Charge an ELEMNT GPS computer

Requirements

Power source

• a wall charger/adapter
  • 5 Volt, 2+ Amp
  • ideally a non-Apple charger
    • Older Apple USB-A chargers are not suitable chargers for ELEMNT computers because they either
      1. only output 1 amp overall, which may be insufficient to charge the computer in certain conditions, or
      2. possess internal safety circuitry that throttles power output to .5 Amps if the receiving device is not an Apple product, which is insufficient to charge the computer.
• a powered USB port 

Connection type

ELEMNT, BOLT 1, and ROAM 1

• USB-A > Micro USB

BOLT 2

• USB-A > USB-C
  • Because of the period in which BOLT 2 was developed, despite having a USB-C connection type, early production BOLT 2 computers lack a voltage limiter in the unit, and so require either [1] a USB-A > C charging cable attached to a USB-A wall charger or a 'smart' charging source like a laptop to charge. Later production BOLT 2 units and ROAM 2 model computers do not share this limitation.

ACE, BOLT 3, and ROAM 2/3

• USB-A or USB-C > USB-C

Charging process

Do not charge if there is moisture or debris in the charger cable or charging port in the ELEMNT computer.  Doing so risks damage to the charging cable and/or computer.

1. Charge the ELEMNT computer with the USB cable provided or a similar cable.
2. Gently displace the silicon dust cap covering the charging port on your ELEMNT.
3. Insert the plug of the USB cable into the charging port.
4. Connect the USB cable to a suitable power source to charge.
5. When fully charged, remove the USB cable from the charging port.
6. Replace the silicon dust cap, ensuring a firm seal to keep dust and moisture out.

Troubleshooting

No response

If the computer screen / backlight does not respond when connected to a compatible charger...

1. Confirm the power source meets the requirements stated above.
2. Check the cable and cable port for debris.
3. Check that the power source and cord are functional with another device.
4. Plug the computer back in and give it 5-10 minutes, particularly if you haven't used/charged the device in a long time. The computer will start by trickle charging to protect the battery.

Sad face

If the computer screen shows a sad face when connected to a compatible charger...

1. Confirm the power source meets the requirements stated above.
2. Plug the computer back in and give it 5-10 minutes, particularly if you haven't used/charged the device in a long time. The computer will start by trickle charging to protect the battery.

Specifically this indicates a low-power trickle charge.  This may occur if the power source is too low or if the battery is charging from zero.  If the power source and cable meet the requirements above, the computer will just need time to charge.