Hi Greg. Funny story. I charged two of my Casio solar watches, one G Shock negative display and one Tough Solar in regular display. I did the in glass of water method for both, being winter here in Australia not really a heat issue just wanted to check water resistance. I placed them in the front bay window to get the morning sun. Within an hour a knocking on my front door with the neighbour having noticed two watches sitting in water. When I explained I was charging them he looked surprised and said, wow hydrogen powered watches? I laughed and said no Casio. I think he remains confused.
From my experience I would say that the high charge indication is shown between around 30% to 100%. Medium charge from 15% to 30% and Low below 15%. The amount of power these watches use is minuscule when just in time keeping mode. The backlight is the largest power drain followed by the compass. This is the reason why these are generally the first functions disabled when a watch switches into low power warning mode. A couple of hours in sunlight will generally lift a watch from low to medium, a couple more hours, medium to high. To go from just getting into high to a fully charged battery will generally take at least a couple of days. The solar panel becomes a bit less efficient putting power into the battery as the voltage increases. The manuals normally have a table in the technical details at the back that show charging times under different conditions. Direct sunlight is ten times more powerful outside than it is through a glass window. So outside charging will always be quicker than anything else. A sunny window sill is probably the next best choice.
I bought a completely drained $22 GW-500 & charged it by setting it in my curio cabinet. The l.e.d. light charged it to high in a week. I wasn’t in a hurry to charge it since it was my 2nd GW-500. ☀️ solar multi-band watches are 🔥.
Good information! I just revived my Casio Pathfinder after several years dormant. I am more of a mechanical watch person, but I appreciate the solar watch technology.
That black fog in the display happened to me by accident; I forgot my watch in the direct sunlight when I was charging the battery; but with a few min in the shadow it went back to normal
Some points I reflected on while watching: 1: Batteries and capacitors are both energy storage devices, but use different mechanisms to do so. 2: Li-ion cells will have a longer lifespan if not fully discharged, or fully charged (I'm unable to find out if the CTL battery chemistry is cobalt or phosphate as the latter I think has better tolerance to overcharge). So your Corolla gas tank analogy is a great one. I'd probably go one step further and make the analogy a diesel vehicle, because, like a Li-ion battery, running out of voltage in a battery, or fuel in a diesel, causes more grief and pain when it comes to restarting either a diesel engine or a battery. So as you point out, it is definitely preferable to not be OCD about keeping your battery charged to 100%, and do not let it go completely dead.
Just received my GW 2310-1. AMZN $75, which was advertised as "used". Other than a banged up packaging box, the watch was brand new without a nick or scratch. However, the screen was blank. Pushing buttons did nothing. I immediately placed the watch outside in bright sunlight. In five minutes the screen came to life. Gauge indicated charging; features could not be accessed by pushing buttons. About 75 mins later gauged showed medium charge. And I could access the watches features with all buttons working normally. At 0004, 081922, watch received the atomic radio signal from Fort Collins, CO, 650 miles away from San Mateo CA! I'm very happy. Your channel is going to feed my Casio G-Shock addiction. Have a swell weekend, Sir.
I have a bedroom lamp on my nightstand with a square platform "Surpars House Minimalist Solid Wood Table Lamp Bedside Desk Lamp". I keep my solar watches directly under it, and then there's a smart bulb in there that turns on in the middle of the day. The watches are just inches from the bulb so they always stay charged.
Hi Greg. I just broke down and bought a new G Shock GW-7900- 1CR to replace my 13 yo MTG 900, the backlight went out on it. I hope I get as much use out of the GW as I did the MTG. Thanks so much for your videos!
*_I store all of my Tough Solar Casios in watchboxes as Mr. Greg. Only one of my watch boxes are kept out all times to be exposed to ambient lumination. The others are stored in dark places but are brought out frequently for watch selections. I charge them on average every two weeks. I open the watch case lid and place them in front of the window sill with the blinds up for hours at a time. This seems to be adequate in maintaining a high charge on most of my Tough Solar Casios._* *_Some do drop to a low charge every now and again. But in these cases, the timepieces themselves are older and have been bought preowned. Then some of my Casios which have fallen to low charge ABIDE in the window sill for months at a time. We all have to determine the most efficient manner to charge our timepieces in sunlight._*
GUESS WHAT - I use standard lights in my house/office or the sun outside. That is the entire reason to use a Solar Powered Watch. Casio Oceanus OCW-T200S-1AJF Radio Solar Bluetooth Watch
I've got my solar g shocks in a watch case with the glass top, near a window that does not get direct sunlight. At night they all turn off with the power saving on and turn on in the mornings when the room gets bright. Never had to actually put them out in the sun and they are at high, although my recent purchase a brand new GMW B5000D the battery level is at half and is still inside the tin. When I get home next week I'll definitely put it out in the sun and give it it's first ever charge.
I found that on my GW-M5610, using the A.EL option caused the battery to drain more quickly and most of the time, it wouldn't go above M. Turning that off, it stays at H. So, my theory is that maybe with my particular usage, the auto light was activating more often, draining the battery more quickly. Regardless, the tough solar with multiband watches are awesome.
I bought a king a while back off ebay. Totally dead. I got it from the POBOX and opened the package there at the post office. Stuck it on my dash and it was working when I got home. I left it out to charge for a number of days it would never go above low. This is an early king, so an older one. I ended up swapping the battery. Easy enough. I also took this time to totally tear down the watch and clean it. And, boy did it need cleaning. So much dirt due to the design of the case. Normally I keep my watches in a clear display case in a room where I never shut the lights off. This keeps them all topped off nicely. Well, except my GPR-B1000. That one I have to use the wireless charger on from time to time as the solar charging on it is really just an assist. But, even at that it will go many weeks before it needs to be plugged in. And, as usual. Thank you for the video!
