battery charged?

[yanboq]

Brand new TomTom One ... out of the box, want to charge the battery fully. HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT IS FULLY CHARGED?
Thanks.

 

[dhn]

It isn't obvious. But, if you tap the satellite bars, the next screen on the top right shows a reasonably accurate view of the battery status. Ususally, 2-4 hours charging out of the box will do it.

 

[flyer1024]

When you tap the satellite bars and see the battery indicator and it is in fact charging you will see the word "charging" under the indicator. When fully charged, the word "charging" disappears.

 

[tomtomgps]

Is it true with tomtom you must charge the battery full before using?

 

[dhn]

Before first use, yes.

 

[TomTom125NA]

Why is that, dhn? Why can't you just plug it into a charger, set it up, and then plug it into the auto-charger and use it?

Is there some harm to the battery if you use it before a full charge?

 

[dhn]

I honestly don't know. All I know is that in the starter document that came with my 7290, it mentioned docking and charging for 4 hours before taking the unit in the car to use.

I suspect it may have to do with some power hungry tasks needed by the unit during the course of operation like the reading out of streets, the constant searching for poi's on route, that kind of stuff...

I suppose it's possible to have too weak a battery, if not prior charged, when you set out and expect the unit to do its tasks.

There are resident experts here on all things dealing with batteries. They include GAW and canderson. They could provide more insight, I'm sure.

 

[flyer1024]

THat kind of thing is standard with any battery powered device. Nothing can happen to your battery if it's used prior to a full charge because the tomtom has a cut-off where it shuts down before the battery gets depleted too far. that's bad for lithium cells.

However, remember the unit is still powered up in a sleep mode when you switch it off through the menus. Hence, if not fully charged and sitting for a short while the lithium battery could be drained to a point where it can be damaged.

best to make sure the thing is charged regularly and fully.

 

[TomTom125NA]

Thanks for the replies. I also have a Garmin, which did not need to be fully charged before 1st use, so it is interesting to note the differences.