Garmin Edge 530 External Battery Pack

[BigdummySteve]

Yes, it charges when rotated 180 deg
Steve, if you want to do some more investigating you’re welcome to borrow it for a while, for the greater good and all that. I’m just down the road in Banbury.

[BigdummySteve]

Ok further update, I insulated the contacts on my garmin

With only C and 1 exposed no charge
With C 1 and 4 exposed no charge

I’m afraid it’s not going to be simple

[BigdummySteve]

Ok one last test, I left C & 1 exposed then plugged my iPhone into the USB out on the charge pack still no charging on the garmin. Looks like there’s something more than basic voltage going on as I measured 4.8v across these terminals when using the USB out previously.

Good luck

[slarge]

Try keeping the 3 right or 3 left. (C, 2,4 or c,1,3) exposed and see what happens. I think it will still charge.

The difficult bit will be replicating the control signal, as it will be a bespoke Garmin signal.

[BigdummySteve]

Try keeping the 3 right or 3 left. (C, 2,4 or c,1,3) exposed and see what happens. I think it will still charge.

The difficult bit will be replicating the control signal, as it will be a bespoke Garmin signal.

Afraid not, garmin have stitched this up tight.

[slarge]

Probably then the rest of us have a few choices:
- wait until someone replicates it and sells it cheaper on ebay
- keep going with USB connector power packs
- do a lot more work and find someone clever to replicate the pack
- spend the money on the Garmin pack

(I think I am going with the USB connector option - there's always the risk of water damage, but it's very very rare we get a whole day of rain*)

*except in Wales or Scotland during October or May

[BigdummySteve]

If you can find it for the £75 that cycle republic we’re doing there at I think it’s worth it, there’s no arseing about. It works great with a dynamo and your not risking the micro usb, I’ve used sugru to mould a plug seal for the pack connection so it’s also weather proof.

To get the charging working might be as simple as an iPhone, I’ve played around with building a few power packs using various off the shelf circuit boards, I thought I’d found the ideal one, it was designed to function as a UPS for raspberry PI,s
But iPhone,s need a small voltage across the data lines otherwise they don’t charge. This can be supplied from the power connections with a couple of resistors to drop the voltage.
We need someone clever to figure it out for the garmin.

[Dave Barter]

At the moment, best I can find is circa £99 I might have to pull the trigger as this pack with my 530 gives me 4-5 days away from power if used carefully.

[BigdummySteve]

At the moment, best I can find is circa £99 I might have to pull the trigger as this pack with my 530 gives me 4-5 days away from power if used carefully.

As mentioned it also works very well with a dynamo, no intervention required. 30 plus hours now with the screen on permanently at 100% and everything is still fully charged. I think it’s easy to look at it and say it’s just a really expensive power bank but in use it just removes any worries about powering your navigation. I thought it was a bit frivolous but I’d buy it again at full price in a heartbeat, plus I’ve killed several normal power banks either with water ingress or broken micro USB,s so it will save me cash in the long term.

[fatbikerbill]

Dave,

£75 right now.

https://www.cyclerepublic.com/garmin-ch ... y8EALw_wcB

Sorry for the monster link, on my phone

[Dave Barter]

lol I knew that would happen

Out of stock when I ordered Thursday

Anyway it’s here now and I am well pleased.

[pistonbroke]

Thanks for the link, I looked the other day but assumed they were no longer available as Cycle Republic had closed down. Might take a punt and get one even though I've not yet managed to get an 830 at the right price despite MrB's best efforts.
Edit, bugger, there's no buy button on the link, maybe it's worked out I'm outside the UK and won't ship here due to restrictions on posting LiOn batteries.

[Dave Barter]

Nope same for me Duncan

[lune ranger]

Well that’s me totally sold on the idea
Steve - when you’re talking about charging the external battery from dynamo I take it you mean via a USB converter like an Igaro or C5 Plug rather than direct supply?
I’ve been working about 60hours a week and living in a tent for two months so I reckon I could get approval for a spend from Mrs Ranger.

[BigdummySteve]

Yes the battery pack is plugged into the usb output of my sinewave beacon, I’ve covered at least 300 miles with the screen permanently on at 100% brightness and no other power saving turned on. Both garmin and battery are still fully charged. Highly recommend setup.