Update on my GMW B5000D... today I put the watch in direct sunlight for its first ever charge. I bought the watch brand new a few days ago and the battery level was showing half in the app. I kept it in the tin cause i was traveling and didn't want to get scratches on the watch. So today after I came home I left it in direct sunlight 34°C temp for 3 hours and its now showing 100% full. I took your advice and put the watch in the shade from time to time to cool the watch off. It did get real hot to touch and the screen started to darken but still legible. The watch has cooled now and the screen is back to normal. I was a little worried as I heard people were having problems with the battery not charging on the GMW B5000D and having to send it back to casio, battery being replaced, modules being replaced etc.
I find that if I put my solar charged watches next to a window that is closed, they will get warm to hot- if I open the window and there is a good breeze coming through, then the watches receive a good dose of UV and maintain a level of coolness due to the breeze. If I do have to keep the window close, just aim a cheap fan at them and that will cool them off as well.
@@spankyharland9845 I would say that direct sunlight does not work best, but fastest. And since I have nowhere to hurry in this matter, to maintain an optimal charge, for me the safest and most problem-free (without the need to open windows or use a fan, etc.) is charging from indirect sunlight. So for me this method is the best.
@@Oleg__ you are correct, direct sunlight is a quick charge- your method of indirect is best and healthier for your watch - direct sunlight can also fade and wear down your watch as well. Where I live, I get direct sun almost 80 percent of the year so I take advantage of those quick charges.
I’m in Texas where direct sunlight would probably cook a watch. I leave mine on a window sill where they get indirect sunlight as there is another house close by blocking full on sun rays. They don’t get hot and are always on the high battery level indicator mark.
Speaking of the longjevity of the batteries/capacitors on these watches, I have a Lorus kinetic watch that has been running now for the best part of 30 years. Same principle just a different charging method. You are definitely right about never letting them completely run flat.
Storing the watches in a see through box like Greg's in ambient room light facing towards the window at some distance keeps them charged at 100% always without the risk of heating.💯👍
Hi, thank you for the informative video. What do you think about using the flash on a smartphone by setting the phone to flashlight mode and placing the watch face down on the light? I don't think the phone flash gets very hot at all (at least mine doesn't) and it seems to put out a pretty decent amount of light.
Air temperature, which is likely cooler than things that would more rettally absorb sunlight. Also, the water will evaporate more too as it starts to warm up, which will help keep it cool. Personally, I'd only go to this sort of measure if I lived in a desert like climate.
Good video. I have a few solar powered watches most all are either G-Shock or citizen. I am having trouble having them keep the right time. Some have the correct time some are way behind. They are on my desk (desk is in front of big window) getting sunlight or led lamp as a power source. Do you know why they would fall behind? Do you know if it is a good idea to stop the mechanism (in the care of the citizens) while charging or storing?
Great video, Greg. Have you tried modding some of your g-shock squares? I have GW-M5610, and recently purchased updated version (GW-M5610U). I got titanium case/bracelet for them and they look and feel gorgeous. Much cheaper deal than getting original titanium square.
I purchased a metal bezel and bracelet kit for a GW-6900 and also for a “G-Shock King” and they worked well. I was able to transform them into watches which Casio doesn’t sell. (There is no solar/atomic 6900 series watch from Casio with a metal bezel and bracelet.)
Hi Gregg. Great videos. I have two AWG-M100's. They both show successful reception of the atomic signal but one is 2 seconds faster ? I have a 3rd Casio PRW2500 which remains in perfect time with one of the two AWG-M100's--so I have no idea whats going on with the one AWG that is running 2 seconds faster than the other two ?
I was tempted to buy one of those Cool Fire Solar Watch Chargers , but I can't see spending $30plus when there are plenty of other light sources that do the same thing. I like the watch in the glass of water , I never thought of that. I'll give it a try with a ice cube or two.
I asked you about G-Shocks for a woman (the missus) and I finally got her a Baby-G. It's orange which I hope she likes (no Tough Solar or Multiband 6). Let's see what happens. I hope the orange doesn't fade. Some comments say they do over time. I had overheating fog on my Casios once. I live in sunny Spain and I had left them all outside for a charge. No harm was done but I didn't like it. Never again!
Great video, totally agree with you. I have casio watches but my first solar watch is a citizen eco-drive. This citizen is working after 20 years with original battery or capacitor. Casio also offers watches with ten years battery life,so I think the solar ones should last 10 years too. But I think the citizen solar power eco drive system is a little better than casio. The charging is faster in any lighting conditions. I love solar powered watches.
I use an Aputure AL-F7 video light to charge up to 3 G-shocks at a time. It works very well with no risk of damage. In the sun you are risking damage, particularly if there is solar gain. Any reasonably powerful video light will do. I owned one of those Coolfire things but the light intensity diminished quickly. It was Chinese tat to be honest.
I might have tried buying the Coolfire device but I thought it was too much money for a thing which I simply didn’t need to have. If they had one for just $15 or $20 I might try it just for the sake of trying it.
@@ianmaw66 A good LED light panel will do the job. Such light panels for photo/video use utilize better LED emitters and better regulation circuitry and thus should outperform those cheapskate CoolFire cradles. Just make sure the panel is set at less than full intensity (50% should be udeal) to avoid overheating and rapid battery drainage......
