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Edge Explore Battery meter calibration

I went went out for a ride last week. I hadn't used the device in a few months but battery was indicating 100% so I didn't charge it.

I followed a preloaded course for the ride which took 2 hours 20 mins. In that time the battery meter reading had dropped to 45%.

I then charged it up and left it running on my desk (Not following a course but just recording while stationary). Now I got 6 hours until the meter dropped to 0% and another 6 hours before the unit switched off. (Total 12 hours)

I charged it up and repeated the experiment again. Next time it ran for 8 hours 45 before showing 0% but expired after only another 30 mins. (Total 9 hours 15mins).

I'm using latest firmware (5.30) and I didn't use battery saver in any of the above tests. Screen brightness was set at 30%.

What's the best way to calibrate the battery meter? I thought it might be to fully discharge as I have been doing which does seem to sort of work, but I don't like that the battery life had dropped from 12 hours to 9:15. Should I be leaving it on the charger for a while after it shows 100%?

  • Let the device drain the battery until it switches off (dies) as you did. The real battery level is zero at that point. Now the software of the device has to learn the new zero level. This can be achieved by doing a full hard reset of the device immediately after it is connected to the charger. Do not skip this step. Regardless of when the battery indicator reaches 100% again, leave the device on the charger for at least 6 hours. This is to learn the device the real 100% charge level.
    Device is ready to use now, but you will have to re-enter your settings because of the full reset. If in doubt if you have reached the ultimum with the battery indicator, you can repeat the whole re-cal procedure.

  • Thanks for the info - that worked a treat! I redid the stationary test and got 13 hours battery life with the meter reading 0% about 20 minutes before it expired. 

  • Thank you so much! I was so annoyed when I just bought the device. After about four hours it would die on me so I was afraid I wouldn't be able to use it on longer rides. Already regretted my purchase and I was looking into a Wahoo.

    Then I came across your posted and tried your method. Just went for an 1.5 hour ride and I only lost 15% with phone and two sensors connected! So it worked like a charm :) It's rather disturbing that they ship them like this.

    Can I buy you a beer or something? Stuck out tongue closed eyes 

  • Thank you for your kind words, but i'm just the messenger in this. The info comes from a Dutch specialist navigation shop "Waypoint" (https://www.gps.nl/). They are real Garmin experts and give their customers great service. Maybe its a pity for you, but all is in Dutch...

    Good luck with your Edge Explore.

  • Well that works out for me, want ik ben ook Nederlands haha. Bedankt!

  • Hello there, what do you mean with hard reset? Holding power botton for 10 seconds, or using the system menu to factory reset?

  • Pressing the Start/Stop, Lap & Power buttons simultaneously is the native procedure for a "hard" reset. After a short time the screen goes blank. Then you can release the buttons. Then the device restarts asking to enter language, metrics, time format, etc..

    To save you some effort to re-enter all personal settings Garmin has published a detailed procedure for backup & restore: support.garmin.com/.../

  • Holding the power button for 10 seconds worked for me. The "native procedure" didn't. It just restarted.

  • Sorry, my description of the procedure for a 'hard' reset was not accurate. Here is what comes from Garmin Support:

    1. Turn device off.
    2. Hold Lap/Reset and Start/Stop.
    3. Press and release the power button.
    4. Continue to hold only Lap/Reset and Start/Stop.
    5. Release Lap/Reset and Start/Stop when the Garmin Logo is cleared.
    6. The unit will restart and clear non-vol.

      This worked for my Edge Explore and several other Edges with battery indicator flaws.
  • I recently had the usual issue of low battery life so I did the battery recalibration thing and that cured it. 
    But now I have a different issue. 
    I start a ride with 100% battery ride for a few hours battery drains to say 70%. 
    When I then come to use it again for another ride on turning it back on the battery level is back up to 100% without it being charged. 
    I tried doing another battery calibration but it’s still the same. 
    any thoughts?

    thanks.