Power Supply

 

Stay Powered

The Garmin GPSMAP 66i is equipped with an internal rechargeable 3100 mAh Li-ion battery.

• A fully charged battery can provide up to 50 hours of power in GPS mode, or 200 hours when using Expedition mode.
• When necessary, the battery can be charged in the field by connecting a compatible external power supply.

 

Charging the Battery

• The GPSMAP 66i will charge the internal Li-ion battery while an external power source is connected.
• The back cover may reach external temperatures > 95°F (35°C) during the charging process.
• Completely charging a fully depleted battery may require 10+ hours.

 

Maximizing Battery Life

• Li-ion batteries can retain their charge for long periods of time between uses.
• When storing the device for longer periods of time, the battery should be charged fully at least once every year.
• Several options are available to extend battery life:
  
• Turn the Backlight off when not absolutely needed
• Decrease Backlight Brightness
• Reduce Backlight Timeout
• Enable Battery Save Mode
• Disable Wi-Fi
• Disable Bluetooth
• Disable ANT+ Sensors
• Disable the magnetic compass
• Disable GALILEO
• Disable WAAS/EGNOS
• Configure Altimeter - Pressure Trending for 'Save When Power On'
• Adjust Recording Controls to 'Auto' or 'Off'
• Set Map Orientation to 'North Up', not 'Track Up'
• When permissible, use the Compass, Trip Computer or Active Route pages while navigating, not the Map page
• Enable Expedition Mode when permissible
  
  
• See also: inReach Battery Life

Battery Display

• The GPSMAP 66i battery icon provides information about the battery charge level, charging status, and current power source.
• Remaining battery capacity is updated dynamically based on current battery load conditions.

Powered On

• Current power information can be viewed in the Status Bar, Status Page, Small Data Fields, and Large Data Field:

Standby Mode

• The GPSMAP 66i can not charge the battery pack while powered off, but can be put into a 'standby mode' by pressing and holding the power button.
• Connected to an external power source and placed into 'standby mode', the GPSMAP 66i will charge the internal battery to full capacity:

Power Options

• Multiple options are available to help keep your GPSMAP 66i running for as long as you are:

External AC (US)
		AC USB Charger (United States) Includes 1 micro-USB and 1 mini-USB cable Charge your devices from an AC outlet or USB port Included USB cables support data transfer Order Garmin Part Number 010-11478-02
External AC (EU)
		AC USB Charger (Europe) Includes 1 micro-USB and 1 mini-USB cable Charge your devices from an AC outlet or USB port Included USB cables support data transfer Order Garmin Part Number 010-11478-05
Universal DC
		Universal DC USB Vehicle Power Adapter Power two USB devices from any 12v power outlet Retains 12v power outlet for additional accessories Order Garmin Part Number 010-10723-17
Powered Mount
		Powered Mount for GPSMAP 66i Quick release locking mechanism AMPS compatible mounting pattern Integrated USB power cable Order Garmin Part Number 010-12825-00

Battery Test

First, a word about battery consumption testing. Outside of a precisely controlled laboratory environment, no battery test result can be absolute. In real world scenarios (where we like to use our GPSr) many variables can and will affect battery consumption rates, and therefore two seemingly identical devices configured with identical settings while tested side by side may not provide identical results.

For our baseline test, a GPSMAP 66i was configured for maximum efficiency (our test simulates using the GPSr primarily for tracking purposes) in an attempt to record a best case scenario result. New tests are then performed with additional features enabled to measure their relative impact on power consumption. With this information, each individual user can estimate their approximate total available runtime based on their unique device usage patterns.

During each test sequence, the following baseline conditions, with noted adjustments, were observed:

• Ambient Temperature: 75ºF
• GNSS: GPS Only
• WAAS/EGNOS: Disabled
• Compass: Disabled
• Backlight Brightness: 50%
• Backlight Timeout: 15 Seconds
• Battery Save: Enabled
• Wi-Fi: Disabled
• Bluetooth: Disabled
• ANT+ Sensors: Disabled
• inReach Tracking: Disabled
• Track Log Recording: 00:01:00
• Expedition Mode: Disabled

At the beginning of each test, the internal battery is fully charged, the current track log is reset, and a new track log recording is initiated at a rate of one track point per minute. During each test period, the GPSMAP 66i is checked periodically for activity. When it is discovered the GPSr has stopped functioning, a USB cable is connected, the Current.gpx track log file is imported into BaseCamp, and the total run time is recorded.


GPSMAP 66i Battery Test Results:

Backlight: Always On @ 100%  15h 03m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

Backlight: Always On @ 50%  19h 43m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

Backlight: Always On @ 20%  25h 27m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

GNSS: GPS + Galileo + WAAS/EGNOS, Battery Save: Disabled  37h 02m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

Battery Save: Disabled  40h 12m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

GNSS: GPS + Galileo + WAAS/EGNOS  44h 14m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

Baseline Test  46h 43m (GPSMAP 66i v900)

inReach Tracking: 30 Minutes  50h 29m (GPSMAP 66i v900)