TomTom ONE LE - battery life

[Probedude]

people always wants to spread fake information about using battery!
many web sites are suing false infomation as well!
the outdated knowledge only apples for Ni-CD battery.
Li-on battery no memory effect, charge it whenever, wherever needed! ,

You misunderstand what we are saying. We did not say there is a memory effect. We are saying to maximize the life of the lipo battery some rules should be followed. Re-read what we wrote.

Sparky,
I've had my LE open when I was trying to figure out which GPS chipset it had. Later I found the LE on the FCC database which has internal photographs of the LE so everyone can look inside theirs without opening it. I assume the 3rd edition is constructed similarly as far as how the battery is attached. The 2nd version looks the same too.

Replacing the lipo inside looks trivial other than getting one with the correct connector. The connector has 3 wires and I read this is only a single cell pack so only 2 are required. The 3rd may be for some safety or measurement feature.

The FCC database shows the lipo pack removed from the case and it appears it is only double stick taped to the rear cover.

Oh, it isn't that hard to open. The 4 torx screws comes out but there are a few catches that have to be gently pried to pop the back off.

Here's the link to the FCC database showing the internals of the LE.
https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blobs/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=744195&native_or_pdf=pdf

 

[sparky672]

Yes, I found most of the TomTom batteries. All have connectors.

http://www.megacapacity.com/gps-tomtom.html

I'm not concerned in the least... I've always been able to replace any battery with something compatible. Sometimes things pop apart with the screws and sometimes you have to know where the catches are hidden.

Ever get a Mac Mini apart? That's a fun one.

 

[Probedude]

Ever get a Mac Mini apart? That's a fun one.

Nope, but I did get an older sharp compact LCD projector apart to get at and fix the power supply. I don't know how they made money off that projector given the amount of labor it must have taken to put it together. What a chore!

I took a look at those prices on that website - WOW, pricey!

Here's where I've been buying lipo packs and cells for my RC flying hobby.

www.commonsenserc.com
www.hobbycity.com

These are essentially bare cells - no protection circuitry in them at all.

Dave

 

[sparky672]

I took a look at those prices on that website - WOW, pricey!

Step 1. Find the part.

Step 2. Find the best price.


Step two is always implied.

 

[Smokiewolf]

Hopefully, you would only need to replace a battery once in a blue moon

 

[Probedude]

Hopefully, you would only need to replace a battery once in a blue moon

True but I think I'm going to see how large of cell I can fit in there.. There appears to be a decent amount of room.

Dave

 

[Smokiewolf]

Is your battery dead?

 

[Probedude]

Is your battery dead?

No, it's only a 1 week old LE.
Dave

 

[Smokiewolf]

Then why bother replacing it?

 

[Probedude]

Then why bother replacing it?

Because I can't leave well enough alone
It's a disease.

I'm a tinkerer at heart, an engineer by profession.

From my RC airplanes and helis hobby I already have probably around 25 lipo battery packs of various mAH capacities.
The smallest is 800mAH, the biggest is 3000mAH and everything in between.

From what I remember when I had the back off my TT1 LE, there is room to put a larger cell in there, likely 2 identical ones wired in parallel stacked on top of each other. Should be able to double up on the run time.

Dave

 

[Smokiewolf]

Cool, lemme know how that works out if you try it!

 

[badborg]

Doubling run time would be very cool. I'd do that mod.

 

[gogophs69]

Question: How to save battery time for pedestrian use?

I would like to use my new TomTom One LE for walking around Chicago for several hours. I know the battery life is very limited.

What settings can I use to reduce battery drain when walking? How much will reducing brightness, turning off screen between instructions/always turning off screen, etc. help to get more hours out of the battery. How many hours can I get if I maximize battery life?

Thanks.

 

[sparky672]

I would like to use my new TomTom One LE for walking around Chicago for several hours. I know the battery life is very limited.

What settings can I use to reduce battery drain when walking? How much will reducing brightness, turning off screen between instructions/always turning off screen, etc. help to get more hours out of the battery. How many hours can I get if I maximize battery life?

Thanks.

Aside from the radio receiver, the screen backlight and the speaker volume are the two biggest power hogs. Go to mute, dim the screen, and shut off the screen.

 

[gogophs69]

Thanks for suggestions. I will try to dim the brightness to the minimum, mute the volume, and turn off the screen when not necessary (is this what you meant when you indicated turning off the screen?).

Is extra power needed to turn the unit on? Which takes more power, the volume or the screen? If a dim screen takes more power than the low volume, can I keep the volume low and turn off the screen?

I haven't played with the as a pedestrian but it works great in the car. I am hoping that I can get additional benefit from this inexpensive unit during walking ventures.

 

[lightnin49]

Battery Meter

I'm a "rookie" owner of a One v3. People keep talking about battery meters, and the only indicator I can see is the little light by the power button. Is there sometnig else on my unit that will tell me the battery level that I haven't stumbled on yet?

 

[sparky672]

Is there sometnig else on my unit that will tell me the battery level that I haven't stumbled on yet?

Click the right half of the status bar (when it's in horizontal position).

Then on the right side of the next screen there's a picture of a battery filled with color representing the charge level.

 

[sparky672]

Is extra power needed to turn the unit on? Which takes more power, the volume or the screen? If a dim screen takes more power than the low volume, can I keep the volume low and turn off the screen?

I doubt that power-up takes any extra significant amount of power than idle. It's not a gasoline engine after all.

In my professional opinion, I'd say the screen takes more power than the sound. And that's only because the sound is more intermittently used than the screen.

But you're really looking for other detailed information that no one could possibly know.

Saving backlight and reducing sound will extend your battery, period ... but by how much depends solely on your usage habits. There are a thousand other variables and you'll just get what you get.

 

[lightnin49]

Click the right half of the status bar (when it's in horizontal position).

Then on the right side of the next screen there's a picture of a battery filled with color representing the charge level.

Thanks! I would have never found it!

 

[Smokiewolf]

I doubt that power-up takes any extra significant amount of power than idle. It's not a gasoline engine after all.

In my professional opinion, I'd say the screen takes more power than the sound. And that's only because the sound is more intermittently used than the screen.

But you're really looking for other detailed information that no one could possibly know.

Saving backlight and reducing sound will extend your battery, period ... but by how much depends solely on your usage habits. There are a thousand other variables and you'll just get what you get.

Wouldn't it use more juice turning it on and off due to obtaining a SAT lock every time?