My wife bought me a Surge for Christmas, but decided to give it to me last weekend because she thought Christmas would be too late in case I didn't like it due to the 45 day return limit.
Trying to get the Surge to charge has been an exercise in frustration. I am a very tech oriented hands-on computer professional who does all my own repairs whether it has to do with computers, electronics, the four wheel drive system on my car or the engine on my riding mower. If it breaks, I fix it. I'm not a clueless idiot.
The first time I got it to charge was just dumb luck. I open the box and unpack it. There was no manual, just a little "Let's get started." mostly useless foldout pamphlet that sent me to "setup" on the web site. I download the Fitbit Connect, install it and run it. I plug the dongle into a USB port. I plug the charge cable into another USB port and then plug the cable into the Surge and wait for the Fitbit Connect to apparently update itself, which took a ridiculously long amount of time with no explanation. Amid the connecting and disconnecting and buzzing (vibrating) for no apparent reason (as far as I knew at the time) it seemed to charge after leaving it connected during dinner.
I use it that evening and it seems to count steps. I didn't try the GPS then. The second day I used the GPS and found that to my annoyance that the only way I could get the tracks into Google Earth was to export the data as a TCX file and then use a third party app to convert it to a KML file and then manipulate it in GE. Ok, not that big of a deal, just a little annoying.
Battery is down to what appears to be halfway on the menus so I try to charge it. No matter what I do I cannot determine if it is actually charging. I get the buzz buzz sometimes when I plug it in, but I never see any lightning bolt anywhere. Sometimes it makes the USB connecting sound in windows, but almost always it immediately makes the USB disconnecting sound. I open up Device Manager and sometimes I can brifely get it to show as an "HID-compliant device", but it never stays connected for more than a few seconds. I leave it connected for a couple of hours during dinner and when I get back it is stone cold dead. I have no idea why, it wasn't doing anything, but occasionally blinking the LEDs WHILE IT WAS CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTER'S USB PORT. So I fiddle around pushing buttons and moving the USB cable to a 3.0 port, a 2.0 port, a hub, a different hub and somehow I get it to charge. The computer has a 1000 watt power supply, an overclocking enthusiast motherboard and all high end parts, power at the USB ports should not be the problem. Anyway it somehow charges and I use the GPS and sleep with it on and it works pretty much as it should.
Until today. Well yesterday now, but I haven't slept yet so it is still today for me.
The battery indicator showed "Partially Full" (according to the Surge PDF manual) in the afternoon so I decide to try to charge it. I try six different freaking ways and this little so-and-so WILL NOT FREAKING CHARGE! I try with three different powered USB hubs, the computer's direct port and two different wall chargers and nothing happens but an occasional buzz buzz and badoink-a-doink USB computer noises. I used the Settings menu to shut it down. I use the Home and Select buttons reset. I clean the contacts on both the Surge and the cable (which freaking look clean to start with!). I judiciously tweak the little grabby ears on the charging cable and it grabs the Surge very well, but it still does not charge. I read everything I can I find in the Community boards about it and try every tip that is suggested. I waste hours and hours of my life trying to get the rotten little bugger to charge because my wife tried very hard to buy me a nice Christmas present and I don't want her to have to return it.
I say return it and not exchange it because I am absolutely fed up with this little piece of ... I pick it up to see if it will inspire me to call it something in particular that is suitable for all ages and what does it do? It goes Buzz Buzz so I push the Home button and what do I see? For the FIRST time ever I see the charging lightning bolt! And then, pouf, just like that it goes away. I move my hand that is holding the Surge ever so slightly and it comes back, but for only a fraction of a second and no matter what way I hold it or wiggle the cable's plug, that little lightning bolt will not come back. I know it is just a little inanimate piece of tech, but it still feels a bit like it is mocking me at this point.
If it wasn't for this confounded charging issue I would be satisfied enough with this gadget. I think it is a useful thing. It is too late for me to keep it now because I am quite angry with the whole situation. I have invested far too much time into trying to get this thing to work only to have some tech try to walk me through all the things I have already tried only to RMA it anyway. My wife bought the best one because she knows I don't like junk. I can't understand how something that costs hundreds of dollars has such an iffy charging system. I know it isn't just me because the Community has plenty of posts from people who can't get their Surges to charge reliably or at all.
Now it is going Buzz Buzz all on its own, sitting face down on the hard table. Buzz Buzz. Why would it do that? Buzz Buzz. The battery indicator is now at Very Low. Buzz Buzz. It looks like I have had my last use of a Fitbit. The wife can get an RMA later today. I'll take the 45 day guaranteed money back, thank you. It shall mock me no more.
I give up.
Henry
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