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Anyone know the definitive way to charge Nav V's battery while off the bike?

N

ncpbmw1953

Member
I found this thread: https://forums.bmwmoa.org/showthread.php?73027-Charging-problems-with-BMW-Navigator-V&p=939168&viewfull=1#post939168

This is so full of contradictory information it's nearly worthless. I have had it plugged into a PC w/ Garmin Express running in the background and it simply does not charge. The unit is 2.7y/o now.

I only use Nav V when I have need for nav guidance which only happens 4-5x/year for a few days to a few weeks, otherwise I have a rearview camera monitor living where Nav V mounts in my '16 RT's GPS Prep. So all I need is a way to charge the thing up to keep up the battery's health. It's a small pain to remove my LCD monitor and install Nav V for charging which is what I do now so just need a proven charge method for Nav V while it's off the bike. Kinda weird there is no stand alone charger for it. Perhaps there's one I'm not aware of so chime in if you've had luck.

ADDENDUM: maybe the battery is just getting too old to hold its charge long. Other Li-ion batteries typically hold charges for a long time. So...ordered a new one directly from Garmin for $38. Thru BMW it would be around $118 FWIW.
 
Last edited:
ncpbmw1953 said:
so just need a proven charge method for Nav V while it's off the bike. Kinda weird there is no stand alone charger for it. Perhaps there's one I'm not aware of so chime in if you've had luck.

.
Click to expand...

I use the Garmin USB cord provided with the Nav V and a phone charger.
I charged both units yesterday and found I had to turn the Nav V on before charging so it would charge.

In the Tread you referred to I had previously said the Nav did not have to be on to charge.
I added a post to that thread today saying the unit needs to be on before you can charge it.

I have a Garmin charger that came with a Nuvi but it has a mini USB instead of the micro USB needed for the newer BMW Navigators.
 
If mine needs charging, I put it in the cradle and turn it on for an hour. Batt fully charged, it's taken out of the cradle and placed back in it's protective zippered case, back in one of the saddle bags/
 
Slow, cold, gray day here at the home for the retired, so I though I'd throw some data into the mix. I grabbed my similar Zûmo 590 and some chargers from the junk drawer. I found five wall warts to check, plus my desktop PC, a netbook, an auto lighter adapter, my XP-1 clone battery pack, and the Garmin motorcycle and auto mounts.

From a turned-off state (power button held down until asked to confirm power off), every power source woke up the GPS and showed the lightning bolt charging icon. Most brought it up ready to navigate. The computers and one wall wart for a cheap tablet brought it up in Garmin Express mode. Express was not running on the computers. Without cutting up a cord and putting an ammeter in the line, I cannot tell if the battery continues to charge when I force the Zûmo to turn off while powered. I'm OK with leaving it on while charging, seldom need to just charge it anyway.

From the map screen, tapping the Speed indicator brings up the Trip Information screen, and then pressing the current speed for about ten seconds gives access to developer and diagnostic menus. Developer Info->Power Source provides data on battery voltage and battery (charging) current. I saw that my battery was charging at about 170mA to 180mA (the same as the bike and auto mounts), using chargers rated at 0.7A to 2.0A. One charger from a tiny Bluetooth earpiece was rated at 180mA, but the GPS reported it was charging at only 2mA.

My understanding is that lithium battery life is extended with partial charging rather than waiting for 100% charge. Most articles I've read recommend a 40% to 60% charge for long term storage. If the GPS will be unused for several weeks at a time, it's probably best to charge/discharge it to 50% and then disconnect it until it is needed.
 
brownie0486 said:
If mine needs charging, I put it in the cradle and turn it on for an hour. Batt fully charged, it's taken out of the cradle and placed back in it's protective zippered case, back in one of the saddle bags/
Click to expand...

Are you saying you turn the bike ignition on, then leave it on for 1 hour?
 
I'l throw some more info in the mix (but this may not align perfectly with your specific model). Garmin powers their devices a little "different."

From the 3BR Powersports Redband website: "Garmin uses the cable to determine which mode, navigate or data, the GPS should be operating in. Using a standard USB data cable to power a Garmin Nuvi will cause it to go into data mode for transferring maps, route/track data, pictures etc. The 3BR Powersports Red Band GPS power cable looks like a standard USB power cable with a USB Type A plug on the source end but it has internal circuitry to make it appear to the GPS as a Garmin power cable..."

You also need to make sure you have enough amperage. My riding buddy uses a 7" Garmin Dezl, his Dezl kept shutting down midride even though it was showing a charging battery icon. Turns out, that this model actually pulls a little over 2 amps during operation, so his generic USB charger couldn't keep up. Double check that your little wall wort and/or computer is putting out enough juice to run both the screen and charge the battery. Your computer is probably only putting out 500-900 milliamps if it's not labeled as a charging port.
 
Lee said:
I use the Garmin USB cord provided with the Nav V and a phone charger.
I charged both units yesterday and found I had to turn the Nav V on before charging so it would charge.

In the Tread you referred to I had previously said the Nav did not have to be on to charge.
I added a post to that thread today saying the unit needs to be on before you can cha
I have a Garmin charger that came with a Nuvi but it has a mini USB instead of the micro USB needed for the newer BMW Navigators.
Click to expand...

1. You must have a Garmin USB cable (or equivalent -- but I don't know the pin-outs) to charge the Nav V off the bike.
2. A 2-amp phone charger works for the charging unit. I use a Motorola phone charger w/2 USB ports. This allows me to charge both the Nav V and my Sena at the same time in the motel at night. It is faster if I'm only charging one or the other. (Different cable required for the Sena).
3. The unit does NOT need to be on to charge, but the only way you can tell the unit is at full charge is to turn the unit on, unplug it from the charger, and check the battery icon to see how the charging is progressing. (Who's idea was that????)
4. Nav V charges faster if on while plugged into the Motorola phone charger.

I've been charging my Nav V this way for 3 years now. Is that definitive enough?
 
jgoertz said:
1. You must have a Garmin USB cable (or equivalent -- but I don't know the pin-outs) to charge the Nav V off the bike.
2. A 2-amp phone charger works for the charging unit. I use a Motorola phone charger w/2 USB ports. This allows me to charge both the Nav V and my Sena at the same time in the motel at night. It is faster if I'm only charging one or the other. (Different cable required for the Sena).
3. The unit does NOT need to be on to charge, but the only way you can tell the unit is at full charge is to turn the unit on, unplug it from the charger, and check the battery icon to see how the charging is progressing. (Who's idea was that????)
4. Nav V charges faster if on while plugged into the Motorola phone charger.

I've been charging my Nav V this way for 3 years now. Is that definitive enough?
Click to expand...

The NAV V (and VI) has a standard USB 2 Micro-b connector with 5 pins, pin 1 being the power source (5 vdc) pin 2 and 3 are data send and receive, pin 4 is host ID and 5 is the ground. Any USB 2 compliant wall charger should do the job. Any standard USB A to USB micro-b cable should also work. I use a 2.1 amps 4 ports USB charger when I travel to recharge my electronics.
 
The OP has obviously gone to the wrong Forum if he is hoping to get a DEFINITIVE answer to any question posted here. :dunno


Friedle
 
Ditto, if I need to charge the Nav off the bike, I just use the Garmin-supplied cable, and my iPhone charger plugged into an AC socket. I'd never try to use the USB connector on a PC.
 
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