Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my Garmin
Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
the Vista?

Thanks,

MP

MP wrote:
> Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my Garmin
> Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
> if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
> the Vista?

NiMH is up to at least 2500mAh now but be careful... the higher mAh
batteries are a little longer and can be too tight a fit in the Vista
and risk breaking the metal tabs. Tight is usually good in a Vista
(suffers from power interruptions from loose batteries) but too tight
is bad.

Well charged 2300's should power your Vista for most of the day anyway.
Do you carry and extra set? If on an ATV do you have a power cord?

TexGEOas

On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my Garmin
> Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
> if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
> the Vista?

I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
days if you shop around.

I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
you're not buying anything else at the same time.
<http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>

--
Tim Jackson
(E-Mail Removed)lid
(Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)

Tim Jackson wrote:

> On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> > Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my Garmin
> > Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
> > if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
> > the Vista?
>
> I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
> be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
> days if you shop around.
>
> I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
> bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
> currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
> you're not buying anything else at the same time.
> <http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>
>
> --
> Tim Jackson
> (E-Mail Removed)lid
> (Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)

I use 2700 mAh in my yellow Etrex, much better than the 2500 mAh they
are £4 + I think £1 pp I don't know if that includes VAT from:-

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vapextech-B...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

ted wrote:
> Tim Jackson wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> > > Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my Garmin
> > > Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
> > > if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
> > > the Vista?
> >
> > I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
> > be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
> > days if you shop around.

> >
> > I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
> > bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
> > currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
> > you're not buying anything else at the same time.
> > <http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>
> >
> > --
> > Tim Jackson
> > (E-Mail Removed)lid
> > (Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)
>
> I use 2700 mAh in my yellow Etrex, much better than the 2500 mAh they
> are £4 + I think £1 pp I don't know if that includes VAT from:-
>

I came across a reference to ENELOOP batteries from Sanyo the other
day. These have the advantage that their self discharge characteristic
has been tamed to the extent that the batteries are sold ready charged.
The claim is that they will only discharge by about 10% in a year.

The batteries have only very recently been put into production and
consequently are at a premium cost-wise and will be no doubt be until a
competitor finds some way of breaking the patents. The downside is
that some of their capacity is lost.

As far as these higher capacity Ni-MiH batteries you are discussing are
concerned, the self discharge rate is their heel. The higher the
capacity, the higher the self discharge.

One interesting exercise I did recently was to look at the data sheets
for ordinary alkaline batteries on the Energiser website. I was
interested in the comparative life time of batteries in a headtorch
taking around 100mA using AAA batteries. It would seem that as the
current demand rises in Alkalines, the capacity drops to the extent
that the only advantage of using alkalines in this application is that
they do not self discharge and that for short term use keeping
alkalines in the torch is preferable, but if likely to be used on a
longer trip, then a set of fully charged Ni MH batteries would outstay
the alkalines completely.

I didn't investigate the equivalent performance in low temperatures but
am I right in thinking that NI MH batteries outperform alkaline here
too?

Rob

> On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> > Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my
> > Garmin
> > Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just
> > wondering
> > if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better
> > suited to
> > the Vista?
>
> I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
> be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
> days if you shop around.
>
> I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
> bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
> currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
> you're not buying anything else at the same time.
> <http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>
>
> --
> Tim Jackson
> (E-Mail Removed)lid
> (Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)

I use 2700 mAh in my yellow Etrex, much better than the 2500 mAh they
are £4 + I think £1 pp I don't know if that includes VAT from:-

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vapextech-B...QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Thanks for the reply's on the rechargeable.

I am supposing that the same Uniross charger I have for my 2300mAh NiMH
batteries will be ok for say the 2700mAh NiMH batteries, would that be right
?

MP

Rob G wrote:

