CAR BATTERY 12vdc DRAIN MEASUREMENTS (ma) BACKLIGHT EXTERNAL TRAFFIC RECEIVER MODEL 100% 50% Attached? -------------------------------------------------------- StreetPilot 7200 610 395 No 900 550 Yes StreetPilot c550 (Initial Currents with Battery Discharged) Unit ON? NA NA Yes 470 No 500 495 Yes Yes StreetPilot c550 (Currents with Battery Charged) Unit ON? NA NA Yes 100* No 140 120 Yes Yes *This current includes that required to run the GPS reveiver, FM Radio, and top off the battery. (When the GPS unit is ON, it appears to draw only about 30 to 40ma more than when OFF) StreetPilot-III 280 170 NA Yes ________________________________________________________________________________________ GPS BATTERY DRAIN MEASUREMENTS (With Backlight Off) 30 Sep. 2004 (Add Vista C) 24 Nov. 2004 (Add GPSmap 60CS) 20 Feb. 2006 (Add GPSmap 76Cx) 6 Apr. 2006 (Add Vista Cx) [NOTE]: Divide battery-drain measurements into 1800mah for battery-life estimate. Tests were made in the NORMAL mode. Internally Powered with Fresh Alkaline Batteries ------------------------------------ (Test Mode) Antenna Connected Model Version Sim Searching GA27C or GA26C ------------------------------------------------------------------- UNITS WITH FOUR AA BATTERIES G-II+ 2.04 28ma 81ma NA 118ma G-12XL 3.02 32ma 128ma NA 141ma G-12XL 3.51 30ma 76ma 89ma NA G-12XL 4.00 15ma 88ma 101ma NA G-12 3.50 32ma 75ma @ @ G-12 4.54 NA 83ma @ @ G-III+ 2.01 34ma 82ma NA 95ma G-V 2.01 58ma 90ma (175ma with backlight max) UNITS WITH TWO AA BATTERIES eMap 2.04 60ma 120ma 130ma NA Legend 2.30 50ma 120ma @ @ Vista 2.16 50ma 120ma* @ @ *165ma with compass ON Vista C 2.10 52ma 62ma* @ @ *100ma with compass ON Vista Cx 2.20 50ma 65ma* @ @ *75ma with compass ON GPSMap 60CS 3.50 38ma 71ma# Gilsson: 82ma #Backlight low: add 23ma #Backlight med: add 44ma #Backlight max: add 100ma #Compass ON: add 40ma GPSmap 76 2.04 62ma 120ma 130ma NA GPSmap 76S 1.06 100ma 125ma* 185ma NA *Compass ON: add 50ma GPSmap 76C 3.43 52ma 62ma* 70ma NA *With backlight full: add 100ma GPSmap 76CS 55ma 62ma* *With backlight: 20% add 25ma, 30% 33ma, 50% 53ma, 100% 103ma *Compass ON: add 35ma, Tone: add 70ma (Approx) GPSmap 76Cx 2.40 40ma 100ma* *With backlight full: add 100ma UNITS WITH SIX AA BATTERIES Street Pilot 1.00 105ma 120ma NA 133ma * Searching ° On Garmin models, the lower the battery voltage, the higher the current drain. [MAGELLANS with two batteries] M-315 1.03 NA 145ma @ @ M-330M 2.03 NA 145ma @ @ Meridian GOLD 2.09 NA 145ma @ @ SporTrak Color 4.06 NA 120ma* @ @ *160ma with backlight on full @Has no external powered antenna capability Tests were made with the units in the search or simulator modes. Sim=Simulator Mode NA=Not Available for testing [LOWRANCE] EEx2 3.00 110ma 110ma @ @ 6.00 EEx2 3.00 Power-Save mode=40ma to 110ma in three-second cycles GM100 1.20 180ma 180ma @ @ 6.00 GM100 1.20 Power-Save mode=84ma to 180ma in three-second cycles @Has no external powered antenna capability BACK LIGHTS: Garmin G-12with full battery gauge: Light ON Low Add 4ma Light ON Med Add 9ma Light ON Max Add 16ma Garmin G-III: Light ON Low Add 16ma Light ON Med Add 32ma Light ON Max Add 64ma Street Pilot with full battery gauge: Light ON normal: Add 120ma Light ON max: Add 210ma Eagle Expedition II with full battery gauge: Light ON max: Add 80ma GM100 with full battery gauge: Light ON max: Add 60ma The above submitted by Ron Henderson, Jose Camara, Jeff Thieleke, and Frederick Hiltz ------------------------- Pierre Morin did some interesting measurements of the current consumption of his Garmin GPS12 indicating that with low battery voltages, turning on the backlighr REDUCES the current! VOLTAGE BACKLIGHT BACKLIGHT BACKLIGHT BACKLIGHT OFF LOW MEDIUM BRIGHT 4.3v 129ma 110ma 119ma 121ma 5.0v 114ma 93ma 100ma 107ma 6.0v 86ma 86ma 90ma 93ma -------------------------------------- Dave Martindale, using a regulated 5 vdc power supply, made the following antenna current measurements: Garmin GA-26 12.7 ma @6vdc Garmin GA-27C 10.0 ma @3vdc Trimble hardmount 18.6 ma old Lowe 22.0 ma new Lowe 22.8 ma Trimble mini OEM 29.0 ma Tri-M Mighty Mouse 12.1 ma Please send corrections and additions to: Jack@FinalApproach.net