My solar charged watches set on my window sill every day with the screen down to reduce the sunlight. They stay cool and topped up. My Rangeman Navi doesn't need to use its solar charging because it also has wireless charging and I use that every morning after getting a GPS time setting.
Even if it was a particular battery type thing, it would be a "cell" as battery refers to multiple cells wired together. Phones don't have batteries, they have cells as well. So you can fire that fun fact back at them. There's your ocd :)
If it’s a solar powered watch then I recommend you store it in a place where it will be exposed to normal light in your room. Not in complete darkness and not in a place where the watch will get hot.
I've charged my AWG-M100B in direct sunlight once every month or so, for 12 years. There's nothing wrong with the LCD. Watch works and charges fine after all this time.
I now have 21 solar powered watches. I have recently noticed a couple that I don't wear as much have dropped to medium power. They are all Casios , I just bought one of the led charger devices from Amazon and I figure I will use it for initial charging and for when one or two get down to medium. There is just not bright enough light in the room I keep them in to keep them topped off I don't think. I am constantly putting a few at a time in the window but I think the window interferes with them getting the kind o light intensity they really need. Like you with the number I have there is just no way to give them enough wrist time to keep them charged. Hopefully I can keep the little device close to my watch cases and use it as needed.
Hi Greg. I noticed that you have quite the casio collection . Perhaps you can help me with a lineage watch I have Lcw m-100. I somehow lost the day and date on the digital display and regardless of cycling thru the menu and the lower right button, I still end up with the local time. Can you help?
Do old windows block out the Rays that chargers my watch? I have a Casio G-SHOCK Steel B400. It’s constantly on low. I put it in my window sill and it still is on low all the time.
What battery chemistry technology is ued in these watches? For example, if they're li-ion or li-po cells, maintaining them close to 50% charge and not fully depleting nor continuously topping them off would be more ideal for their longevity and sustained capacity potential.
Hi Greg, Have you replaced a solar watch battery, yet? I had a Casio solar watch in 1984, I replaced the battery, but I think they did not replace it with the right one.
My oldest Tough Solar watch is an MTG-900 I bought in 2006. The next Tough Solar watch is from 2012. Then all the others I have are from these last 5 years. I haven’t replaced batteries on any of them yet.
I hold all my solar powered watches in a watchbox with glass top, next to my livingroom window, and the livingroom has a balcony otside, so direct sun never reaches that low. So they are constantly inside, in daylight but not direct sun. They always stay at High charge
I had my Seiko solar watch die on me because I kept it inside a drawer for months. I got used to automatics so bad habits. It took me two weeks to get it back up and running again. That's insane.
Heating lithium batteries shortens their life as does keeping them absolutely fully charged all the time or letting them get too low. Definitely not something that we want to be doing. We want to keep them in the midrange and never get them hot I've started using one of these inexpensive Amazon LED watch chargers (after you suggested it in another more recent video), but on high it overheats the watches so that level is only safe for a short period of time while the watch is not too hot. On low it is fine for long charging sessions. Window sunlight can be a problem, it is not always easy to control and can overheat the watch or take many days to charge it. I only use the LED charger when room light isn't enough, and it is convenient to use overnight. I store my solar watches so they always get room light and when they get low top them up without allowing them to get hot. Note that most solar watches use rechargeable batteries, and a few use capacitors. These are very different components and batteries store a lot more energy while capacitors generally have a much longer life. I think solar Casios all have batteries. Capacitors are generally soldered in and not easy to replace. I have replaced a Casio battery on a WVQ-500 after 14 years. When new it never would reach Hi charge level, after 14 years of near daily use it would not even reach Medium anymore. I think the battery was bad from the start but still lasted 14 years. After I replaced the battery and reset the watch it now charges to Hi.
I would check on them to make sure they don’t get the dark fog on the LCD. I was surprised when my watches got too hot outside even on a cool morning but when they were in too-direct sunshine.
The BlueTooth G-Shock will still warn you when it needs a charge. Instead of the date, it will read "LOW". That only happened once, over a year ago. As for my 5610, I never have seen it on anything else than "High". Indeed, no need to be reminded all the time. It's not a handwound watch or a kinetec where having a power reserve indicator may be actually helpful.
From my experience with a GW-B5600, the yellow one, leaving the autolight feature on, especially in winter when you need it the most, will drain the battery to low, to the point where it stops autosync-ing with your phone or the tower. That is if you wear the watch everyday. I don't think mr. Anderson (and other watch youtubers) wears the same watch each day for months on end, so he may have not experienced this. If I had the L-M-H indicator on my watch display, like in the non-bluetooh, MB6 squares, I would've known to disable autolight before my watch was drained.
It seems to me that a solar watch could be charged by induction, with a wireless charger, just like a kinetic watch. I have a used toothbrush charger on order and hope to be able to use it for both.
In principle it's sort of a similar idea, but light is quite a bit different in terms of its mechanical scale, so I would suspect that induction charging would not work.
The simple answer is yes; the resin will get degraded and age faster. The only other alternative I can think of is to change under non-UV light source such as LED light panels.
