If there is no power and lots of sun?

I know what the specs are on the product page, but let's say I want to hike through a desert with every day of full sun. Since the watch is solar, why wouldn't it be able to be charged indefinitely? If it can be, what would the configuration be to let it charge to 100% with solar? Battery saver? Separately, does the watch charge with solar while off?

Top Replies

Aditya over 2 years ago in reply to 3612639 +3 verified

It really depends on how you are using it too...if you are using the watch GPS to track your hike then there is no way you are going to come out on top even if you leave it out to charge all day in direct…
bluefish over 2 years ago in reply to Aditya +3 verified

Aditya said:
The only way you could get it to charge fully is putting it in battery saver mode

No. The best (fastest) way to charge it, is : turn the watch off.
Rigel1967 over 2 years ago +1

20 minutes under full sun (I live on the coast of a sunny Mediterranean city) will provide you with one percent of battery power. Four to five hours a day fully sunbathing the Instinct will increase battery…

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0 Sven1294 over 2 years ago

I have had success getting it to charge in battery saver mode, but I kept the watch in direct sunlight the whole time (stationary and not on my wrist). It doesn't charge fast, but a few hours of charging gained me a couple days of normal use.

0 3612639 over 2 years ago

See. Things like that. If you're camping and have a day of direct sun. Set it on a rock. Can't it fully charge itself?

And if its fully dead, will it solar charge?

0 Rigel1967 over 2 years ago

20 minutes under full sun (I live on the coast of a sunny Mediterranean city) will provide you with one percent of battery power. Four to five hours a day fully sunbathing the Instinct will increase battery percentage by 10%. The problem is that the watch will get hot when you leave it under the sun.

0 3612639 over 2 years ago

Interesting. I wasn't thinking of device temperature.

0 trux over 2 years ago in reply to Rigel1967

Rigel1967 said:
The problem is that the watch will get hot when you leave it under the sun.

It is often recommended letting the watch charging in a container with water, which will cool it down sufficiently.

0 3612639 over 2 years ago

So if you had 10 days of sun, can keep the temp down, switch to battery saver and turn off the comms, you can fully charge it?

+1 Aditya over 2 years ago in reply to 3612639

It really depends on how you are using it too...if you are using the watch GPS to track your hike then there is no way you are going to come out on top even if you leave it out to charge all day in direct sunlight. The only way you could get it to charge fully is putting it in battery saver mode

See the Solar & Battery details section on DCRainmaker's website for a breakdown https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/07/garmin-instinct-solar-review-whats-new-different.html

0 3612639 over 2 years ago

That dcrainmaker review is pretty good.

+1 bluefish over 2 years ago in reply to Aditya

Aditya said:
The only way you could get it to charge fully is putting it in battery saver mode

No. The best (fastest) way to charge it, is : turn the watch off.

0 Joseph over 2 years ago

I think what he/she is asking is: In my instance I forgot to charge my watch, if I put it on the hood of my truck for a few hours, will the circuitry of the watch, charge the watch while in direct sunlight and powered off?