Battery runtime is one thing, overall battery capacity is a whole other thing. Why? Because when you are riding multiple days charging time or even the possibility of charging through a dynamo at all becomes relevant. Case in point: What good is a runtime of 30 hours on the Ace possibly for me if I need 120 hours and the Ace’s has a giant battery and a - corresponding to its screen size - equivalent gigantic power consumption.
Long story, short question: Can anyone tell me what the battery capacity for Bolt v3, Roam v3 (and possibly Ace, although that device does not interest me currently) is?
I’ve bought the Roam v3 and think it’s mostly pretty great. To answer me original question: I can keep it topped up using my SON Delux Dynamo + Igaro D2 power converter or charge it very slowly. On a 400k Audax I kept it topped up until nightfall, rode through the short summer night of maybe 5 or 6 hours using all power for my lights and then the Roam v3 still had about 75% battery. I started charging it again when I did not need the lights anymore and brought it about to maybe 85% on the remaining pretty hilly 150k.
So, whatever the capacity is, at least the power consumption is low enough to be overcome by dynamo charging which is what counts.
What’s great besides the battery:
Screen
Overview when using the navigation screen
Speed of the device when changing screens etc. It’s not at all sluggish.
What’s not so great:
Unclear why some things need to be done on the device and cannot be done in the app anymore (e.g. adding sensors)
Navigating between different modes … coming from Bolt 1 and 2 I found that a bit puzzling. Admittedly, using the Roam v3 properly for the first time on such a ride was not very smart.
Normally I have the height profile for the next 2k below the map on the navigation screen. This time the Roam at first showed the profile for the full 400k which did not provide much usable info. Later though, it switched to the more useful mode. I do not understand why or if it was my doing how.
Thanks for the hint. Not really discoverable to change the zoom level that way.
I have the screen set to automatic brightness, but I’ve used quite a lot of sensors on that day: DI2, cadence, speed, heartrate. I wonder how the radar will impact the power consumption.
Regarding the screen: Size, readability and brightness are great coming from a Bolt v2. One minor gripe: The height readings on the ride height profile are ridiciously small. No chance for me to read them. They are bigger on the Bolt v2, but still unreadable during the ride, especially when getting tire during the tail end of longer rides.
Another data point from The Real World ™: 12 hours riding outside in daylight with DI2, heartrate strap, Trackr Radar, Cadence and Speed Sensors, Screen Brightness on auto and navigation running all the time equals to 50% of battery consumption. I repeated this a few times and 12 hours always boil down to ~50%. Roam v3.
And PS: The reviews griping about the screen on sunny rides are pure BS. The screen is absolutely great, in darkness, rain and sunshine.