Charge time and charge rate of Fenix 5 plus.

My Fenix 5 charges at about 120mAh. 140-160 for Fenix 5+ is actually an improvement. ;-)

I think it's kind of expected. It's a small battery in pretty enclosed space, you can't really charge it at something like 500mAh without seriously reducing its life span due to excessive heat.

My Fenix 5 charges at about 120mAh. 140-160 for Fenix 5+ is actually an improvement. ;-)

I think it's kind of expected. It's a small battery in pretty enclosed space, you can't really charge it at something like 500mAh without seriously reducing its life span due to excessive heat.

My Garmin Epix is 5 years old and the battery is still going strong and charges at 450mA. 140mA is ultra conservative. They could easily implement a variable charge rate that charged slower as it got nearly full or if the temperature was high (two things that effect battery life.)

I was so preoccupied with my battery's charge duration that I hadn't given the charge time much attention, but I too am noticing a longer than usual charge time. I'm not sure how long it should take to fully charge the F5+ battery but mine can take upwards of 3-4 hours.

That's strange. My 5+ really seems comparable to 5. Last time it took something little over 2 hours to go from 14% to 86% at which point the indicator would just jump to 100%. Yes, the watch continues charging afterwards (as I noted in another thread) but from the indicator, you can't really tell. I wonder why we're seeing so different results.

There is such a lack of understanding of how lithium batteries work are are used in this thread.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

In short (and crudely written):

*Below 80/90% the charge rate is at a maximum as defined by the charge controller
*This maximum charge rate is (as a rule of thumb) dictated by the capacity of the battery, if the capacity is 280mAh, the charge rate should not exceed 280mA (1C rate).
above 80/90% the charge rate drops of significantly
*Heat destroys liion cell life time, charging above 1C dissipates too much heat

So be grateful your fenix charges slowly, the battery lifespan should be longer.

*Bonus pro-tip*

Assuming Garmin charge the fenix battery to maximum cell voltage, disconnecting at 80% charge and never letting it completely discharge will maximise battery life span. In the 2 years I have had my F3 you can count the number of times I have charged it to 100% on your hands. Still going strong.

Having a Fenix 5s already, I recently upgraded to a Fenix 5s plus. The battery does not last even 48 hrs and that is just watch and HR, no music, activities, GPS or Maps! If Garmin are interested i have data on % values v time and the same for charging. I also note that the 5s when attached to my MacBook with USB used to show in finder and could be ejected, the 5s plus does not show at all and therefore has no eject facility. I have spoke to Garmin support who recognise as an issue and are apparently working on a fix, but how long do i leave it before sending it back? Very disappointing and frustrating :(

There is such a lack of understanding of how lithium batteries work are are used in this thread.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

In short (and crudely written):

*Below 80/90% the charge rate is at a maximum as defined by the charge controller
*This maximum charge rate is (as a rule of thumb) dictated by the capacity of the battery, if the capacity is 280mAh, the charge rate should not exceed 280mA (1C rate).
above 80/90% the charge rate drops of significantly
*Heat destroys liion cell life time, charging above 1C dissipates too much heat

So be grateful your fenix charges slowly, the battery lifespan should be longer.

*Bonus pro-tip*

Assuming Garmin charge the fenix battery to maximum cell voltage, disconnecting at 80% charge and never letting it completely discharge will maximise battery life span. In the 2 years I have had my F3 you can count the number of times I have charged it to 100% on your hands. Still going strong.

I agree with you, equipment lifespan is more important than some marginal increase in charge rate. I also try to avoid going above 85% on my equipment for longevity. I don't see any problem as the battery life is quite respectable. This is not a typical smartwatch with a 1 day battery life where a fast charge rate is so important.

Unfortunately my Fenix 5s plus HAS only a 1 day battery life, charged to 100% at 2300hrs yesterday, just used as watch with HR, no activities and battery at 18% at 1800hrs tonight :(

There is such a lack of understanding of how lithium batteries work are are used in this thread.

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

In short (and crudely written):

*Below 80/90% the charge rate is at a maximum as defined by the charge controller
*This maximum charge rate is (as a rule of thumb) dictated by the capacity of the battery, if the capacity is 280mAh, the charge rate should not exceed 280mA (1C rate).
above 80/90% the charge rate drops of significantly
*Heat destroys liion cell life time, charging above 1C dissipates too much heat

So be grateful your fenix charges slowly, the battery lifespan should be longer.

*Bonus pro-tip*

Assuming Garmin charge the fenix battery to maximum cell voltage, disconnecting at 80% charge and never letting it completely discharge will maximise battery life span. In the 2 years I have had my F3 you can count the number of times I have charged it to 100% on your hands. Still going strong.

Good overview. It is bad to constantly top off your li-ion battery. Unfortunately, poor battery life and slow charging makes it more likely a person will constantly top off their device, leading to even worse battery life. The 140mA to 170mA seen with the 5+, even when almost empty is too slow a charge rate.