Garmin Vehicle Power Cables
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    17 years
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I have been charging my Garmin Nuvi 500 and Zumo XT in the house recently before using them on internal battery power for bike rides. I noticed that the Zumo XT didn't last as long as I hoped on this morning's ride. I started doing a bit more research and, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, I found out that not all Garmin Vehicle Power Cables are created equally.
One of the Power Cables is the 320-00239-22. It may have came with my Garmin Nuvi 350 or Nuvi 360. The output is 5 volts at 1 amp. The GTM 60 I just brought up from my basement shows an output of 5 volts at 2 amps!
Does anybody here happen to know if 2 amps in enough to fully charge the Garmin Zumo XT battery?
I did contact Garmin Support and they responded:
Which Vehicle Power Cable should I use to charge it in the house?
Adam:
Thank you for contacting Garmin Automotive Chat Support. I'll be glad to assist you.
Okay.
Adam:
You can use the included USB cable with an adapter to plug into the wall, or we recommend our AC Adapter Cable Kit for charging inside the house: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/pn/010-11478-02
The site that URL brings me to doesn't show the power of that device. I doubt it would be much more than 2 amps, but I Would just like to know for sure.
What the 2 amp vs. 1 amp will do for you...
A 2 amp vs. a 1 amp charger will simply change the charge time. The Zumo XT battery life by specification is "up to 6 hours (up to 3.5 hours at 100% backlight)". I would expect the 4.3 inch model can achieve near the 6-hour life, but the 5.5 inch model would deliver significantly less. So if the 1 amp battery charger is functioning properly, it should charge the battery to the same charge state as the 2 amp but will take likely take about 2X as long. If your battery status icon is showing full and you get significantly less than 6 hours, then other problems may exist.
You may wish to review the content at https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=WPl6kHB6Lk2rjtvVhLhKk7
The adapter you mention, P/N 010-11478-02, is "unboxed" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2sWm9KF7eU. Toward the end, roughly at 2:25, the narrator states it is rated 5 volt 1 amp. Another source, https://www.gpscity.com/questions?qid=49459, states the same output of 1 amp.
John from PA
Garmin Vehicle Power Cables
I did email Garmin Support and I didn't actually expect a reply this soon. The prompt reply was a pleasant surprise! Thank you, Garmin.
Hello James,
We recommend 2A to charge. You could use the GTM 60 to charge the Zumo.
Thank you for choosing Garmin,
Carla
Product Support
Garmin International
For 24-hour access to support videos, manuals, FAQs & more, visit the Support Center
Batteries will degrade with usage and time
I have been charging my Garmin Nuvi 500 and Zumo XT in the house recently before using them on internal battery power for bike rides. I noticed that the Zumo XT didn't last as long as I hoped on this morning's ride. I started doing a bit more research and, at the risk of pointing out the obvious, I found out that not all Garmin Vehicle Power Cables are created equally.
One of the Power Cables is the 320-00239-22. It may have came with my Garmin Nuvi 350 or Nuvi 360. The output is 5 volts at 1 amp. The GTM 60 I just brought up from my basement shows an output of 5 volts at 2 amps!
Does anybody here happen to know if 2 amps in enough to fully charge the Garmin Zumo XT battery?
I did contact Garmin Support and they responded:
Which Vehicle Power Cable should I use to charge it in the house?
Adam:
Thank you for contacting Garmin Automotive Chat Support. I'll be glad to assist you.
Okay.
Adam:
You can use the included USB cable with an adapter to plug into the wall, or we recommend our AC Adapter Cable Kit for charging inside the house: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/pn/010-11478-02
The site that URL brings me to doesn't show the power of that device. I doubt it would be much more than 2 amps, but I Would just like to know for sure.
Batteries will degrade with usage and time. Don't understand the logic in making batteries so difficult and expensive to replace with most modern devices.
Mark
2A only shortens the charging time
We recommend 2A to charge. You could use the GTM 60 to charge the Zumo.
Thank you for choosing Garmin,
Carla
Product Support
Garmin International
But again, and as I've said, a 2 amp charger will charge the Zumo faster but the battery life will be the same. I good 12-hour using the 1 amp charger should get you to a 100% charge state.
You can find out a lot of details on your battery by pressing continuously on the battery symbol for about 5-10 seconds. Then a new screen will come up showing battery percentage, voltage, etc.
I think the Zumo XT has the ability to listen to music stored on an optional SD card, connect to phones with Bluetooth, wifi, etc. All those types of activities will also reduce battery life.
John from PA
Much of the concern may be for safety
Batteries will degrade with usage and time. Don't understand the logic in making batteries so difficult and expensive to replace with most modern devices.
Mark
Granted the devices could have a non-rechargeable battery (or batteries) like a TV remote but with rechargeable batteries there may be a safety concern if they were made user serviceable. You might be surprised at the arc that one of these batteries can create if short circuited. Batteries aren’t even allowed to be shipped in a fully charged state these days.
John from PA