Forum: bicycles.stackexchange.com
Tags: <gps><maps><navigation>
Title: Can Garmin Edge 500/510 and 800/810 be charged while riding?
Question: Extended battery life is very neccesary for using the device on long brevets and multi-day endurance racing.  Can Garmin Edge cycling GPS units 500/510 and 800/810 be charged while riding via external battery pack like or USB dynamo charger?   Can you plug in while riding?  Are only certain devices able to charge the unit while it's recording / navigating?

Answers:
sents: text: Just verified that the 510 can be attached to power while on/in use.
text: It continues to operate.
text: When the external power source is removed, it will give a message to that effect, but does not power down (like the nuvi/car versions do).
text: Note that you (obviously) have to open the weather seal to plug in power.
text: Also worth noting, the 510 will go into a different mode when you plug it into a computer.
text: Unsure if it will continue to record, but the screen shows the computer attached so suspect not.
text: For long trips like you describe, a device like these http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=phone+battery+backup should do the trick.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/1036/Ken Hiatt
score: 9
sents: text: Garmin Edge 800, 810 and 1000 can be charged when exercise is active.
text: You can use for example power bank or usb dynamo charger (ie.
text: Busch&Muller E-werk, Luxos U light or Supernova The Plug).
text: It is not recommended to charge anything with usb when it is raining.
text: Also note that Garmin 1000's plug is in the bottom so cable might not fit when device is mounted on handlebar.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/7554/Pete Marsh
score: 6
sents: text: I use the Garmin 800 and an external battery with USB output.
text: The Garmin will keep running for days like that, with no backlight BUT the data recordingcannot cope with a 24 hour bike ride.
text: On my last two 24 hour cycle events, the Garmin corrupted the activity file at around 23 hours which was somewhat 'annoying'.
text: I have tested it on distance, with car journeys, and it can cope with 650km in 12 hours.
text: But cycling 560km in 24 hours is not feasible, it seems.
text: Probably too many data points.
text: You should stop the timing at 12 hours, reset, and start a new 12 hour session.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/12895/GLaming
score: 4
sents: text: I just completed a 300K brevet last weekend and my Garmin 500 ran out of juice about 2 miles from the end of the 190 miles.
text: 18 hours.
text: I just tried to plug it into an external battery that will charge phones and the Garmin 500, but the Garmin will not operate while plugged in and charging.
text: Note this is the Garmin 500, not the 510.
text: A friend used an 810 on the ride charging through an external battery on the same ride.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/10806/Thomas
score: 3
sents: text: Yes you can charge the Edge 500 whilst riding at the same time, and record your ride as well. http://www.joewein.net/blog/2013/03/04/garmin-edge-usb-power-hack/
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/13462/Fandango68
score: 3
sents: text: A generic USB cable will have the Edge switch to storage mode
text: but I've found the Garmin cables allow charging whilst using.
text: I have an external battery pack which I used on day-long back-country rides in the alps and could plug it in whilst on a chairlift or at a bar without interrupting the tracking.
text: Arguably I didn't need to
text: but it does mean that when I get a USB dynamo hub I have the cable ready to go.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/13410/atlaz
score: 2
sents: text: as far as i understand it all garmins will charge off any cable/charger combination except for the Edge 500...
text: basically the cable needs to have pins 4 and 5 grounded to earth
text: not just pin 4, so a normal sync cable will not work you need a special charge cable, not content with paying the £12 for a usb cable for this particular use, i made my own by cutting the head off a normal lead and attaching a new head on it readily available off ebay for a few £.
text: obviously this requires very good soldering skills to achieve the other option
text: is link pins 4 and 5 together on the back of the garmin with a small bit of cable, i found a small length of the copper wire from an ethernet cable worked best, but is a pain to get in and out
text: and you have
text: ot take it out to sync with computer or it just doesnt recognise the computer.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/28709/Richard
score: 2
sents: text: I can confirm that the garmin 910XT watch is also able to be recharged while recording an activity, the display changes to charging & its %
text: so no information, the Garmin 500 cant be recharge as it will reset any activity unless there is a setting that I haven't seen.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/10408/user10408
score: 0
sents: text: I charge mine when on very long bike rides - but when the external power source also dies the Garmin automatically powers down unless you tap the X on the screen.
text: Really wish that Garmin would use bigger batteries!!!
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/20268/user20268
score: 0
sents: text: Yes, it can.
text: I just did 200 mile ride and my Garmin Edge 800 charged fine when I plugged in my power brick after about 9 hours while riding.
text: Charged it right up
text: and I lost no data.
answer_details: author: bicycles.stackexchange.com/users/26802/Coggs
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
The Garmin 510 can be attached to power while on/in use and the Garmin Edge 800, 810 and 1000 can also be charged when exercise is active. However, it is important to note that it is not recommended to charge anything with usb when it is raining.
This is possible, but it will go into a different mode if you connect it to the computer (or in some cases, use a generic USB cable). Connecting the cable requires opening the weather seal, so avoid this when in rain. The Garmin will record while charging, but will give a notification without pausing if the power source is removed. While this can be used long term, the Garmin is unable to record for longer than 24 hours.