Did you turn off power saving mode on any of your solar-powered Casio watches? I did...and as of this comment that watch of mine is at the nearest window, facing the daylight on the Level 4 charging mode. 24 hours earlier it was completely blank, so it seems I somehow missed the point at which the battery life went from Level 1~High to Level 5~pretty much dead. I wear that watch once every week. The watch has lasted me 6 straight years without any issues, a WS220C-7B so not a true G-Shock. The watch is too big on me yet it's my most worn piece by far, all 6 years I've had it
Good day sir,i bought a second hand touch solar from Japan surplus,seller tell me that in Japan they remove the battery before shipping,im from Philippines,and when i bought it,i replaced it a mew CTL1616 battery,but ofter,it did not charges,now its been 3day,still i connot use all button, please help, Gshock GW 2310fb, negative display, thank you sir
I agree. If your wrist can handle the heat then your watch should be okay. If you need to take the watch off then don’t leave it in a place where it will get hotter than it would while you wear it.
@@GoodTimekeeper This video is so obvious one would think anyone would know you do NOT leave any watch that contains electronics and a BATTERY in direct sunlight! I only have Seiko Prospex Solar and the manual specifically says "indirect" sunlight and or a nice bright LED desktop lamp is more than enough to keep these charged perfectly. However. You are an American so I'll forgive your obtuseness. God bless Retardistan! LOL.
I would say definitely never put your watch in the sunshine to charge it. There is a difference to wearing a watch on a sunny day and leaving it sat in the sun on a sunny day. UV light benefits nothing including watches. These watches do not need direct sunlight to charge up, so any bright but shaded window will be fine for watches not worn often. I've have many solar watches and I've never left them in the sun. Many I don't wear that often so I just leave them on a north facing window (so never gets any sunshine) for a few hours every month or two. The battery indicator has never budged from HI on any of my solar watches.
I leave my solar watches in my window sill all the time, but I leave mine on the East side of my house so they get a good run of sun in the morning, plus it isn't too hot then. I have had the overheat happen in the evenings though on the West side of my house. But it seems that since the morning is the coolest the East side has been the most ideal. I do have a Casio ECB-500 tough solar and for the Bluetooth syncing on it, it is best to keep the battery as high as you can. I have found though that when it is having connection issues that I just wear the watch like normal then it syncs just fine. As far as the argument for the capacitor vs battery thing, when I buy them from the suppliers they call them capacitors, so that is what I go with.
I just leave my Solar Watch under the Room Lamp with a LED , bulb that stays on maybe 8-10 Hrs , a Night , the Battery has lasted 15 + years I’m Surprised I even have a Timex Solar that I found over 17+ years ago I just leave it Face up under that same lamp since before I used LED I still Hear it Beep even the Alarm Time changes with Daylight or 3 Hrs ahead , and back off of Daylight savings
Ambient light is enough. You never charge them in direct sunlight. Any thing under direct sunlight will degrade, even industrial strength solar panels.
It's just human nature with some hobbies, especially ones where there's not much to "do" with the item... you wear a watch, you set the time, maybe you mess with the settings. But people turn it into "My Precious", want it to be perfect, always 100%, and always completely perfect battery. It's silly, yes, but also you can't really stop it. :-)
Common sense should tell you not to put your watch on the dashboard of a car to charge it; did you never notice how hot it can get there? I’ve charged a lot of Tough Solar G-Shocks for many years in direct sun light (not ever right near the window) both inside and outside without having any of them “fog up”. Sure, they may get warm to the touch, but that’s all.
Your all sad, just wear them, dont leave them connected to a phone permanently just sync when needed, my Garmin intinct Solar, GW5000-1JF and GW5000U-1JF , are always on full. Switch off auto light, etc no problems. And if and when you connect to sync it will be drawing power, just bloody wear them. Also switch on power save function.😅
Hi Greg. Funny story. I charged two of my Casio solar watches, one G Shock negative display and one Tough Solar in regular display. I did the in glass of water method for both, being winter here in Australia not really a heat issue just wanted to check water resistance. I placed them in the front bay window to get the morning sun. Within an hour a knocking on my front door with the neighbour having noticed two watches sitting in water. When I explained I was charging them he looked surprised and said, wow hydrogen powered watches? I laughed and said no Casio. I think he remains confused.
Funny
I still have my Citizen Eco-Drive watch I bought for myself in 2007. 17 years later, still runs, still works perfectly, never been opened or serviced.
From my experience I would say that the high charge indication is shown between around 30% to 100%. Medium charge from 15% to 30% and Low below 15%. The amount of power these watches use is minuscule when just in time keeping mode. The backlight is the largest power drain followed by the compass. This is the reason why these are generally the first functions disabled when a watch switches into low power warning mode. A couple of hours in sunlight will generally lift a watch from low to medium, a couple more hours, medium to high. To go from just getting into high to a fully charged battery will generally take at least a couple of days. The solar panel becomes a bit less efficient putting power into the battery as the voltage increases. The manuals normally have a table in the technical details at the back that show charging times under different conditions. Direct sunlight is ten times more powerful outside than it is through a glass window. So outside charging will always be quicker than anything else. A sunny window sill is probably the next best choice.
I bought a completely drained $22 GW-500 & charged it by setting it in my curio cabinet. The l.e.d. light charged it to high in a week. I wasn’t in a hurry to charge it since it was my 2nd GW-500. ☀️ solar multi-band watches are 🔥.
Good information! I just revived my Casio Pathfinder after several years dormant. I am more of a mechanical watch person, but I appreciate the solar watch technology.
That black fog in the display happened to me by accident; I forgot my watch in the direct sunlight when I was charging the battery; but with a few min in the shadow it went back to normal
great idea with the glass of water, i never thought of this!
