Garmin Drivesmart 50 Sat Nav

[derekpara]

I changed from a Tom Tom to a Garmin Smartdrive 50 satnav a year ago and I'm not sure if there is a problem with it.

I only use the thing once a month and the battery is always flat when I switch it on indoors and I have to wait a few hours for it to charge up from my pc via USB before I can input route etc. Is this normal ? I don't ever recall this being the case with the old TomTom; I just plugged into the pc and it fired up immediately.

Cheers.

D

[Gizmonster]

Charging from a USB port and charging from a wall socket will both fully charge your device, but due to the different currents, it will take a lot longer to fully charge using a USB connection.
Is the device fully charged when you decide to use it, or do you just assume it's fully charged due to how long it's been connected??
I have a similar problem with my Tom Tom. I rarely use it and when I do, I simply plug it in to get a little charge to get me going; then plug it in to my car which maintains the charge. It never gets fully charged though and you can guarantee that the next time I use it, I'll need to boost the charge again.
Try charging it using a plug/wall socket and make sure it is fully charged.
If it keeps losing charge, then there may be a fault with the battery itself.

https://www.techwalla.com/articles/usb-charging-vs-wall-charger

[derekpara]

Thank you, Giz. The Garmin is fully charged when I finish a journey but flat when I want to use it a month later and won't accept any instructions until it's almost fully charged. The TomTom seemed to hold the charge longer and operate immediately on being plugged into the USB/PC or car.

From what I have Googled the problem/feature seems common with Garmins. I have ordered a wall charger as you suggest.

Thanks again.

D

[Gizmonster]

Just out of curiosity, when you shut your sat nav down, are you fully powering it down, or are you putting it into sleep mode??
It sounds to me like you're putting it into sleep mode, which will still drain the battery .... which would explain why the battery is flat when you come to use it again.

//// To turn off the device completely, hold the power key until a prompt appears on the screen, and select Off.
The prompt appears after five seconds. If you release the power key before the prompt appears, the device enters power saving mode. ////

..... copied from:

https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp/drivesmart50-60-70/EN-US/GUID-BE66547E-AE97-45E0-891D-F8ADB2983BC5.html

[derekpara]

Thanks again, Giz. That's something I didn't know and could be the root of the problem.

Cheers.

D