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Side by Side Garmin 520 Battery Comparison – Is it a Firmware Problem?

For me, the Garmin Edge 520, v13.0 firmware appears to use exactly the same battery life as past versions.

I have two Garmin Edge 520 devices (one is my wife’s). Both with the same firmware (13.0), both with same GPS version (3.30), both with the same configuration.

If I run the two side-by-side with Garmin HR Sensor, Bontrager Speed/Cadence Sensor, 4iiii Precision Dual Power Meter, Backlight at 40%, Bluetooth OFF, here is the usage I get:

Device that went in to use on March 6, 2019 (3 months old - Total Usage: 186 hours)
Battery Usage Rate for 3h50m ride: 4.4%/hour (with Data Fields (PWR, SPD, DIS, Time, CDN, HR)
Battery Usage Rate for a 1h:45m ride: 7.4%/hour (with Map Screen on, PWR + SPD)

Device that went in to use on Jul 28, 2016 (almost 3 years old - Total Usage: 1780 hours)
Battery Usage Rate for 3h50m ride: 9.4%/hour (with Data Fields (PWR, SPD, DIS, Time, CDN, HR)
Battery Usage Rate for a 1h:45m ride: 21.1%/hour (with Map Screen on, PWR + SPD)

So, in reviewing this data with past battery life of my older device with an older firmware vs. the battery life of the newer device and my general experience with the device, I come to the following conclusions:

  1. The life span of the battery in these devices certainly could have been better, but in comparison to other electronic devices, the life span is not out of the ordinary.
  2. The Backlight uses too much power, and there should be a way to restrict it so that it does not get set to 100% by accident. At 100% backlight on a new device the battery will last 2.5 hours. There should be a way to set a backlight limit, like 70%.
  3. The battery life of the newer device is very similar as my older device when it was new with the older firmware.
  4. The battery life of my older device slowly regressed over time to 50% of what it was after 3 years of use.
  5. The Map Screen uses twice as much power as the other screens. I cannot, say if a firmware update introduced this issue – or if this was always the case – I just never noticed the issue until I tried to use it earlier this spring and the battery was draining at an alarming rate. The Map screen is no longer usable on the longer rides I actually need it for. Because the Battery will be completely dead in 5 hours. Changing between the Stock Garmin map and a custom map makes no difference. Navigating a course also made no difference, following a course vs. not following a course made no different for this issue.
  6. The battery life in colder temperatures on my older device is absolutely terrible. Anything above about around 5°C is OK, but sub-freezing temperatures results in extremely poor battery life. Granted, battery life will degrade with sub-freezing temperatures, but the battery life in my older device is much lower than battery science would predict.

From my experience the conclusion I draw is the battery is failing.

I really don’t see how any type of firmware update is going to fix these issues.

However, I would love for someone to prove me wrong, as it will save me from having to change the battery.

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  • Your conclusion is logical given the direct comparison of an old and new device. My own is about 2 years old and I’m starting to notice that it does not last as long as it used to, although it may be due to colder weather.(I haven’t updated the firmware). It’s not really surprising as Li-ion batteries do deteriorate with age and cold weather reduces the amount of energy available.

     My workaround is to use a small USB power bank on longer rides

  • Hi af0002,

    Your post is a great starting point, to get to the bottom of the "battery problem" with the Edge 520, and I would have some suggestions for other tests. I only have one 520 which is around 1,5 years old, and I have started to experience false "low battery warnings" after the 12.60 firmware, and around this firmwares (12.50-12.60-12.70), many people started to complain about battery problems.

    However, once I decided, to ride until the edge shuts down (I mean not recharging it between rides), the overall battery performance have not changed (it is around 13-14 hours, HR, PWR, SPEED, Bluetooth ON, Backlight 0%), only it gut stuck on 10-20%, and 1% for quite a long time. (I did this test 3 times, results were nearly the same.) So as some others, I have started to think, that the problem is with the calibration of the battery, not the battery itself (other than the fact, that yes, Li-ion batteries degrade over time).

    Currently I think that the firmware somehow changes how it calibrates the battery based on its age (total ridden hours, or something like that), but the algorithm is not perfect, and the results get more and more inaccurate, as your device gets older.

    If I would have two 520s, I would use both of them at the same time as you did, and use them until both of the batteries "die" midride. You probably should do more rides without charging them as I did. Maybe even doing more tests, with different active screens, etc.. Probably the newer 520 will last longer, but I have no idea about the difference. Of course, not many people want to do a test like this, because after your 2nd device shuts down, your further ride will not be recorded. I want to borrow a newer 520 from a friend, and do tests like this, but have not had the time yet. Maybe in the first weeks of July.

    All your 6 points are correct I think, however I have experienced a little bit shorter battery life with following a course on longer (7-8 hour) rides, but not that significant (I have a 210km route I do quite often in the summer.)

