Pleasantly surprised with Solar charging(Tactix Delta)

Have you followed a track/course and was the map page used as main screen during your ride?

Wasn’t using a course, just riding and screens were on medium auto scroll. 

Thanks, this is really a great value. I use my F6xPS with navigating a course/to a waypoint with map screen as main used screen and get 6-8%/hr with sun support.

I've been experimenting alot with solar charging, and what I've found, is that with a good strong sun (I outdoors in Phoenix AZ, the so called Valley of the Sun),  not trying to hold the watch perpendicular to the sun, which results in about 50% or so average solar intensity estimated from my version of the graph in the OP, my battery discharge slows from between 0.2%-0.3% to about 0.1% per hour. 

Note this is with no GPS activity tracking, just HR monitoring, no SpO2, smartwatch face, Bluetooth with alerts from apps on phone, WiFi OFF.

I suspect with a full sun intensity per hour, I might experience zero drain from the battery during full on sun intensity. But I really doubt that you can actually gain battery charge with solar, unless you are in some power savings mode.

BTW, USB charging the Delta is pretty fast, about 1% or so per minute.

I expected more from solar charging, but I got a good deal on the solar, so for the extra $100 I paid for solar delta, I am ok with what I got. It does help to stretch battery life *some* if you spend alot of time outdoors.

I have many Watches that use Solar to recharge, (Seiko and G-Shock). They take several days to recharge from a depleted status on a windowsill facing West. I know the demand on power with these watches is minuscule in comparison to the Garmin Fenix lineup. But, my point is that on those other watches, the Solar strips/panels are much larger too than on the Garmin. And for one to expect the Garmin Watch to charge or maintain the battery status is a long shot in my experience. The verdict for me is still out on how effective the whole Solar option is with these current Garmin watches. The Sapphire glass is what I feel is the bigger factor when deciding. Just my .02

I should also add that the Garmin Instinct Solar is by far the best choice if you want to recharge your watch. The strips/panels for solar reception are much larger and power demand is much less on the GIS. All in part to the screen. I find the screen on the GIS is the best in the Garmin lineup for visibility. Both in and outdoors.

Michael

I would agree, I'm not convincingly sold on the Solar option, at least for the Tactix Delta, but I lean on the side of yeah I'll take the Solar option for some extra $'s since it does seem to offset normal battery consumption to some level, maybe even up to 100% in perfect solar scenario.

It could be that in the maximum power saving mode of the Tactix Delta, just the power saving watch face, and NOTHING else on, that the solar could almost keep the watch on forever, not sure.

I looked at the GIS, but overall the Tactix features seemed more what I needed, in terms of both overall batt life possibility and the durability. I am a big klutz and can probably accidentally destroy even a military watch given enough time lol.  The Tactix Delta is amazing readability outdoors with no backlighting, but indoors it can take a sec to get the image contrast just with your eyes/brain.

Hmm .. I’m unpleasantly disappointed in my Tactix Delta Solar charging. I’ve read a lot about size of solar strips in the Delta vs Instinct, however for $1,000 … I expect more. I get that there’s a lot going on in the watch, but did I mention $1,000?