I use the glass of water. Works great
Some points I reflected on while watching: 1: Batteries and capacitors are both energy storage devices, but use different mechanisms to do so. 2: Li-ion cells will have a longer lifespan if not fully discharged, or fully charged (I'm unable to find out if the CTL battery chemistry is cobalt or phosphate as the latter I think has better tolerance to overcharge). So your Corolla gas tank analogy is a great one. I'd probably go one step further and make the analogy a diesel vehicle, because, like a Li-ion battery, running out of voltage in a battery, or fuel in a diesel, causes more grief and pain when it comes to restarting either a diesel engine or a battery. So as you point out, it is definitely preferable to not be OCD about keeping your battery charged to 100%, and do not let it go completely dead.
For now I only have 2 solar G-Shocks and I wear them every day!! Alternating them and they keep full charge!
✌🏼😎👍🏼
Just received my GW 2310-1. AMZN $75, which was advertised as "used". Other than a banged up packaging box, the watch was brand new without a nick or scratch. However, the screen was blank. Pushing buttons did nothing. I immediately placed the watch outside in bright sunlight. In five minutes the screen came to life. Gauge indicated charging; features could not be accessed by pushing buttons. About 75 mins later gauged showed medium charge. And I could access the watches features with all buttons working normally. At 0004, 081922, watch received the atomic radio signal from Fort Collins, CO, 650 miles away from San Mateo CA! I'm very happy. Your channel is going to feed my Casio G-Shock addiction. Have a swell weekend, Sir.
I have a bedroom lamp on my nightstand with a square platform "Surpars House Minimalist Solid Wood Table Lamp Bedside Desk Lamp". I keep my solar watches directly under it, and then there's a smart bulb in there that turns on in the middle of the day. The watches are just inches from the bulb so they always stay charged.
Hi Greg. I just broke down and bought a new G Shock GW-7900- 1CR to replace my 13 yo MTG 900, the backlight went out on it. I hope I get as much use out of the GW as I did the MTG. Thanks so much for your videos!
Excellents tips to keep your watch in good shape, as usual!
*_I store all of my Tough Solar Casios in watchboxes as Mr. Greg. Only one of my watch boxes are kept out all times to be exposed to ambient lumination. The others are stored in dark places but are brought out frequently for watch selections. I charge them on average every two weeks. I open the watch case lid and place them in front of the window sill with the blinds up for hours at a time. This seems to be adequate in maintaining a high charge on most of my Tough Solar Casios._*
*_Some do drop to a low charge every now and again. But in these cases, the timepieces themselves are older and have been bought preowned. Then some of my Casios which have fallen to low charge ABIDE in the window sill for months at a time. We all have to determine the most efficient manner to charge our timepieces in sunlight._*
GUESS WHAT - I use standard lights in my house/office or the sun outside. That is the entire reason to use a Solar Powered Watch. Casio Oceanus OCW-T200S-1AJF Radio Solar Bluetooth Watch
Gracias Greg. Tus consejos, como siempre, son muy útiles. Saludos desde 🇲🇽 .
I've got my solar g shocks in a watch case with the glass top, near a window that does not get direct sunlight. At night they all turn off with the power saving on and turn on in the mornings when the room gets bright. Never had to actually put them out in the sun and they are at high, although my recent purchase a brand new GMW B5000D the battery level is at half and is still inside the tin. When I get home next week I'll definitely put it out in the sun and give it it's first ever charge.
I found that on my GW-M5610, using the A.EL option caused the battery to drain more quickly and most of the time, it wouldn't go above M. Turning that off, it stays at H. So, my theory is that maybe with my particular usage, the auto light was activating more often, draining the battery more quickly. Regardless, the tough solar with multiband watches are awesome.
I bought a king a while back off ebay. Totally dead. I got it from the POBOX and opened the package there at the post office. Stuck it on my dash and it was working when I got home. I left it out to charge for a number of days it would never go above low. This is an early king, so an older one. I ended up swapping the battery. Easy enough. I also took this time to totally tear down the watch and clean it. And, boy did it need cleaning. So much dirt due to the design of the case.
Normally I keep my watches in a clear display case in a room where I never shut the lights off. This keeps them all topped off nicely. Well, except my GPR-B1000. That one I have to use the wireless charger on from time to time as the solar charging on it is really just an assist. But, even at that it will go many weeks before it needs to be plugged in.
And, as usual. Thank you for the video!
Update on my GMW B5000D... today I put the watch in direct sunlight for its first ever charge. I bought the watch brand new a few days ago and the battery level was showing half in the app. I kept it in the tin cause i was traveling and didn't want to get scratches on the watch. So today after I came home I left it in direct sunlight 34°C temp for 3 hours and its now showing 100% full. I took your advice and put the watch in the shade from time to time to cool the watch off. It did get real hot to touch and the screen started to darken but still legible. The watch has cooled now and the screen is back to normal. I was a little worried as I heard people were having problems with the battery not charging on the GMW B5000D and having to send it back to casio, battery being replaced, modules being replaced etc.
Hey Greg, I just bought my first Casio AL-190W. Would love to see make a review on this watch in-depth.
I find that if I put my solar charged watches next to a window that is closed, they will get warm to hot- if I open the window and there is a good breeze coming through, then the watches receive a good dose of UV and maintain a level of coolness due to the breeze. If I do have to keep the window close, just aim a cheap fan at them and that will cool them off as well.
It's much simpler: I just put the watch by the window when there's no direct sunlight on that side. That's all.
@@Oleg__ that would be diffuse sunlight which is better than artificial light. I find that direct sun light works the best.
