Ryan_M

When using it for navigation I'm lucky to get 3 hours. I've tried a few different phones, dimming the screen, and the map is downloaded, the phone is a secondary and doesn't have data connection so no battery lost there. Seems using GPS absolutely kills the battery, wondering if theres's anything I can try? I'd prefer not to run a cable from a remote battery pack - nor have to run an external battery pack - to get 8(ish) hours life but I may not have other options.

2_i 

All of my bikes are equipped with hub dynamos that feed into one or another USB charger, besides lights. The best of my chargers is the Lumi-Con Bike-Energy Harvester that keeps 7000mAh battery charged, so keeping my phone charged in navigation is not much of an issue. The Harvester battery can be even charged from AC. However, what may work on not for different people may much depends on details in how they typically operate. If I ever need to use a battery pack, such as with a rental bike, I do not really run any cables - the pack sandwiches in-between the phone and the handlebar mount.

Iride01 

Try buying a Garmin, Wahoo or other GPS cyclometer. Some of their models aren't real expensive and they'll last for at least 8 hours if not more.

However it might be your map constantly loading to your phone as you follow the route. And that will eat up battery. So see if the app you use for your routing has an option to download the map for the area you cycle in.

Ryan_M

They are spare phones. Maps are downloaded, it doesn't even have a sim card and mobile data and networking are turned off.

I have 2 Garmins, a 1030 and a 530. They're awesome for logging the ride but are horrendous for navigation. I'm tired of having to stop, pull out the phone, and figure out where I'm going. Phone navigation is excellent but a big battery drain. Would a Wahoo be any different than a Garmin?

Iride01 

Don't you know where you are going? You don't have to follow a course if you know the way. I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've started a course on my Edge 530 since I've gotten it over 3 years ago. And that includes riding in the unfamiliar areas of Colorado when I go to visit my son.

Milton Keynes

Probably just need to get you a new old phone or have the battery replaced if it's cost effective. In some of my old phones the batteries tended to discharge faster & faster. I just got a new phone not too long ago and I rarely get below 70% on the battery. But some day in the future it will probably get to where the battery runs down in a day, too.

One thing I have done in the past was to carry a portable phone charging battery pack with me. I've got a couple of them, and sometimes I'd plug it in while riding to keep the phone battery charged.

Chuck M 

It's a little more bulk and if you have your phone bar mounted in some way you may have to assess how it will work, but there are cases with external battery packs that are available.

Personally I like my Edge 530 and while it isn't great for navigation, it works for it if I need it to. I thought the 1030 was supposed to not be easier to use.

Tourist in MSN

My phone has to be turned to a really bright screen to just barely be readable on a sunny day. If you can set the screen to time out quickly, like after 30 seconds and then only wake up the screen when you need it, that may help. My phone, I tap the bottom part of the screen four times to wake up the backlighting, but I do not know if that works on all phones.

Garmin GPS units on a bright day function fine with backlighting turned off, that is one reason they have better battery life. When the sun is low in the sky, early morning or evening, I need to use backlighting to read my Garmin, but I only use as much backlight as I need.

If you do not find a good solution, perhaps you can use your phone to navigate by splitting your trip up into segments. Finding some point that is not too far away on your phone navigation route, say an hour ride, then tell your Garmin to go to that point. Then use the phone to pick another spot that is another hour away, repeat. In urban areas, may need to use closer smaller segments due to the large number of road options. Sometimes on a bike tour if I did not like the route that my Garmin came up with, I do something like I described here.

Troul 

Make sure all unnecessary apps are not running & turn off BT if it is on. If the phone has a removable battery, look for an "extended" battery to install.

You're not going to get near the battery life as a modern bicycle computer imo, but if you do achieve the run time that you are seeking, I'd be surprised.

Bald Paul

You're doing something wrong. I plan my routes with RWGPS and import them into Garmin Connect. Then I load them into my 1030+. It lets me know when a turn is coming up and switches to map view to show me the turn.
If you're not pre-planning routes and just entering a destination, there are several options (shortest, fastest, least amount of climbing, etc) that you can select that the unit will use when calculating your route for you.

SpedFast

My Samsung A14 with everything running including BT sensors and a navigational app plus cycling app uses up about 10% battery/hour. If I only need navigation and I'm going to be away from the power grid or a vehicle for longer I will use my Garmin and keep the phone for emergency use. There are solutions to your problem, but they may cost you an upgrade. Good luck,

MaxKatt

I’ve done multiple centuries with iPhones running MapMyRide and I’m slow AF.

njkayaker

This is ridiculous.

pdlamb

First suggestion would be to learn how to use a Garmin. As noted, plan a route and follow it (more or less). Either a 530 or 1030 can re-route you if you miss a turn.

Second suggestion would be to use a newer phone. Older phones use a lot more battery to run a GPS than newer models, and older phones have older batteries that don't hold a charge as well as newer ones.

Third suggestion is to figure how to carry a cache battery and hook it to your phone. They are reasonably light and inexpensive, and you can get one that'll recharge your phone 2-3 time fairly easily.

If none of those seem reasonable, have you considered paper maps and a watch?

LesterOfPuppets

Which OS?
Which app do you view the D/L maps on?
Are we talking about Turn-by-Turn navigation?