Battery life, best practices, and replacement

The last couple of sessions I ended up turning the R50 off (using power button), before ending the session, and found my unit completely drained of power the next time I used it (several days later).   So I completely charged it up.....and then  it completely discharged.

I'd read somewhere it is best for long term use to live between 25% and 75% charged for optimal battery life.   Is that what Garmin recommends?

When the day does come to replace the battery, are they "do it yourself" type projects, or do we have to send the R50 in to Garmin or other service center?   Are there any specs on the battery?  

Thank you in advance.

  • The info you are requesting is available through the Garmin Support website for the Approach R50 through the link here: Best Charging and Storage Practices for Approach Models with Rechargeable Batteries

    After manufacture, Garmin packages devices with lithium ion rechargeable batteries around 50% vs packing the new device with a full 100% charge. Storing around 40-50% charged is best for long term storage where the device will not be powered on or going through charging cycles for months at a time or longer. 

    The article also outlines the 80/20 method of charging, temperature the device should be stored within, typically charging timeframes, avoiding letting the device completely run out of battery, and what charging prior to attempting to power the device on if the device shut off due to low battery. 

    - Hope this helps! 

  • So my R50 comes on showing the Garmin logo and stays there for about 7-8 seconds and then goes to a smaller white box that says powering off/ Shutting down with a spinning wheel. That says up for a 1/2 second and then the screen goes black. It will only turn on when plugged in. It won't do anything when the unit is unplugged. I've tried holding the power button for 60 seconds to reset, cleaning the terminals, checking the power source. etc. It hasn't helped. Anyone had this issue? what was the fix?