@@spankyharland9845 I would say that direct sunlight does not work best, but fastest. And since I have nowhere to hurry in this matter, to maintain an optimal charge, for me the safest and most problem-free (without the need to open windows or use a fan, etc.) is charging from indirect sunlight. So for me this method is the best.
@@Oleg__ you are correct, direct sunlight is a quick charge- your method of indirect is best and healthier for your watch - direct sunlight can also fade and wear down your watch as well. Where I live, I get direct sun almost 80 percent of the year so I take advantage of those quick charges.
I’m in Texas where direct sunlight would probably cook a watch. I leave mine on a window sill where they get indirect sunlight as there is another house close by blocking full on sun rays. They don’t get hot and are always on the high battery level indicator mark.
Ditto. In North Texas and the sun would melt the watch if left out in the sun!
Great opinions and advice. If it ain't broken don't fix it.
Great video! Amazing suggestion of putting in a glass of water.
Love your reassuring vids!!
Speaking of the longjevity of the batteries/capacitors on these watches, I have a Lorus kinetic watch that has been running now for the best part of 30 years. Same principle just a different charging method.
You are definitely right about never letting them completely run flat.
Sir, what do you do to maintain your solar watch?
Storing the watches in a see through box like Greg's in ambient room light facing towards the window at some distance keeps them charged at 100% always without the risk of heating.💯👍
Thanks. Your video is real helpful.
Hi, thank you for the informative video. What do you think about using the flash on a smartphone by setting the phone to flashlight mode and placing the watch face down on the light? I don't think the phone flash gets very hot at all (at least mine doesn't) and it seems to put out a pretty decent amount of light.
Great video! I’m sure others have said this, but by the laws of physics, the water will heat up to approach outside temperatures, at least.
Air temperature, which is likely cooler than things that would more rettally absorb sunlight. Also, the water will evaporate more too as it starts to warm up, which will help keep it cool. Personally, I'd only go to this sort of measure if I lived in a desert like climate.
I keep mine in a glass top watch case and put them under a 60w equivalent LED lamp for a couple days every few months.
Good video. I have a few solar powered watches most all are either G-Shock or citizen. I am having trouble having them keep the right time. Some have the correct time some are way behind. They are on my desk (desk is in front of big window) getting sunlight or led lamp as a power source. Do you know why they would fall behind? Do you know if it is a good idea to stop the mechanism (in the care of the citizens) while charging or storing?
Great video, Greg. Have you tried modding some of your g-shock squares? I have GW-M5610, and recently purchased updated version (GW-M5610U). I got titanium case/bracelet for them and they look and feel gorgeous. Much cheaper deal than getting original titanium square.
Not Greg but what a good idea! You think that’d be possible on a GW 5000u too?
I purchased a metal bezel and bracelet kit for a GW-6900 and also for a “G-Shock King” and they worked well. I was able to transform them into watches which Casio doesn’t sell. (There is no solar/atomic 6900 series watch from Casio with a metal bezel and bracelet.)
Thanks Greg!🙋
Once I placed my Casio GWM 5610 in the hot sun light the whole dispay went blank. So I will try the idea with the water next time.
Great video. Thanks 🙏
Hi Gregg. Great videos. I have two AWG-M100's. They both show successful reception of the atomic signal but one is 2 seconds faster ? I have a 3rd Casio PRW2500 which remains in perfect time with one of the two AWG-M100's--so I have no idea whats going on with the one AWG that is running 2 seconds faster than the other two ?
I was tempted to buy one of those Cool Fire Solar Watch Chargers , but I can't see spending $30plus when there are plenty of other light sources that do the same thing. I like the watch in the glass of water , I never thought of that. I'll give it a try with a ice cube or two.
I have one of those chargers. They are great... fun to use.
I have a cool fire and I love it. Just an easy way to give a watch a full charge if I want and don't have to worry about overheating or anything.
I asked you about G-Shocks for a woman (the missus) and I finally got her a Baby-G. It's orange which I hope she likes (no Tough Solar or Multiband 6). Let's see what happens. I hope the orange doesn't fade. Some comments say they do over time.
I had overheating fog on my Casios once. I live in sunny Spain and I had left them all outside for a charge. No harm was done but I didn't like it. Never again!
Great video, totally agree with you. I have casio watches but my first solar watch is a citizen eco-drive. This citizen is working after 20 years with original battery or capacitor. Casio also offers watches with ten years battery life,so I think the solar ones should last 10 years too. But I think the citizen solar power eco drive system is a little better than casio. The charging is faster in any lighting conditions. I love solar powered watches.
I use an Aputure AL-F7 video light to charge up to 3 G-shocks at a time. It works very well with no risk of damage. In the sun you are risking damage, particularly if there is solar gain. Any reasonably powerful video light will do. I owned one of those Coolfire things but the light intensity diminished quickly. It was Chinese tat to be honest.
I might have tried buying the Coolfire device but I thought it was too much money for a thing which I simply didn’t need to have. If they had one for just $15 or $20 I might try it just for the sake of trying it.
@@GoodTimekeeper As I said they are cheaply made and light intensity was lost quite quickly. A cheap video light might be more effective.
@@ianmaw66 A good LED light panel will do the job. Such light panels for photo/video use utilize better LED emitters and better regulation circuitry and thus should outperform those cheapskate CoolFire cradles. Just make sure the panel is set at less than full intensity (50% should be udeal) to avoid overheating and rapid battery drainage......
non direct sunlight also charges it, just not as fast, don't have to worry about overheat
My solar charged watches set on my window sill every day with the screen down to reduce the sunlight. They stay cool and topped up. My Rangeman Navi doesn't need to use its solar charging because it also has wireless charging and I use that every morning after getting a GPS time setting.
