VisorCentral.com - Battery usage?

Show 20 posts from this thread on one page

VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- Visor & Deluxe (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=1)
-- Battery usage? (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=16664)

Posted by 2MB on 07-06-2001 12:23 AM:

Battery usage?

Up until now I've only used my Visor for tiny amounts of time. Last year I used my Powerbook in class to take notes but I realised that its hard drive was too loud for some quieter classes so I would like to move over to my 2MB Visor.

I have read to my dismay that the battery only lasts 6 hours of straight use. I have 4 hours of class a day, so if I leave it on to constantly take notes throughout the class, does that mean I'll have to buy 2 AAA batteries every day?

At that rate I could buy a model with a rechargeable battery and come out ahead after just a few months.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Posted by Sideway on 07-06-2001 01:54 AM:

Or you could use rechargeable batteries for your Visor.

Posted by olendorf on 07-06-2001 04:00 AM:

How are you going to recharge your device after 4 hours in class? You'll have to wait a few hours I'm sure. You should try NiMH rechargable AAA batteries. Carry an extra charged up set. Get the largest mAh rating you can for the longest lasting batteries. I use Energizer ACCU with a mAh rating of 700. I always have 2 sets charged up and ready to go. Im my opinion having a unit that has removable batteries is a lot better than a unit with a built in battery you change swap out.

__________________
Scott Olendorf
Sony Clie N610C,
Blue Visor Deluxe, Magellan GPS Companion

Posted by 2MB on 07-06-2001 06:33 AM:

How well do rechargeable batteries work in Visors? (I'm talking about store bought ones not the built in lithium ion ones).

Do they last anywhere near as long as regular brand name batteries? If I could get rechargeables then I would be much happier (it seems so wasteful throwing away 14 batteries a week).

Thanks again

Posted by Yorick on 07-06-2001 08:20 AM:

I'm using NiMH's and they seem to work pretty well. I was getting about a week's use out of them until I cleaned up my VDX, now it's more like three weeks (it's about half-full).

__________________
The light at the end of your tunnel has been disconnected due to non-payment. Please remit funds immediately for restoration of hope.

Posted by imabug on 07-06-2001 02:29 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by 2MB
How well do rechargeable batteries work in Visors? (I'm talking about store bought ones not the built in lithium ion ones).

Do they last anywhere near as long as regular brand name batteries? If I could get rechargeables then I would be much happier (it seems so wasteful throwing away 14 batteries a week).

Thanks again

I've been using NiMH batteries in my Platinum since I got it 6 months ago. They've worked very well. I have 2 sets of NiMH, and 3 pairs of NiCads that I can use (they were left over from a pager I used to carry). I carry the extra set of NiMH with me all the time, along with two sets of NiCads and a pair of alkalines for emergencies.

The NiCads don't last nearly as long as the NiMH. I typically get about 5-6 hours of normal use (about 2 days or so) and between 19-22 hours out of NiMH (about 5-6 days).

I use afterburner to selectively clock up/down apps on my platinum, so the battery life changes depending on the application I've been using. If I'm working in Quicksheet (clocked up to 45 MHz), I'll get about 4-6 hours out of a set of NiMH.

I was at a conference a week ago and used my Plat exclusively to take notes using Quickword (clocked down to 16 MHz to conserve battery life). I was getting about 2-3 hours of runtime with NiCads and went through 2 sets/day. The NiMHs went about 12 hours.

Going with rechargables is definitely worth it IMO. If you have NiCads on hand, they're good to start with until you get some NiMH. If you don't have any, go with NiMH off the bat. Get at least 2 sets, 3 would probably be better.

__________________
-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.12
GS d-(+) s: a C++ UX++++V++S++ P+>+++ L>+++ E+>++ W++ N++(+++) o? K? w !O !M V-- PS PE Y+ PGP++ t++ 5++ X++ R+ tv++ b++(+++) DI++++ D+ G++ e+++>++++ h--- r+++ y?
-----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----

Posted by Anomaly on 07-06-2001 04:17 PM:

I have been using an NiMH battery with my Visor Deluxe for quite some time and love it. The product is FullCharge from www.extendcomputer.com. In addition to the battery you get a new battery cover with 2 holes in it, which is where the power adapter plugs into. You can get an AC adapter and/or a car adapter, so you can almost always get a quick topoff. You can even use it while plugged in and it will trickle charge. There's another product out there from www.icuaccessories.com, but I don't have any experience with it.

Posted by ernieba1 on 07-06-2001 10:12 PM:

Re: Battery usage?

quote:
Originally posted by 2MB
I have read to my dismay that the battery only lasts 6 hours of straight use. I have 4 hours of class a day, so if I leave it on to constantly take notes throughout the class, does that mean I'll have to buy 2 AAA batteries every day?

No. The visor doesn't need to boot up (duh, you know that) so you only have your visor on when you are actively taking notes. From experience, I don't think taking notes is a four streight hours type of thing.

__________________
-Bernie

"One word sums up probably the responsibility of any vice president, and that one word is 'to be prepared'.
-Dan Quayle

Posted by 2MB on 07-07-2001 09:28 PM:

Thank you all for the responses, they were very helpful.

I have one final question though: Are the NiMH batteries susceptible to "memory" effect? Or can I recharge them whenever I want with no ill effects?

Thanks

Posted by Yorick on 07-07-2001 10:50 PM:

see this page: http://www.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm
This is noted on the second page of the article:

quote:

Nickel-metal hydride battery - Rapidly replacing nickel-cadmium because it does not suffer from the memory effect that nickel-cadmiums do. Rechargeable.

__________________
The light at the end of your tunnel has been disconnected due to non-payment. Please remit funds immediately for restoration of hope.

All times are GMT. The time now is 07:31 PM.

Show 20 posts from this thread on one page