    Any update is welcome (from everyone), I have not ridden with the 13.0 enough to get comparable results with 12.93, but wanted to share my "plan". Have a nice day.

  • My experience is exactly the same as .

    My 520 is nearly 4 years old and has been "on duty" for 1250 hours in 1750 activities. My setup is HR, PWR, Speed sensor, BT on, Varia RTL, and backlight 10% always on. The Varia RTL alone steal 2% battery pr. hour.

    I get approximately 10 hours for 100% until the unit turns itself off, but I ride for hours from 3% to 0%. Without the Varia I get 12.

    FW 13.00 is supposed to fix the battery monitor for old batteries, and I think it has to some extent, but it is still not linear from 100 to 0%.

    My advice:

    Drain the device fully with your standard setup, so that you know how many hours you can expect.

    Edit:

    Added battery depletion curve for my device (FW 12.92). The total time on the X-axis is 10 hours, but it is not one continous activity.

    Stig

  • I think draining both devices until they die is the best test. Unfortunately, I am not doing 20 hour rides these days, and that is what it may take to drain the new one completely at it's current settings. Because my wife is using one of the devices, with Bluetooth on, my tests cannot span multiple rides. On top of that, there is only so much time I can afford to spend on this issue.

    For me, all these "firmware issues" have been mainly a result of failing batteries from day one.

    Once, I replace the battery in my old device, it will close the case on this issue. It's just too bad replacing the battery is not user friendly, otherwise I am sure many people would have done it already and there would already be a concensis that a failing battery was indeed the main issue.

  • Just to elaborate a little…..

    I have four identical activities, a 160k road race taking place beginning of June every year.
    They are all done with the same setup, HR, Pwr and Speed sensor. 20% backlight, always on. In 2019 I also had a Varia RTL 510 connected.

    Consumption figures for these activities are as follows:

    2016: 6,04 % pr. hour, Firmware 6.03, Average temperature: 16 degrees C

    2017: 13,3 % pr. hour, Firmware 12.10, Average temperature: 9 degrees C.

    2018: 6,9 % pr. hour, Firmware 12.60, Average temperature: 20 degrees C

    2019: 12,9 % pr. hour, Firmware 12.92, Average temperature: 5 degrees C

    This confirms the OP’s statement that low temperatures is affecting the total capacity you can get out the battery. (Not really a surprise.)

    But it also (sort of) contradicts the statement about battery deterioration with age.

    I am relatively certain that I could tweak more than 13 hours out of my Edge simply by not using the Varia radar and the power meter (but I will of course not do that). That is not far off the promised 15 hours…..

    According to batteryuniversity.com, the normal capacity loss for a Li-Ion is 20% after 500 full charging cycles. My Edge has at the most 150 full cycles, probably less, so it is nowhere near 500. I do have a new battery in the drawer, but I don’t think I will change it yet.

    Stig

  • The battery life display percentage on my Edge 520 has been hit and miss with the last few firmware updates. Did an 80 mile sportive in 4hr 20mins, and with a device that was 100% fully charged it was down to about 5% after about 50 miles and I was worried it was going to last. But it stayed on 1% for the last 45 minutes quite happily. Bluetooth and backlight were all off from the start.

    Yet the following week I went out and did a 120mile ride, and it was still showing about 40% left at the end, with Bluetooth turned on. Doesn't make sense.

    Updated to version 13 of the firmware the other day, and a 40 mile ride (2hrs 10 minutes) took the battery percentage from 100% to 40% ... so the issue still isn't resolved for me.

    I think I've had enough of this nonsense ... I'm switching to an Element Bolt.

    Have experienced battery issues with other Garmin devices too (not cycle related).

  • As above, mine was rock solid for the first 1.5-2yrs ... but was sometime around firmware 12.60 that I started to have problems with the battery read out. 

  • Hi everyone!

    I have ridden quite a few hours with my edge 520. Both longer (5-6+ hours) and shorter (1-2 hours) ones. And for me 13.00 seems to have "solved" the battery problem. AT LEAST in the current 17-30 C temperatures I ride in right now. The battery draining is constant, around 7,5 %/h from 100 to 0, with a 1,5 year old unit.

    I have also borrowed a newer edge 520, which I have used for around 25 hours. 13.00 firmware, battery draining was linear, around 6,5 %/h, so the age does effect the battery, but not that significantly, as we have seen in the past months. 

    (I have used a screen with 8 data fields, and connected to PWR, SPD, HR sensors, and to my phone via Bluetooth.)

    Reading your experiences, riding in sub 10-12 C temperatures does seem to effect the battery (or the 520 calibration) quite much, but it's testing has to wait till autumn and winter (I do not plan a cycling holiday in colder climate :) ).