External battery for a mini-USB
 

I put a Garmin Nuvi 200 on my bike and love it for the around town cargo bike sutff that I do. I don't like the short battery life, as compared to my biking time, and need some extra power for it.

I've looked on here for a battery that I don't have to put together myself and haven't had much luck- I know very little about electronics compared to everyone else on here and don't want to burn myself.:lol:

I've also gone to lots of local stores (Batteries+, Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circut City) and have had very little luck finding anything. Radio Shack almost had something that would work, but there was no cord and I had no way of attaching the battery pack to my bike.

There should be a simply solution, but I haven't found it yet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Jon

I'm really shocked you weren't able to find anything. You will have to run a cable somehow and you will have to stash an external battery pack. A small handle bar bag should do the trick though. Here's a thread about USB battery packs, don't let the electronics off the get-go scare you off, there's pre-package comsumer stuff in there too.

I use this one on my Nuvi 200. I put it in a small handlebar bag but I'm sure you could find another way to mount it. I recently used it on a tour along Lake Erie and it worked great. I also use it to power by Garmin Edge 605 on longer rides.

You can purchase different tips for it and use it on other electronics you might own. The Edge and Nuvi happen to use the same tip.

http://www.gomadic.com/battery-backup-cat.html

You guys ROCK!

This is what I need: http://www.gomadic.com/garmin-nuvi-2...-extender.html

I waded through so many posts about wiring my own mint-tin pack that I was thinking I wouldn't find anything.

I already have an external battery for my light so I can configure the pack into that bag some how.

Thanks again!

Jon

I bought the battery pack and it should be here next week. :love:

I was looking at that Garnin 605 and was wondering if you buy the extra map card can you use it for turn-by-turn navigation like I can the Nuvi? When I asked that question at REI they said no. which is why I bought the Nuvi 200- that and the fact that the Nuvi has a bicycle mode.

Jon

Yes, the 605 will give turn-by-turn instructions with the extra map card. I really prefer the Nuvi for navigation when I'm in the van as the screen is much easier to read.

I had the 605 before I bought the Nuvi. There are some features of the 605 I like and they're not on the Nuvi. My favorite feature is the grade%....I hate hills. At least I know it's a 10% grade that's kicking my butt:o

http://www1.dealextreme.com/producti...sku_3060_2.jpg
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3060

I have a Garmin 301 that I've used for biking and running. I like that I can map out my ride/run afterwards and upload my heart rate.

The reason I wanted the Nuvi was purely navigation. I was looking for turn-by-turn navigation for the car and bike. I really like when I'm out biking with the kids, and they get hungry, I can push a button and find a dozen places to take them. It has pretty decent, but not perfect, bike navigation feature. Had I know that the 605, or 705, allowed this i might have bought one of those instead.

Jon