# Traverse - Battery problems



## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

I have a Traverse Alpha Stealth since September (BTW Great watch).
In november battery lost capacity - about 15% drain every day instead of 6-7 before. Sent watch to suunto - they sent me a new one (great and very fast service!).
In january - the same problem again - again watch to Suunto - is repaired (battery and display changed) - but now the same problem again!!!
Is this just bad luck or does anyone have the same problems with Traverse?

Now I will send it again to Suunto but I am slowly loosing my patience and my confidence in this watch.

Markus

P.S.:I have tried different charging devices - so this should be OK.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Hey! Just interested did you manage to find or solve anything?

I also noticed when it was really cold outside and on tracking (5 sec, GPS&Glonass).My battery went in 1,5h for about 15%. But was also around -10C.

Take care!


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Important stuff by Suunto support about charging a battery:

_In regard to your question, long story short, you can use the charger for your mobile phone to re-charge the Traverse Alpha Stealth, you need to use though a 5v 500maH type of charger._

_Also, please consider that you will be pairing a third party device to our watch, and we do not perform compatibility check with third party equipments, hence, there is a chance that even though you are using a 5v, 500maH charger, it may not work._


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## Egika (Nov 27, 2016)

did the watches all do so in their default settings?
I am thinking maybe it is constantly looking for satellites or connected any exchanging data using Bluetooth?


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

Hi!
The Traverse is back from Suunto. This time they have changed the "printed circuit board" of the device. We will see if this solves the problem. I will keep you informed.
@Egika: It was loosing 15% a day in normal time mode - no GPS, no Bluetooth....


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

First day: again 12% of battery power lost in 24 hours :-( (from 100% to 88%) This would mean 8 days instead of 14!
I fear, the problem is not solved, but we will see. I will give the watch a little more time and some charging circles.


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

So they have replaced display, battery and pcb by now? Not much left from your original watch... 
Can you think of some settings and use case that might be less common? Like non-English language or special characters in sport mode, POI or route names? 

If it's not improving after few normal charge cycles, I'd let it drain completely and then charge fully - I've seen higher battery drain on my Ambit1 for once or twice (a week in time mode instead of 3+) and a single full charge cycle seemed to have an positive effect, maybe it was battery gauge calibration, maybe just a HW reset or something else. 

After that I'd try with restoring defaults in Movescount, getting rid of all the bits generated or modified myself (apps, pois, sport modes, routes) and then go with forced firmware update.
To eliminate custom settings, it actually should be enough if you just keep your Traverse from connecting to Movescount, i.e. change account details in Moveslink before firmware update or use different computer for updating. But I'd still check if watch settings are indeed NOT restored, from latest Ambit3 update I had a strange feeling that Moveslink is now backing up and restoring at least some bits after FW update, even if it's not connected to any MC account.


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

*Day 2:* Drain from 88% to 75% -> 13% !! One quarter in 48 hours :-( !!!
@margusl: no apps, no routes and POIs saved on the watch, no custom settings, no backlight, no alarm - *just TIME.*
Language is German but when I bought the watch in September it worked perfectly for 2 months (battery life about two weeks!)


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

suunto123 said:


> I bought the watch in September it worked perfectly for 2 months (battery life about two weeks!)


Maybe issue is new FW 2.0.18? And have some battery bugs? I also noticed i lost more battery with 2.0.18 than before this FW version.


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

Thank you, blizzz for thinking about my problem, but the battery issue started on a little tour to sweden in november, so before the new firmware. And if it would be a battery bug, there should be more traverse owners here complaining.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

But if i understood correctly you already had new replacement unit from suunto (no difference regarding battery) and after this they replace display and circuit board (almost everything) and still battery issues?


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

The complete story:
original Traverse bought in september 2016 - works great until november
november: suddenly double battery drain than usually -> watch to suunto - is replaced: new traverse - works great until january
january: watch to finland because of battery issue again - battery and display changed 
Watch comes with empty battery and never works fine -> back again to finland after 2 weeks of trying -> circuit board changed
February - repaired watch arrives - again the same problem now.

I am a Suunto enthusiast (3 Vectors, Elementum, Essential, t6, s6, Ambit 3 Peak), but this Traverse is annoying. I hope they will fix it and maybe I have just bad luck, but I lost my confidence in Suunto products.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

I also have issues or just bad luck with Traverse Alpha. Also my thoughts are that battery does not last that long as stated in spec by Suunto (also when doing hikes/activity battery is using more than it should according to Suunto)

Last time i noticed this behavior in video.


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

*Day 3: *Battery drain from 75% to 61% -> *-14% sh...!*
@blizzz: I think it is not a general problem, because the first one I had did very well for the first two months and drained the battery exactly like stated in spec by suunto.
That´s why I don´t want to accept like it´s now, because I know a "normal" Traverse works like it should.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

ok then you actually got 2 units with fault. Actually all of your Traverse was fault.  Except they were only working for 2 months. How do you charge your Traverse? USB and laptop? or you plug it on AC?


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

I am asking how did you charge your Traverse since you should use correct charger for Suunto.