Even if it was a particular battery type thing, it would be a "cell" as battery refers to multiple cells wired together.
Phones don't have batteries, they have cells as well. So you can fire that fun fact back at them. There's your ocd :)
I thought you just wear them and try to get outside once in a while :) I get it though if you aren’t able to or don’t get out in light much.
Hi Greg, thank you so much for all the information. Do i need to to give my edifice watch a break by keeping it in the drawer.
If it’s a solar powered watch then I recommend you store it in a place where it will be exposed to normal light in your room. Not in complete darkness and not in a place where the watch will get hot.
Do you wear a watch on each hand only in your videos, or all the time?
I've charged my AWG-M100B in direct sunlight once every month or so, for 12 years. There's nothing wrong with the LCD. Watch works and charges fine after all this time.
I now have 21 solar powered watches. I have recently noticed a couple that I don't wear as much have dropped to medium power. They are all Casios , I just bought one of the led charger devices from Amazon and I figure I will use it for initial charging and for when one or two get down to medium. There is just not bright enough light in the room I keep them in to keep them topped off I don't think. I am constantly putting a few at a time in the window but I think the window interferes with them getting the kind o light intensity they really need. Like you with the number I have there is just no way to give them enough wrist time to keep them charged. Hopefully I can keep the little device close to my watch cases and use it as needed.
Hi Greg. I noticed that you have quite the casio collection . Perhaps you can help me with a lineage watch I have Lcw m-100. I somehow lost the day and date on the digital display and regardless of cycling thru the menu and the lower right button, I still end up with the local time. Can you help?
Do old windows block out the Rays that chargers my watch? I have a Casio G-SHOCK Steel B400. It’s constantly on low. I put it in my window sill and it still is on low all the time.
What battery chemistry technology is ued in these watches? For example, if they're li-ion or li-po cells, maintaining them close to 50% charge and not fully depleting nor continuously topping them off would be more ideal for their longevity and sustained capacity potential.
Oh, capacitors, you say? Hmm... 🤔 🤷♂️
Hi Greg, Have you replaced a solar watch battery, yet? I had a Casio solar watch in 1984, I replaced the battery, but I think they did not replace it with the right one.
My oldest Tough Solar watch is an MTG-900 I bought in 2006. The next Tough Solar watch is from 2012. Then all the others I have are from these last 5 years. I haven’t replaced batteries on any of them yet.
I hold all my solar powered watches in a watchbox with glass top, next to my livingroom window, and the livingroom has a balcony otside, so direct sun never reaches that low. So they are constantly inside, in daylight but not direct sun. They always stay at High charge
That's exactly what I do with no full sun but plenty of daylight and as you say the watches are always on high charge.
I had my Seiko solar watch die on me because I kept it inside a drawer for months. I got used to automatics so bad habits. It took me two weeks to get it back up and running again. That's insane.
Heating lithium batteries shortens their life as does keeping them absolutely fully charged all the time or letting them get too low. Definitely not something that we want to be doing. We want to keep them in the midrange and never get them hot I've started using one of these inexpensive Amazon LED watch chargers (after you suggested it in another more recent video), but on high it overheats the watches so that level is only safe for a short period of time while the watch is not too hot. On low it is fine for long charging sessions. Window sunlight can be a problem, it is not always easy to control and can overheat the watch or take many days to charge it. I only use the LED charger when room light isn't enough, and it is convenient to use overnight. I store my solar watches so they always get room light and when they get low top them up without allowing them to get hot. Note that most solar watches use rechargeable batteries, and a few use capacitors. These are very different components and batteries store a lot more energy while capacitors generally have a much longer life. I think solar Casios all have batteries. Capacitors are generally soldered in and not easy to replace. I have replaced a Casio battery on a WVQ-500 after 14 years. When new it never would reach Hi charge level, after 14 years of near daily use it would not even reach Medium anymore. I think the battery was bad from the start but still lasted 14 years. After I replaced the battery and reset the watch it now charges to Hi.
Hi can you please show us your oldest casio solar powered watch please
Hey Greg, I keep my watches on my windowsill, they do get direct sunlight, but not all day. Should I move them??
I would check on them to make sure they don’t get the dark fog on the LCD. I was surprised when my watches got too hot outside even on a cool morning but when they were in too-direct sunshine.
The BlueTooth G-Shock will still warn you when it needs a charge. Instead of the date, it will read "LOW". That only happened once, over a year ago. As for my 5610, I never have seen it on anything else than "High". Indeed, no need to be reminded all the time. It's not a handwound watch or a kinetec where having a power reserve indicator may be actually helpful.
Any problems with analog solar powered watches...??
From my experience with a GW-B5600, the yellow one, leaving the autolight feature on, especially in winter when you need it the most, will drain the battery to low, to the point where it stops autosync-ing with your phone or the tower. That is if you wear the watch everyday. I don't think mr. Anderson (and other watch youtubers) wears the same watch each day for months on end, so he may have not experienced this. If I had the L-M-H indicator on my watch display, like in the non-bluetooh, MB6 squares, I would've known to disable autolight before my watch was drained.
The cell used inside the Casio G-Shock Tough Solar watches is a rechargeable lithium cell and is not a capacitor.
It seems to me that a solar watch could be charged by induction, with a wireless charger, just like a kinetic watch.
