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Edge 1030 and External Battery Pack (aka "Power Pack") -- Battery Life Test.

I just completed a test of battery life using the External Battery Pack and the Edge 1030. I ran the two together until the battery pack started blinking, indicating that it was nearly exhausted. The time was 23 hours, 22 minutes. Then I ran the Edge 1030 alone until I started getting warnings that the battery was low, and offering to run the Edge in Battery Save Mode. I kept running the Edge in normal mode until I completed my ride, and the Edge battery showed only 6% power remaining. The total time was 45 hours, 4 minutes. That means I ran the Edge 1030 alone for 21 hours, 42 minutes.

I run my Edge 1030 with GPS only (no GLONASS), the back light turned off completely, and not using battery save mode. I do not believe I used Navigation at all during this test.

This is the fourth time I have run the Edge 1030 for 20 hours or more. So Garmin has really done a great job improving the battery life of their most powerful cycling computer.

If I get ambitious, I may run the test again using battery save mode. Since the screen is blank most of the time, this promised to be a really boring test.

Also, since the Edge has the back light turned on when it is connected to the battery pack, I may test while having the battery pack turned off for the first half of each ride. Then, the juice from the battery pack will be directed more toward recharging the Edge's battery, and less toward keeping the back light burning.

0 WEBBCORP over 6 years ago

Can you connect the battery pack during an activity to the 1030 without resetting the activity? Can you charge the 1030 and use the USB charge port at the same time? If you have a second Garmin for backup can you plug it in during an activity without resetting the unit? We have a 22 hour event planned where you must have a complete GPS file or you are not counted. Seems like having the battery pack would satisfy the 1030 for 22 hours, but as a backup having a 130 or 520 also plugged in via USB port would be great to give it 22 hours. Anyone try this? What is the weight of battery pack? Thank you!

0 colin-campbell over 6 years ago

I think you posted these questions on the DC Rainmaker web site, and I answered as many as I could there.

In case others are interested:
I have started a ride with the battery pack turned off, and turned it on during the ride. I have also had the battery pack flash that it's almost out of juice, and turned it off without affecting the recording of my activity.
I have not tried charging two units (Edge & Edge, Edge & phone, etc.) simultaneously, but I would expect that to work. I would also expect that to be "messy", in terms of where the second unit was mounted, cable length, etc.
If you run your Edge 1030 in battery save mode, it's a sure bet that you could record a 22 hour activity even without the battery pack. If you run with the backlight off (only in daylight, of course), it's easy to get 24 hours or more use from the 1030. If you like to use the backlight, have the battery pack handy. Don't try running the backlight at 100%, though, just use enough to make viewing clear.
I recommend carrying your "backup" Edge in a pocket, and connecting it to something like a Jackery Mini, which only costs $12 or so. Then it's out of the way, but it'll still record.
Lastly, I have used my Jackery Mini, which I bought to extend the Edge 1000's battery life, to charge the Edge 1030. I just used electrical tape to mount the battery on the stem of my bike. It's not as elegant as the Garmin battery pack, but it's $100 cheaper....

0 cheracogoff over 6 years ago

I think the Garmin battery pack is around 3000 mAh. Any idea of how many hours could be obtained using one of the small 1000 mAh packs?

0 colin-campbell over 6 years ago

I think the Garmin battery pack is around 3000 mAh. Any idea of how many hours could be obtained using one of the small 1000 mAh packs?

No, the Jackery Mini I have is rated at 3350mAh, so it may be as powerful as the Garmin battery pack. I'm sure you could add a few hours, though.

There is another thread here about an Edge 1030 where the screen separated from the case, and someone posted a link to a video for replacing the battery of an Edge 1000. That video showed that the battery in the 1000 was 1100mAh. The replacement was 1200mAh. I wonder what size the 1030's battery is? Is it a lot bigger, or did Garmin figure out how to conserve battery life, making a similar size battery last a lot longer?

0 Former Member over 6 years ago

The battery of the 1030 must be at least 1020mAh. A SAR report from fccid.io lists a new Garmin bike computer (maybe the 820+ or 830) with this capacity. Interestingly it also mentions External Power Pack (P/N: 010-12562-00), which is the one you can use with the 1030. This would add to a total of around 4000 mAh for a 830 with battery pack while another report with a Wahoo device called Element Roam (manufacturer SHENZHEN FENDA SMART TECHNOLOGY LIMITED) mentions 2000mAh for the base unit.