POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Personal Electronic
Device Power Sources
Removable Batteries • Standard
Removable Batteries • Non-Standard
Removable Batteries
Internal Batteries • Personal
Preparation
Relatively
short battery lives can be a major issue with personal electronic devices.
By far the most common way a device will
fail on the road is simply running out of power and is best prevented through
proper personal planning beforehand.
Removable Batteries
If your device uses any type of easily removable battery, you
should always carry at least one extra set (preferably two) of fresh,
fully
charged
spare batteries with
you on your bike so that you are fully prepared in case your device
runs out of power.
We feel it is best to wait until the device completely runs out of power
before replacing the batteries in order to maximize the device's usage time.
This also prevents mixing up used and unused batteries and accidentally using
ones that are only partially charged, particularly if your device uses two
or
more
of
the same batteries at the same time (such as 2 AA batteries). Otherwise you
can place fresh, fully charged batteries in the device before the ride if
you prefer
to have
the maximum
amount
of continuous
riding time without having to change the batteries.
We also recommend coming up with a system for knowing whether your batteries
are fully charged or not. For disposable batteries we recommend just keeping
new ones in their original package and discarding them as soon as they get
used up so that you don't mix new and used batteries. For
rechargeable batteries, we recommend numbering each battery with a permanent
marker so it is easier to track which batteries are fully charged and which
ones need to be.
And even if you know exactly what to expect with your devices's operation
and/or are carrying extra batteries with you on the road, it's still
best to conserve power anyways just in case because you never know when a
battery might unexpectedly die.
Standard
Removable Batteries (e.g. Garmin eTrex and GPSMap60 series GPS
units)
Using devices powered by standard, removable batteries (AA, AAA, 9V,
etc.) is unquestionably the best option. These types of batteries are light,
inexpensive,
easily
replaced, and readily available anywhere. If you completely run out of
batteries you can run into almost any store and buy new ones in an emergency,
and you
can use any extra batteries left over after the event for lots of other
purposes around the house.
If your device uses standard, removable batteries we recommend using disposable
batteries instead of rechargeable ones, particularly for multi-day events.
Doing so eliminates having to bring a battery charger, plugging it into a
wall outlet, and keeping track of which batteries are charged or not. If
you do decide to use rechargable batteries on a multi-day event,
we recommend using a charger that can show you when the batteries are
fully
charged (such as a light that changes color, etc.) We also recommend using
a charger that can charge double the amount of batteries your device uses
(e.g. a four battery
charger
for a
device that takes two batteries) to ensure you can always carry an extra
fully charged set of batteries with you on the road.
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- Click
Here for the battery charger we recommend and also
use in our support vehicles. Not only can this charger charge
four AA,
AAA, C, or D batteries at one time, it can also charge 2 additional
9V batteries at the same time and run off either wall or car
power. We've been using this fantastic versatile battery charger
for years
and absolutely LOVE it!
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We also recommend initially packing a full set of new or fully charged batteries
necessary for the entire event (plus a couple extras) in your baggage so
you won't have to worry about any buying extra batteries or recharging them
during the event.
We will carry extra standard disposable batteries in our vehicles as a "part" according
to our mechanical support services policies.
- Click
Here for more information about our mechanical support
services.
- Click
Here for
more information about our parts
and accessories we have for sale.
Non-Standard
Removable Batteries (e.g. smartphones such as the Samsung
Galaxy series)
The
battery in these types of devices is rechargeable and can quickly and easily
be removed, but is not a standard
battery type (AA, AAA, etc.) In order to recharge
it you can either plug a power cable into the device or you can just swap
out the battery with a fresh, fully charged one.
If you only have one battery for your device, it is absolutely critical
that you bring a way to charge it with you such as a wall charger. If you
do not
remember to plug the device in and fully charge it the night before the ride
and it runs out of power, you will not be able to use the device at all.
Wall Charger
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Battery is charging
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Battery is fully charged
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For these types of devices we strongly recommend purchasing at least one
extra battery (possibly 2) and an additional separate wall charger just for
the
battery (see pictures above). That way you can charge two batteries at
one time and carry at least one extra fresh, extra fully charged spare battery
with
you
on the
road.
Ideally, the wall charger will also indicate when the battery is fully
charged (see pictures above). Extra batteries and chargers can easily be
purchased online or at a specialty store,
such
as
a cell phone
store.
Otherwise
if
you do
not
purchase
a separate
charger, you will need to swap out the batteries after one becomes fully
charged.
Internal
Batteries (e.g. Garmin Edge and Forerunner series GPS units
and smartphones such as the iPhone)
The battery in these types of devices is internal and cannot be quickly
or easily removed and replaced. In order to recharge the device you have
to plug
a power
cable into it, such as a wall charger, USB computer cable, or 12V car charger.
We do not recommend using these types of devices because it is absolutely
critical that you bring a way to charge it up with you and also remember
to plug the device in and fully charge it the night before the ride. Otherwise
you will need to wait for your device or charge or may not be able to use
it at all on the
road because it cannot be quickly or easily charged.
Additional External Power Sources On Road Charging While Riding
Put pack in saddlebag or somewhere else on bike for additional power on the road
External Battery Packs
- chargable
- solar
AA USB Chargers
We will also have AA battery USB chargers and new AA batteries for sale.
- Click
Here for more information about our AA battery USB chargers.
Personal Preparation
It is absolutely critical
that your personal electronic devices have enough power to last throughout
the ride before you depart that day since we cannot guarantee that you will
be able to charge your device on the road.
- Click
Here for more information about personal electronic
device charging on the road.
Before the Event
We strongly recommend testing how long it takes every device
you will ride with (cell phone, GPS device, etc.) to fully run out of power
using every available source of power (extra batteries, additional external
power sources, etc.) We also recommend testing how long it will take to
fully recharge each power source you have. That way you will know how long
to expect each device to operate and you can make sure each device will
have enough power for the entire ride each day.
We recommend packing a power strip and/or an extension cord with mutiple
outlets with you to ensure there enough outlets and/or room for you to
charge all your devices. That way we can also ensure enough outlets will
be available for all participants at our main lodging sites since we can
plug multiple power strips into each other to make up for any limited outlets
available.
Depending on the type of power source your specific device has, we recommend
buying the following items and installing them on your bike as desired:
- Extra batteries
- Additional external power source(s)
- Charging cable
- Wall charger
- A power strip and/or multi-outlet extention cord
Night Before Each Riding Day
You will need to plug in all your personal electronic devices (and
any additional external battery sources) to fully charge at night.
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