First Sat Nav

djohn2002uk

For just a little more money go into Halfords and get them to demonstrate the Garmin nuvi 1410. I bet you'll buy it if you do.

Chartered_Eng

fwor wrote: »

True, it can be a bit of a lottery.

With the current generation of LiIon and LiPol batteries, the best you can do is to try to avoid fully discharging them, and avoid getting them too hot. These two are linked, because fully recharging a battery will usually get it hotter than partially recharging it.

The charger should stop the overheating of the battery on charge, they drop to a trickle charge once full. Otherwise when using the SatNav in car with the power charger/regulator it would be hot all the time. This is not the case with mine as I've driven hours and hours over the Rocky Mountains in Canada with it running.

BTW, if you get USA / Canada maps the lane guidance works there as well. This is even more important in N. America as the freeway entries and exits can be on either side of the carriageway and the dreaded "right lane must turn right" can be avoided.

fwor

Chartered_Eng wrote: »

The charger should stop the overheating of the battery on charge, they drop to a trickle charge once full.

Agreed - but I was referring to how hot they get while charging - empty to full will get them hotter than half to full, though the charger design varies a lot from make to make.

Many now have a temperature sensor in the battery so that they can reduce charging current if too hot, though that increases charging time. Bosch take a different approach with their LiIon power tool batteries, and fit a cooling fan into the charger which blows cold air through the battery pack!

sarah3585

djohn2002uk wrote: »

For just a little more money go into Halfords and get them to demonstrate the Garmin nuvi 1410. I bet you'll buy it if you do.

I see that model is exclusive to Halfords but Amazon have it from 7th Nov:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Nüvi-1410-Newly-Overhauled/dp/B005OP9XE0

Can I ask what's so great about it?