Garmin Instinct Sol...
 

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Garmin Instinct Solar not charging as well.

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I've noticed a reduction in my Instincts solar charging in the last month or so.  Typically it would show 30+ days when fully charged.  At one point earlier in the year when it was particularly ☀️ it was showing 40 days.  Now it's down in the 20's and today I checked the solar intensity and it was only getting two bars on the dial despite full midday sun.  I've tried a factory reset but that's not changed anything.  So has anyone else experienced this deterioration?  The watch is about 3½ years old now and it's not the end of the world as I'm unlikely to be doing any multi day rides where I can't charge it.


 
Posted : 13/08/2025 6:16 pm
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Mines never shown more than 29 days when fully charged! 


 
Posted : 13/08/2025 6:37 pm
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I work outdoors which helps.


 
Posted : 13/08/2025 8:03 pm
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Most i've ever had showing has been 30 days when fully charged. Can pick up a few extra days inbetween charges as well (also work outside). However this watch is a replacement as the last 1's solar charging packed up, so im thinking this will probably go the same way eventually


 
Posted : 13/08/2025 8:16 pm
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Mine just shows % charged so I wouldn't really notice. The time it takes to use up the charge varies with activity so I don't really track its battery usage.


 
Posted : 13/08/2025 9:19 pm
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clean the screen maybe there is a layer of something on there, as you work outside it could be soap?


 
Posted : 14/08/2025 8:23 am
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Are we talking about V1 or V2 here? (I have a V1 which I recently go the battery replaced on). Typically after a full charge mine is claiming 29 or 30 days this time of year. 

TBH I've never been stunned by the PV "bonus" on mine, I did once leave it on a sunny windowsill in power saver mode for a few days (when it was pretty new) and it ended up estimating 300+ days. 

The estimation is clearly based on recent usage pattern, and Solar exposure is only part of that, keep it in power save (essentially make it a "dumb" watch) and wear it in direct sunlight all day and obviously it'll tell you it's got loads of spare juice. keep HR and Bluetooth on, use GPS for a few hours and it soon reduces it's projection. 

Mine was charged on Sunday, has been used in smar****ch mode daily, and goes on Powersave from 22:30 - 06:00 every night, It did 2hrs of HR broadcasting on Sunday night.  and about and hour and a half GPS recording yesterday and currently reckons it's got 23 days with 86% battery, I'd expect it to be down to 22days and ~83% by this evening... 

But it's really just guestimating, the number of days it claims is pretty meaningless TBH, and it struggles to account for battery degradation over time (as I learnt recently)...  


 
Posted : 14/08/2025 9:36 am

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