mike

Thanks for your reply. I'm on version 1.03. Is there a later version than this available?

How is initial sat acquisition on yours? Better if you leave it alone, or can you walk around with it in a pocket/in your hand and still get a lock?
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LostMike
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Joined: Jan 17, 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mikealder said
Quote:
the SD card map loss was cured in the v1,03 release?


But I am on 1.03 and still get the maps locking up after use. Today using the southern England map it locked up three times and I had to remove the batteries each time to get it working again (i.e. even the off switch was inoperative!).

That said it does work most of the time.
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LostMike
Satmap A10. Platform 21
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robs1972
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Joined: Mar 19, 2007
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Location: Plymouth

PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

LostMike wrote:
mikealder said
Quote:
the SD card map loss was cured in the v1,03 release?


But I am on 1.03 and still get the maps locking up after use. Today using the southern England map it locked up three times and I had to remove the batteries each time to get it working again (i.e. even the off switch was inoperative!).

That said it does work most of the time.


Oh I get that....typically after 3-4 hours use and then again a couple of hours later it'll freeze and none of buttons, including the off button work (though the first time it ever happed it could at last be turned off with the power button) so a battery removal is required...on starting up the snail trail created so far disappears. I have had it run as long as 7 hours continously before it froze on my Penzance-Plymouth ride a couple od weeks ago. It can freeze when on the move or at a standstill.

Another reason not to buy the Li Po battery....at least an AA is quick to remove and replace.
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LostMike
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 3:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That's not what I said...

It did lock three times but this is very unusual and all three locks were within 5 minutes with me playing with settings scrolling around the countryside and editing tracks etc..

I would also assume/hope that the long awaited software upgrade will remove this problem. But we will have to see.
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LostMike
Satmap A10. Platform 21
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robs1972
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, right.
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FrequentFlyer
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Posts: 962
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PostPosted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:35 pm    Post subject: Mains Charger Question Reply with quote

Perhaps you guys could ask a question for me to Satmap at the Outdoor Show.
When I come back from a walk, I plug the unit in on charge ready for the next walk...which may be 2/3 days later. This morning, I unplugged it, tried to turn it on for my walk .....appears totally dead, (this is now the third time this has happened.) The only way to 'power it up' is to remove the battery connection, and reconnect it again...then we're in business. I was assuming that , like my PDA/phone, I just leave it in the cradle...continually charging, until I take it out again. Are Satmap saying that this is not advisable with their device...8/10 hour charge is the maximum ? It would help if it had some way of knowing if it was charging...a Red/Green LED for example.
Thanks.
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