Originally Posted by
Steve B.
My brief search on the Garmin site seems to show that their hiking handhelds are no longer AAA powered, but seem to use the same on board rechargeable lithiums as the cycling units. Tell me I’m wrong.
I did not know any used AAA, all the Garmins I have used since i bought my first one in 2001 used two AA batteries.
Their website says that the 65S or 65 and the Etrex 22X or 32X will run on AA batteries. I did not check to see if they will do cadence or not. Based on the graphics on their website, they display a map.
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/669215/pn/010-02257-00
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/715072/pn/010-02451-10
I use a Garmin 64 (no longer sold) on my bike. Photo below. The 64 does not do cadence, but some of the other 64 models did. I use an old non-GPS type computer for cadence, and a separate heart rate monitor too, you can see all three in the photo.
I am fearful of when I can't buy stuff like this anymore that uses AA batteries, so I have bought a couple extra used GPS units on Ebay that are discontinued models.
Some of these GPS units that will run on a pair of AA batteries can use a Garmin proprietary battery pack, and with that battery pack you can use the GPS at the same time that you are charging it. It uses a mini, not micro USB cable. I have fooled it into thinking that i have that battery pack installed in it when instead I have a pair of NiMH AA batteries so that I can charge the NiMH batteries as I ride.
I have a few times put mine into the handlebar mount incorrectly (user error, my fault) and the GPS fell out. That is why I ALWAYS have a tether cord on mine to catch it if it falls out of the mount. You can see the black and yellow cord I use for that.
I use these because I want one that works well for canoeing, kayaking, backpacking, etc. And as you can see in the photo, bike touring. As phone apps are getting better I see a lot of backpackers are using a phone instead, but I am content with the GPS.
Be advised that these GPS units have battery life measured in hours. The old computers that did not use GPS satellites had battery life of months or years, but they did not do mapping.