[lune ranger]

Got the 530 a few days ago and have taken a ride with it. So much nicer than an etrex for using on the bike.
Just waiting for the battery to turn up as well.
I’m considering semi permanently attaching the charge cable to the battery with sugru to make the complete system waterproof.
Will have to see how viable an idea that is when I actually have it in my hands.
Does anyone know the average speed metric is an ‘overall average’ or ‘moving average ‘if autopause is turned off on an Edge unit. It was moving average with autopause on.

[BigdummySteve]

I’m considering semi permanently attaching the charge cable to the battery with sugru to make the complete system waterproof.

Exactly what i have done

[Asposium]

Does anyone know the average speed metric is an ‘overall average’ or ‘moving average ‘if autopause is turned off on an Edge unit. It was moving average with autopause on.

On an edge 1030 average speed becomes overall average if auto pause is off.
For BB200 I have a custom profile on the edge that turns off auto pause and has various different data fields; moving average and overall average being amongst them ((can’t remember the exact names used on the 1030))

[lune ranger]

Thanks. Turned autopause off this morning so was able to work out the moving vs overall average question.
Not sure the 530 is capable of displaying both metrics simultaneously. More fiddling needed.

[whitestone]

This page shows the possible data fields for the Edge 530 - https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp ... 6B05F.html looks like only one average speed. Can't see 'Overall average' or similar. The lists for the 830 & 1030 look identical to the above.

I know the Oregon has "moving average speed", "overall average speed", "moving time" and "stopped time" - https://www8.garmin.com/manuals/webhelp ... 6CBB2.html

[slarge]

Does anyone know the average speed metric is an ‘overall average’ or ‘moving average ‘if autopause is turned off on an Edge unit. It was moving average with autopause on.

On an edge 1030 average speed becomes overall average if auto pause is off.
For BB200 I have a custom profile on the edge that turns off auto pause and has various different data fields; moving average and overall average being amongst them ((can’t remember the exact names used on the 1030))

Hi Asposium - can you state the data fields names as this has always been a frustration with the 1030 - I've never figured out how to have overall time and moving time displayed (one or the other but not both). Thanks

[Asposium]

Does anyone know the average speed metric is an ‘overall average’ or ‘moving average ‘if autopause is turned off on an Edge unit. It was moving average with autopause on.

On an edge 1030 average speed becomes overall average if auto pause is off.
For BB200 I have a custom profile on the edge that turns off auto pause and has various different data fields; moving average and overall average being amongst them ((can’t remember the exact names used on the 1030))

Hi Asposium - can you state the data fields names as this has always been a frustration with the 1030 - I've never figured out how to have overall time and moving time displayed (one or the other but not both). Thanks

checking the 1030 and my "BBx00" profile
only has the average speed; sorry for my confusion
however, because the clock never stops this average speed will drop if one stops

on my 1030 data field screen for BBx00 i have...

speed
distance
avg speed <> timer
total descent <> total ascent
battery <> time of day

have an autolap every 10km
have another data field screen

elapsed time
lap time
last lap time <> avg lap time
last lap speed <> avg speed
battery <> time of day


<> equals a half width data field, Left and Right respectively

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Has anyone ever managed to buy one of these from Cycle Republic, or found one at a reasonable price elsewhere?

[pistonbroke]

by ZeroDarkBivi » Sun Jun 07, 2020 8:36 pm

Has anyone ever managed to buy one of these from Cycle Republic, or found one at a reasonable price elsewhere?

Cycle Republic closed down their stores about 6 weeks ago, when I saw that the website was still active, I thought this was being used to sell off their redundant stock but there's nowhere to click to buy. AFAIK they were a subsidiary of Halfords just more bike centric, may be worth looking there for them selling old Cycle Republic stock. I've found one at Bikeinn for €100 which equates to about £100 given the current shitstorm, thinking of having a punt then waiting for another offer on the 830 when Garmin are overstocked.

[Asposium]

Has anyone ever managed to buy one of these from Cycle Republic, or found one at a reasonable price elsewhere?

I got one from cycle republic, albeit many weeks ago