eTrex shutdown -- low battery --problems??

My eTrex Vista HCx works fine; however, here's the question:

Will the unit experience software or hardware problems later if it shuts
down due to low batteries? Seems like the battery indicator is not that
accurate -- the unit shuts down even when there are one or two bars still
showing. Yes, I have the correct battery type in the setup menu. I use 2
lithium AAs.

So........... should I be paranoid about these infrequent shut-downs? I use
the unit very often and get good battery life (approx 20 hours). Note: a
new set of batteries (of course) fixes the shutdowns and I'm good for
another 20 hours....

Thanks.

EW

My Vista HCx also has a very inaccurate battery indicator. For most
of the battery life it indicates 4 bars and very soon there after the
batteries are dead. There is no reason to believe that the unit
shutting down due to exhausted batteries should cause any problem to
the unit.

wrote:

So you have a Vista HCx too. Great. Well, here's more paranoia on my part.
I had to send a new Vista back to the factory for constant lock-ups. The
one I got back seems quite solid, so far. Question to you: do you now, or
did you ever, have your Vista HCx lock up so that you have to power it
down/up again to get it going? Is this common, or just to some units?
Opinion? Thanks.

EW

wrote:

The battery indicator monitors battery voltage and modern alkaline and
lithium battery terminal voltage changes very little during the
discharge cycle until close to the end of battery life. About the
only problem you might run into is loosing tracking data that hasn't
been written to memory yet when the unit shuts down. As for damage to
the unit, there won't be any so don't worry about it.

Jack J

The only issue I ever had was that the option to log track data to card
would get reset if I ignored the low battery beep and let the unit shutdown.
I wouldn't worry about it.

--

Kristian Zoerhoff
kristian.zoerhoff@gmail.com