Edge 1050 Charging UX (re-opened)

James S.
2 months ago

Re-opening this one because it wasn't actually addressed. The original poster wrote:

I’ve had my edge 1050 nearly four months now. I’m disappointed with the charging UX. I have the charger on a timer so that it’s not always tying to charge the device. In addition to the games you have to play to start the unit charging (connect to power FIRST, wait for it to start up, THEN turn it off), when the timer on the charger shuts off, the device wakes up again, then (maybe) goes into sleep mode. This morning I went to go for a ride and found that the 1050 was totally drained!

This was after having to play the “hold the power button down for 30 seconds” game last week in order to get it to turn on at all!

I just had to send my Varia radar back for a recall/exchange program, it looks like the Edge will be next. Why can’t Garmin get their hardware right the first time??

The person who closed and locked the thread wrote:

Thanks for reaching out for support.

When connected to a power source, the device powers on. The Edge 1050 will not power off on its own, and if the device is intentionally powered off while plugged in, it will power on again when it loses external power. This could result in your Edge being powered on, draining the battery while it is no longer charging ("charger on a timer").

If you're looking to start with a full battery, my recommendation is to leave the device plugged in to an active power source until ready for use. The charging logic in your Garmin device prevents it from being 'overcharged' and charging is automatically disabled once the battery is at full capacity.

For more info, please review:What Can I Use to Charge the Battery of My Garmin Device?

This does not address the original complaint _at all_. We do not want the unit to power on while being charged. Just say "yes, that is what happens" does nothing to indicate the issue will be addressed or has even been heard.

  • 0 2 months ago

    Welp.  This is how it is designed to work.  IDK the rationale behind it, but it's intentional and I very much doubt Garmin will change it.  There is no problem leaving the device plugged into an active charger after it is fully charged. The BMS in the device protects the battery.  So, plug it in to charge, and leave it plugged in until you get around to unplugging it.  There is an issue with charging via the USB port of some computers.  Some will switch the USB power off when the computer goes to sleep, and the Edge being switched on will start to deplete the battery.  My computer setup doesn't do that.

  • 0 2 months ago

    With the device powered on, it is continually polling registered devices (e.g. HR monitors). This will cause battery drain on those devices that are continually waking up, registering, going to sleep, rinse, repeat. It is also potentially damaging to the screen of the computer to have a static screen displayed the whole time the computer is charging (which can be much longer than a ride).

  • 0 2 months ago

    This irritates me too and I would like to know the reasoning behind this behaviour. This is my 3rd "flagship" model (1000, 1030, 1050) and they all display this irritating, though clearly intentional trait. 

    When I've finished using my Garmin I switch it off, then at some stage I plug it in to recharge, when it is charged I unplug it and set it to one side until I want to re-use it. At no stage during this sequence do I want it to switch itself on, nor can I think of a reason for it to do so - and yet it does!

  • 0 2 months ago

    Add me to those who find the charging UX annoying and poorly considered. If Garmin thinks the current scheme is desirable and others don't, why not just create a setting to support either as a preference.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to James S.

    >>>With the device powered on, it is continually polling registered devices<<<

    The Edge looks for devices by listening for signals from them.  If they're asleep, they're sending no signals and not using their batteries despite the Edge listening for them. 

  • 0 2 months ago

    Does the same behavior occur with a 'power-only' USB C cord?  These are hard to find but they do exist.

    On my 1030+ I use a 'power-only' micro-usb cord and the unit switches off automatically when done charging.  If I use a 'data and power' micro-usb cord then it turns fully on and never shuts off after charging.

    It could be worth the small investment by buying the correct cord.  This behavior would drive me nuts too.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Pdlpsher

    I don't use micro-USB cords to charge my Garmin. My charge station is USB-C, and if there's a distinction with them between power-only and power/data for USB-C cables that's news to me.

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to DeanWette

    See the attached link.  They are also called secure cables as they disallow data transfer.  If you are at an unfamiliar place and want to charge your devices, these cables will allow you to charge without the risk of someone accessing the data on your device.  If anyone wishes to try this I'd interested in the result.

    www.amazon.com/.../ref=sr_1_3

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Pdlpsher

    Yeah, interesting. I think I'll let someone else try it. While I think the way the Garmin charges is annoying I can work with it for now, without spending discretionary funds I don't really need to on something unproven (I'm retired and being more judicious about expenses).

  • 0 2 months ago in reply to Pdlpsher

    That seems worth a shot. But we really shouldn't have to use power only cables. I get that someone _might_ have some sort of external battery pack they might want to use while riding, but this could be solved with a simple setting: "power on while charging: yes/no".