> ted wrote:
> > Tim Jackson wrote:
> >
> > > On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> > > > Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in myGarmin
> > > > Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just wondering
> > > > if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better suited to
> > > > the Vista?
> > >
> > > I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
> > > be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
> > > days if you shop around.
>
> > >
> > > I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
> > > bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
> > > currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
> > > you're not buying anything else at the same time.
> > > <http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>
> > >
> > > --
> > > Tim Jackson
> > > (E-Mail Removed)lid
> > > (Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)
> >
> > I use 2700 mAh in my yellow Etrex, much better than the 2500 mAh they
> > are £4 + I think £1 pp I don't know if that includes VAT from:-
> >
>
> I came across a reference to ENELOOP batteries from Sanyo the other
> day. These have the advantage that their self discharge characteristic
> has been tamed to the extent that the batteries are sold ready charged.
> The claim is that they will only discharge by about 10% in a year.
>
> The batteries have only very recently been put into production and
> consequently are at a premium cost-wise and will be no doubt be until a
> competitor finds some way of breaking the patents. The downside is
> that some of their capacity is lost.
>
> As far as these higher capacity Ni-MiH batteries you are discussing are
> concerned, the self discharge rate is their heel. The higher the
> capacity, the higher the self discharge.
>
> One interesting exercise I did recently was to look at the data sheets
> for ordinary alkaline batteries on the Energiser website. I was
> interested in the comparative life time of batteries in a headtorch
> taking around 100mA using AAA batteries. It would seem that as the
> current demand rises in Alkalines, the capacity drops to the extent
> that the only advantage of using alkalines in this application is that
> they do not self discharge and that for short term use keeping
> alkalines in the torch is preferable, but if likely to be used on a
> longer trip, then a set of fully charged Ni MH batteries would outstay
> the alkalines completely.
>
> I didn't investigate the equivalent performance in low temperatures but
> am I right in thinking that NI MH batteries outperform alkaline here
> too?
>
> Rob

As you say the self discharge can be a problem, for a good article see
http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone.htm but as my GPS is in
frequent use that is not much of a problem. But I have sometimes taken
to giving the replacement bateries a boost n the charger before I use
them if they have been standing for a few weeks.

I have noticed, looking at the GPS battery indicator, that after I have
used the GPS for a day, then checked the levels, when I next use it the
battery level seems to have gone up.

Again for a head torch, used occassionaly for emergencies, I would
stick to alkalines, with NiMh as a backup.

Ted

MP wrote:

> > On Sat, 25 Nov 2006 18:08:35 -0000, MP wrote...
> > > Been using some Uniross 2300mAh Ni-MH rechargeable batteries in my
> > > Garmin
> > > Vista GPS for some time now and am looking to replace them, just
> > > wondering
> > > if to replace them with the same or is there some which are better
> > > suited to
> > > the Vista?
> >
> > I've found the Ni-MH rechargeables were fine in my Vista C. You should
> > be able to get higher capacity than 2300mAh at a reasonable price these
> > days if you shop around.
> >
> > I bought 2600mAh earlier this year, and they do last just that little
> > bit longer. Mine came from www.7dayshop.com and I notice they are
> > currently £3.79 for four, though postage would double the price if
> > you're not buying anything else at the same time.
> > <http://tinyurl.com/ke9wf>
> >
> > --
> > Tim Jackson
> > (E-Mail Removed)lid
> > (Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)
>
> I use 2700 mAh in my yellow Etrex, much better than the 2500 mAh they
> are £4 + I think £1 pp I don't know if that includes VAT from:-
>
> http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Vapextech-B...QQftidZ2QQtZkm
>
> Thanks for the reply's on the rechargeable.
>
> I am supposing that the same Uniross charger I have for my 2300mAh NiMH
> batteries will be ok for say the 2700mAh NiMH batteries, would that be right
> ?
>
> MP

I use the charger that came with my 2500 mAh batteries, works OK. I now
use those batteries in my digital camera.

Ted

On 25 Nov 2006 10:48:34 -0800, TexGEOas wrote...
> NiMH is up to at least 2500mAh now but be careful... the higher mAh
> batteries are a little longer and can be too tight a fit in the Vista
> and risk breaking the metal tabs. Tight is usually good in a Vista
> (suffers from power interruptions from loose batteries) but too tight
> is bad.

I've just compared a 2300mAh NiMH side by side against a more recent
2600mAh, and I can't see any difference in length. Both seem to fit
fairly tightly in my Vista (not together; I don't mix them). I've not
had any problems with either.

But maybe there are slight length differences for batteries from some
different manufacturers?

--
Tim Jackson
(E-Mail Removed)lid
(Change '.invalid' to '.com' to reply direct)

> I am supposing that the same Uniross charger I have for my 2300mAh NiMH
> batteries will be ok for say the 2700mAh NiMH batteries, would that be
> right
> ?
>
> MP

I use the charger that came with my 2500 mAh batteries, works OK. I now
use those batteries in my digital camera.

Ted

Thanks Ted,
MP