Find out how to extend battery life of GPSMAP 66i and the 67i in this “How-To” article and YouTube video below.
Ways to Extend the Battery Life
- Reduce the Backlight Brightness
- Reduce the Backlight Timeout
- Reduce the Flashlight Brightness or Flash Frequency
- Turn Off the Screen Automatically when the Backlight Times Out
- Use Expedition Mode
- Turn Off Wireless Connectivity
- Turn Off Bluetooth Technology
- Turn Off Additional Satellite Systems
You can click HERE for the Garmin Support page for additional information.
Garmin Support Center Information
Here is the list from garmin on how to maximize the battery life of your GPSMAP 66i.
You should choose carefully from this list as we all use our satellite messengers differently, and I’ll go over what I chose at the end of this article and in the YouTube video below.
Below are more detailed instructions on how to adjust each of these settings.
Adjusting the Backlight
Display Settings
Using the Flashlight
Turning on Battery Save Mode
Turning on Expedition Mode
Wi-Fi Settings
Bluetooth Settings
GPS and Other Satellite Systems
The Settings I Chose
I mostly do day hikes here in Colorado or I’m fishing and camping near my truck, which allows me to charge my satellite messengers every night, so keep that in mind as I list my battery saving selections below.
- Adjusting the Backlight
- I set my screen brightness to 30%. I may change that on a bright day.
- Display Settings
- Backlight Timeout – On
- Battery Save – On
- Using the Flashlight
- I set my flashlight brightness to about 50%
- Remember to change this as needed to see where you’re going and to conserve battery life
- Turning on battery Save Mode
- Battery Save Mode – On
- Turning on Expedition Mode
- Expedition Mode – Off
- Wi-Fi Settings
- I leave this on as I need to download things at home and I always fully charge my satellite messenger before leaving the house.
- Bluetooth Settings
- I use my iPhone 14 all the time with my satellite messenger, for convenience, so I keep this on.
- GPS and Other Satellite Systems
- I have not changed this as I cannot understand how it is changed
- I have changed it on my Garmin Fenix 7X Sapphire Solar, but not on the GPSMAP 66i
My Battery Extending Test Results
Here are the results of my Battery Life before and after making the changes that Garmin listed above.
Note: I fully charged the 66i and then let it sit in a window, getting some view of the sky, and let it run for 2 hours, after which, I noted the battery level.
GPSMAP 66i – Default Settings from Garmin
- Lost Charge in 2 Hours: 8%
- My Calculations: Battery would have run out in 13 hours
GPSMAP 66i – New Energy Savings Settings
- Lost Charge in 2 Hours: 1%
- My Calculations:
- Left on thru the night: Battery would have lasted 4 days
- Turned off at night: Battery would have lasted 7 days
Final Thoughts
You can see that the setting options Garmin provided can have a dramatic effect on your battery life, so it comes down to how you use your satellite messenger and what settings work best for you.
I strongly recommend everyone test the GPSMAP 66i or any other satellite messenger out before heading out on your outdoor adventure and also, to always take a portable charger along with you.
Check out the YouTube video below.
………….video of how to extend the battery life of the 67i……………….
- Large 3 inch Sunlight-readable color display for easy viewing
- Trigger an interactive SOS to the geos 24/7 search and rescue monitoring center, two-way messaging via the 100% Global Iridium satellite network (satellite subscription required)
- Preloaded Garmin TOPO mapping with direct-to-device Birdseye satellite imagery downloads (no annual subscription), includes multiple global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) support and navigation sensors
- Cellular connectivity lets you access active weather forecasts and geocaching live
- Compatible with the Garmin explore website and app to help you manage waypoints, routes, activities and collections, use tracks and review trip data from the field
- Internal, rechargeable lithium battery provides up to 35 hours of battery life in 10-minute tracking mode and 1-minute tracking mode (display off), 200 hours in Expedition mode with 30-minute tracking
This product was presentation was made with AAWP plugin.
- Ultra-High Cell Capacity: The massive 20,000mAh cell capacity provides more than 5 charges for iPhone XS, almost 5 full charges for Samsung Galaxy S10, more than 4 charges for iPhone 11, and over 2 and a half charges for iPad mini 5.
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This product was presentation was made with AAWP plugin.
- Compatible with multiple Oregon, Alpha, inReach, GPSMAP, and eTrex devices.
- Durable nylon harness wrap
- 2-Inch - 14-Inch adjustable strap
This product was presentation was made with AAWP plugin.
Learn more about the Garmin GPSMAP 66i HERE!
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