Solar Charging Not Moving Battery Level

I apologize in advance if these question has been answered. I’ve searched the threads and see a lot about Solar Charging, but nothing that has answered my question.


I have not been able to Gain Battery Level while Solar Charging. Today I hit 80,000 Lux, with Zero Battery gain. I wasn’t using the Watch. It was indeed On, not Powered Off. But not touched. The battery percentage was 47% before and after. Zero change. I have read that 150,000 Lux should be “sufficient”. 

My question is: Setting my phone flat in the Sun, for 1-2 hours, getting 100,000+ Lux, should this Move the Battery Leven at all? Or is it really that slow. And therefore requires either to be turned off or to get 500,000+ Lux to fully charge it. 

Thank you very much in advance!

  • Let's start with the fact that presenting in the widget how many lux the watch has accumulated during the day is a total misunderstanding. Does garmin think we are interested in anything more than how much battery percentage the watch has gained. Instead of doing a simple summary “today your fenix regained 2% battery” they make some kind of bars with lux. Why I am not surprised.

  • My question is: Setting my phone flat in the Sun, for 1-2 hours, getting 100,000+ Lux, should this Move the Battery Leven at all?

    It depends what the consumption is. And that can vary very wildly depending on countless factors, so it is impossible to tell.

    BTW, setting your phone flat has no impact on the way the watch charges. The charging does not run over the phone. And if you meant "setting your watch flat" instead, then that's not a good idea either, since when you remove the watch from the wrist, then it is no more cooled (by your blood), and easily overheats under the direct sunlight, and the efficiency of the charging drops then seriously. You could cool the watch by dropping it into a container with water, but water will filter some sunlight too, so preferably let just the bottom of the watch under the surface.

  • From my experience the watch would gain 1% in 1-2h depending on the use you have of it. Also don't forget to restart your watch after gathering sun as it's repaired for it to update the battery 

  • The panel isn't meant to charge your watch. It's the slow the rate of discharge. E.g. you might be able to get another 30% of total runtime out of your watch on a multi-day hike.

  • The solar panel will not load the battery, it will just slow down its discharge.

  • In the manual in the Part tips voor Solar charging you find the next text.

    Solar Charging
    NOTE: This feature is not available on all models.
    The solar charging capability of the watch allows you to charge your watch while you use it.
    Tips for Solar Charging
    To maximize the battery life of your watch, follow these tips.
    • When you are wearing the watch, avoid covering the face with your sleeve.
    • Regular outdoor use in sunny conditions can extend your battery life.
    NOTE: The watch protects itself from overheating and stops charging automatically if the internal
    temperature exceeds the solar charging temperature threshold (Specifications, page 124).
    NOTE: The watch does not solar charge when connected to an external power source or when the battery is
    full.

    If Garmin is talking about charging then you expect that this mean charging the battery + actual power use of the watch and not only slowing the discharge. All the different opinions about this subject makes it difficult to understand what is true or not.

  • If Garmin is talking about charging then you expect that this mean charging the battery + actual power use of the watch and not only slowing the discharge.

    …“It’s important to note that solar charging complements your device’s battery life but isn’t designed to replace primary charging sources.“…

    https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/outdoor/solar-charging-in-garmin-smartwatches/ 

    …“NOTE: Solar charging is designed to extend your time between charges. It is not designed to be used as the primary charging source.“…

    https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=oxk6n3F7uC9jYSNu1CEaH7 

    ..“The Power Glass watch lens is used to convert sunlight into battery power, extending your time between charges.“..

    https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=YuVXd59OaH7y55N9OL9BZA 

  • If I read all the links you refer and follow the rest of the links again even Garmin makes it very confusing. 
    If you read all the referring links they suggest that the battery will be charged en battery life will be extended. 
    In practice I think it will do what promised but if you want to be sure then you have to do multiple test in exactly the same circumstances. 

    I have a question when I have solar charge the max amount of charging is 0,3 klux in a couple of second,  is the max?