I got this from Suunto Support:
_In regard to your question, long story short, you can use the charger for your mobile phone to re-charge the Traverse Alpha Stealth, you need to use though a *5v 500maH *type of charger._


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

blizzz, this is a kind of response that has given Suunto helpdesk a reputation they have right now - mixing up maH and mA can happen, maybe even twice in a same response mail, but that 5V/500mA claim is just not valid, it's some anecdotal bit floating around interwebs and is just refusing to die.
Yes, there are tons of crap out there, equipped with usb-ports and retailing for less than decent usb-cable and it is possible to fry you gadgets or burn down your house with that junk. But its not the 5V/500maHwahetevr marking that makes that stuff less crappy.

There is huge amount of equipment from PCs and laptops to wall chargers, car charges and powerbanks that are perfectly valid for providing charge for usb-powered thingies. And most usb-ports you see around you on devices form last few years are not limited to 500mA anyway. Current rating just states you can't draw more than rated from voltage source, for every remotely decent devices, complete charging circuit is always on board, that means your smartphone, tablet, Suunto watch - all have charging bits built in and they draw what they need, power source does not magically "pump" higher current into the other end of the cable.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Would be nice to hear how i should manage to get suunto declaration about battery life in tracking modes.
For example if i have gps in best mode only gps my battery goes down by 45% in 2,5 hours. 
Suunto says 10hours.

I wonder...


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

*Day 4:* Down from 61% to 48%, so today -*13%* :-(
I charge the Traverse by different devices but this should be not the reason, because I have also A3P and a Polar V800 and NO battery issues with this watches.
Maybe I will totally drain the Traverse tomorrow using the GPS and then start once more with charging.
@blizzz: seems your Traverse has the same problem like mine?! How much do you loose per day only in time mode?


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Yes it looks like. This is why i mentioned it could be 2.0.18 problem since you have second device with this issue . I and notice this after 2.0.18 update


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

suunto123 said:


> How much do you loose per day only in time mode?


22.2.2017 16:00 - 100%
23.2.2016 12:00 - 97%

So in 20hours = 3%

Some details:
- notification disabled
- only time mode (no other screens)
- very little or none button clicking ob watch menus during that time (including sleep mode at night)
- i did some small customizations for spprt modes on movescount and sync with phone app to watch

But when navigation is used with best or good gps settings i am not manage to get 10hours or 15hours as suunto stated in spec.
(Tested with gps + glonass)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

*Day 5:* From 48% down to 35%.
Then I drained the battery to 3% and fully charged it again.

*Day 6:* From 100% to 88% -> no improvement by a total charging cycle.

@blizzz: your "standby" time is great, how many ours do you get with best gps setings. Attention: in "navigation" mode gps is always in best settings!


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

I have set Hiking mode and use 5sek gps (good). Only GPS enabled.
Battery used was 15%. In 1,5h hike.
So this means around 10hours and not 15hours as Suunto says.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

But for example i tried to activate FusedAlti and failed 2 times . I was by build with a lot of iron around it. And then finnaly managed to get activated (i moved away from building).
But my battery was gone from 81% to 73% doing this.


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## margusl (May 2, 2013)

suunto123 said:


> Then I drained the battery to 3% and fully charged it again.


In case of Ambit I had drain it completely until it shut down or entered deep sleep mode - screen remains blank until connected to cable.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Ca someone test just FusedAlti how much battery it will drain doing this action. It will take 5-15min to finish processing.

In my case i lose 3-5% of battery.

Is this normal? Seems to me a lot. Did not expect that much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Philip Onayeti (Jun 23, 2016)

blizzz said:


> Ca someone test just FusedAlti how much battery it will drain doing this action. It will take 5-15min to finish processing.
> 
> In my case i lose 3-5% of battery.
> 
> ...


Just tested for you: 66%->65%. Outside with clear view of sky in suburban area with no high buildings.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Philip Onayeti said:


> Just tested for you: 66%->65%. Outside with clear view of sky in suburban area with no high buildings.


I tested again in different location but with snow and rain - clouds indeed 

It went from 54-53% but i was using also watch menus and backlight night mode so after confirmation message it went down to 52%.

But i guess it has to do also with conditions. My last satelite update was done 2 days ago.

Some additional details about my battery:
23.2.2017 at 22:00 --- 81%
24.2.2017 at 22:00 --- 52%

(trekking 1h, using watch during avtivity for correct navigation-cca15%, fusedalti was triggered multiple times for testig)

Navigation was set to Good (5sek) with 10sec log, 3 screens display configured for activity.

Regards

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

Does anyone have the same behaviour when charging traverse alpha.

I charge it over a laptop using usb cable. % status icon shows me as 100% - charged.

When i disconect watch from laptop and connect it again then i get 99% batery status. 
Both % on watch and Movelink are displaying the same.

At this point to charge it back to 100% takes additional 7-10minutes.

Any idea why this is happening?

Thanks


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## suunto123 (Apr 5, 2016)

I gave my Traverse a few more charging cycles (one deep until it switched off) but no change: still about 13% consumption a day. 
So it goes to Finland again. We will see.
@blizz: it was the same with my Traverse, don´t know why.


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## blizzz (Feb 10, 2017)

suunto123 said:


> I gave my Traverse a few more charging cycles (one deep until it switched off)


How long did you have to wait for watch go switched off.  My way on 0% for complete 20 hours and still running in only time mode, all buttons locked at this stage (by default).

I did not manage to get my watch switched off or i did not have time to wait anymore due to activities next day.

Take care!


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