I'm not a tech guy and seeing all the idiots staring into their phones 24/7 makes me sad for the state of man kind.

A year ago I got my first Smart Phone, and indeed, it ran through the Batt in a day or less. Useless for travel. But I learned how to shut down all the Android stuff ... so it's better now ... until you use it ... them batt dips down fast.

My previous (very old) Nokia was just a simple PHONE ... it could text but do nothing else. It was from early 2000's ... so a true antique to hi tech wizards ... who would literally burst out laughing at the site of it!

But out camping for 5 days ... guess who's phone never went down and who's battery would last TWO WEEKS? Yep, the old Nokia. I never brought a charger when taking shorter rides. All four guys I was with had to EAT CROW and beg to use my phone. Love it!

A low cost company here (USA) called TracFone sold them ... and I believe they still sell a few very basic models? Perhaps these are good on battery life? Dunno? They are NOT smart phones. They are so cheap, maybe worth a shot?

For my Smart Phone I've rigged power off the bike so can charge on the move. But it's a pain. More to break, get wet, short out and go wrong.

I still have TWO of the old Nokia Phones ... I wonder if I could re-activate them for travel? The batteries are just amazing. My Smart Phone gets so hot when on line ... I fear it may catch fire! (Samsung)

Try the Samsung E 1190.
Fantastic battery. Leave it on for days and talk for hours and the battery will always have plenty of juice. It makes a good backup/emergency phone. Cost about £15 sim free. I think it is still available at Tesco, Carphone warehouse.
But sadly no camera.

And that's exactly what I have now.

It obviously cannot take photographs or get on the net but as a straightforward mobile telephone it simply cannot be beaten.

Battery life is measured in months.

Solution? Charge the phone at night while you sleep. You can get small battery/chargers that will charge the smart phone .. and then (during the day) charge off the bike. This way you have the smart phone to use during the day as per usual, then it charges while you sleep. The battery/charger should have about double the AH capacity of the phones' battery.

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From advrider Mobile phones in regional areas - Page 14 - ADVrider
3 days for a smart phone... rugged but large. $400 though. Aldi OZ had a $50 rugged dual sim a while ago.

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Crazy Dave - I'd still try turning everything off and see what the battery life is like then. Saves some money and keeps you with what you already know.

I do agree with Warin, and also with Mollydog's assessment of the pitfalls involved in trying to charge a mobile phone from the motorcycle.

If a phone user takes the actions recommended in post #2 above (turning off unnecessary services during the day while riding), even the most power-hungry phone with the oldest, most worn-out battery should survive through the daylight hours without needing a recharge.

Trying to hook up a charging system on the bike invites all sorts of other problems, from getting the phone wet and killing it to damaging the phone because it may bounce around a bit while riding.

Michael

Many smart phones are pretty waterproof, IP 68 in a lot of cases. A USB to switched power on the handlebars is a simple device to rig up. Water flowing past these connection does no harm. It's failed seals collecting water that cause problems.

You can also train the batteries to keep working as they discharge. The wife and I have identical phones. She charges hers when it asks, so when the voltage says its at 20%. I charge mine when the screen goes black. My battery in her phone lasts her two days, hers one because mine has been exercised since day one.



Andy