I have a used toothbrush charger on order and hope to be able to use it for both.
In principle it's sort of a similar idea, but light is quite a bit different in terms of its mechanical scale, so I would suspect that induction charging would not work.
My solar watch also not working because I think this is over heating.How much time put on the glass of water in direct face sun light
Hi Greg, does the sun's UV rays damage the resin (bezel and band) over a long period of time?
I was wondering the same. How to limit this damage.
The simple answer is yes; the resin will get degraded and age faster. The only other alternative I can think of is to change under non-UV light source such as LED light panels.
Did you turn off power saving mode on any of your solar-powered Casio watches? I did...and as of this comment that watch of mine is at the nearest window, facing the daylight on the Level 4 charging mode. 24 hours earlier it was completely blank, so it seems I somehow missed the point at which the battery life went from Level 1~High to Level 5~pretty much dead. I wear that watch once every week. The watch has lasted me 6 straight years without any issues, a WS220C-7B so not a true G-Shock. The watch is too big on me yet it's my most worn piece by far, all 6 years I've had it
I love my Casio watches my favorite
i have bought casio edifice ecb900pb1 how to charge outside on a sun or to a daily light,i mean must be on sun???
Sir, how did you charge it then?
Good day sir,i bought a second hand touch solar from Japan surplus,seller tell me that in Japan they remove the battery before shipping,im from Philippines,and when i bought it,i replaced it a mew CTL1616 battery,but ofter,it did not charges,now its been 3day,still i connot use all button, please help, Gshock GW 2310fb, negative display, thank you sir
I have a Casio Pathfinder watch, Greg. What if I take that to a hot country on vacation?
On your wrist is fine, your body will keep it from overheating
I agree. If your wrist can handle the heat then your watch should be okay. If you need to take the watch off then don’t leave it in a place where it will get hotter than it would while you wear it.
Thank you, there was a heatwave in my country three times so far this year.
@@GoodTimekeeper This video is so obvious one would think anyone would know you do NOT leave any watch that contains electronics and a BATTERY in direct sunlight! I only have Seiko Prospex Solar and the manual specifically says "indirect" sunlight and or a nice bright LED desktop lamp is more than enough to keep these charged perfectly. However. You are an American so I'll forgive your obtuseness. God bless Retardistan! LOL.
I would say definitely never put your watch in the sunshine to charge it. There is a difference to wearing a watch on a sunny day and leaving it sat in the sun on a sunny day. UV light benefits nothing including watches. These watches do not need direct sunlight to charge up, so any bright but shaded window will be fine for watches not worn often. I've have many solar watches and I've never left them in the sun. Many I don't wear that often so I just leave them on a north facing window (so never gets any sunshine) for a few hours every month or two. The battery indicator has never budged from HI on any of my solar watches.
I leave my solar watches in my window sill all the time, but I leave mine on the East side of my house so they get a good run of sun in the morning, plus it isn't too hot then. I have had the overheat happen in the evenings though on the West side of my house. But it seems that since the morning is the coolest the East side has been the most ideal. I do have a Casio ECB-500 tough solar and for the Bluetooth syncing on it, it is best to keep the battery as high as you can. I have found though that when it is having connection issues that I just wear the watch like normal then it syncs just fine. As far as the argument for the capacitor vs battery thing, when I buy them from the suppliers they call them capacitors, so that is what I go with.
What about analog?
I liked the trick with the glass of water.
Too much sun exposure on the LCD results in LCD burn
How much is too much?
@@nizangkerplunk over 20 minutes in hot blazing sun
off grid 😍
I just leave my Solar Watch under the Room Lamp with a LED , bulb that stays on maybe 8-10 Hrs , a Night , the Battery has lasted 15 + years I’m Surprised I even have a Timex Solar that I found over 17+ years ago I just leave it Face up under that same lamp since before I used LED I still Hear it Beep even the Alarm Time changes with Daylight or 3 Hrs ahead , and back off of Daylight savings
Ambient light is enough. You never charge them in direct sunlight. Any thing under direct sunlight will degrade, even industrial strength solar panels.
It's just human nature with some hobbies, especially ones where there's not much to "do" with the item... you wear a watch, you set the time, maybe you mess with the settings. But people turn it into "My Precious", want it to be perfect, always 100%, and always completely perfect battery. It's silly, yes, but also you can't really stop it. :-)
It is a battery and not a capacitor. Rechargeable battery that eventually goes bad. I have never had to replace mine in 10+ years.
I swear by the glass of water
I put my solar watches inside the house with indirect sunlight so it does not get hot.
watch this at x2.0 speed ✌️
Just buy "Cool Fire" charger. Drained watch battery charged fully within two hours! Done!!!
I watching this powering my laptop and modem using my off-grid diesel generator. But my Seiko watch is solar powered.
From what I know, heat and rechargeable batteries don't mix well together.
Common sense should tell you not to put your watch on the dashboard of a car to charge it; did you never notice how hot it can get there? I’ve charged a lot of Tough Solar G-Shocks for many years in direct sun light (not ever right near the window) both inside and outside without having any of them “fog up”. Sure, they may get warm to the touch, but that’s all.
Try not to run your car until the fuel light comes on, it's not very good for your car
Solar? Put it on and forget about it😊
Your all sad, just wear them, dont leave them connected to a phone permanently just sync when needed, my Garmin intinct Solar, GW5000-1JF and GW5000U-1JF , are always on full. Switch off auto light, etc no problems. And if and when you connect to sync it will be drawing power, just bloody wear them. Also switch on power save function.😅