PM5 Backlight

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Hello, is there a way to disable the backlight? I am rowing 2 hours daily and i am starting to go through batteries. every 50 days or so. Thanks in anticipation.

[Dangerscouse]

Do you have a PM5, and are you using good quality batteries? I have had the same batteries for almost two years, and they are still on circa 75% full.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Do you have a PM5, and are you using good quality batteries? I have had the same batteries for almost two years, and they are still on circa 75% full.

Yes , I have a PM5 on a concept c. I am using everready. I row with the wireless connection to my phone and a blue tooth connection to my heart monitor on my watch. I have rowed for the equivalent of 15 * 24 hours and used 2 sets.

Do you know if i can turn the light off?

[Dangerscouse]

Sorry, I don't know if you can. Hopefully Dougie will be able to comment.

I'm wondering if it's because you're on Model C and they are set up differently ie the D is made to only use battery power when it's not being used.

[Citroen]

You can't without opening the PM5, voiding the warranty and doing some ugly hardware hacking.

[Tony Cook]

Retro fitted PM5 to Model C on 25 March this year. Nearly 2M metres rowed. Used 6 days a week. Original batteries showing 54%.

[Carl Watts]

You need to use Alkaline only batteries like Duracell or Energizer and do not use a USB stick in the monitor because that's where all the power is going.

If you still have a problem get a cellphone charger and plug a long USB printer cable from the charger to the PM5 and your batteries will last forever.

The Model C cannot provide power to the monitor while your rowing so that's not helping either.

[Tony Cook]

You need to use Alkaline only batteries like Duracell or Energizer and do not use a USB stick in the monitor because that's where all the power is going.

If you still have a problem get a cellphone charger and plug a long USB printer cable from the charger to the PM5 and your batteries will last forever.

The Model C cannot provide power to the monitor while your rowing so that's not helping either.

Is it okay to do that with ordinary (non-rechargeable batteries fitted?

[c2jonw]

Plugging into a charger or your computer per Carl's suggestion is probably the easiest solution. As indicated earlier, the Model A,B and C do not have the ability to generate power for the monitor and so will use up the batteries much quicker than a D,E, Dynamic, SkiErg or BikeErg. Turning the monitor off as soon as you're done (press and hold the Menu button) will help a little, but I suspect the wireless and bluetooth are the big power users. Turning the backlight off would help and might be a nice feature for ABC users. I'd contact C2 and see if it's possible. JonW

[Carl Watts]

Yes you can plug it into a cellphone charger with Alkaline batteries in the PM5, the USB connection is not trying to "Charge" the batteries in the PM5.

Many PC's and Laptops these days have an "Always on" USB port as well so even when your PC or Laptop is off, its still supplying the 5VDC via the USB port for the monitor.

[MiddleAgeCRISIS]

Thanks every one for their comments. I think I will use an rechargeable battery pack ( power bank for mobile phones) and connect that to the monitor via usb to see if that works.

Guess the wifi / HR / backlight combo is having an impact. Perhaps its the wifi that is most intensive because on reflection those D batteries last for ages on massively long christmas leds.

[Tyrso]

So in the rowerg model D the energy you produce is used to backlight the monitor?

[Carl Watts]

So in the rowerg model D the energy you produce is used to backlight the monitor?

I think you will find that there is enough energy to power the monitor as its very low current but there is not enough to drive the backlight as well. There is not enough current generated to power any USB stick either.

[Tyrso]

Anyway a timeout for the back light could be very useful.

[Citroen]

Anyway a timeout for the back light could be very useful.

There is a timeout, if you stop rowing.