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-- Battery usage (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=525)

Got my visor on 10 /20 and the batteries lasted until 10/31. Then I got a message saying to hot sync to avoid loss of data. The reading on the batteries was 2.19V. I installed new Radio Shack NiCad rechargeable batteries (nominally 1.2V ea.) and got a reading of 2.45 volts after instalation. No data loss after installation. I've been using the unit a lot since I got it, with more normal useage I expect the batteries would last longer.

I bought 4 NiMh (metal hydride) batteries and I've changed them 3 times already since the 25th.. They only got down to about 30%, but that was enough for me.

I also think if I use it a bit less after the initial push, and my damn girlfriend stops playing games on it, batteries should last considerably longer..

I replaced my first set of batteries today after two weeks use. Actually, this is not too far off my normal pace with my IIIx. Off by a little less than a week, but I have been using it that much more.

tyler

I'm about to change batteries (alkaline) after 10 days of heavy use, including daily hotsyncs with about 2 megs of AvantGo content each time.

NiCD batteries definitely aren't recommended for Pilor/Visor use. Between the memory effects and the rapid rate of dischare, I wouldn't touch them. I recommend NIMH batteries or even the renewals (rechargable alkalines). The NIMH batteries are the best choice since they can be charged 1000s of times and the renewals can only be charged about 20 times.


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-Eric
VisorCentral Staff

i would't recoment those renewals i tried them for a while. they never did much except leek in my pilots. (and no palm will not fix that in case any of you handspring bashers had any ideas)

So alkaline batteries are the ones this board would suggest? Something like the Duracell Ultra http://www.duracell.com/Ultra/ versus a rechargeable like the some NiMH or Lithium Ion? Is performance decreased with rechargeable over alkaline?

Does anybody know of a download that will tell me how much juice is left in my NiMH batteries? I have "BatteryInfo" and Launcher III which also shows a battery percentage, but I still am not sure how to correctly evaluate NiMH levels.

From what I know about Lithium ion batteries, it will not be posible to put them into the visor. One li-on cell at full charge has a poteintial of about 4 volts. If a regulator was put on the battery it would be possible but I think the losses would be to great to gain any benefit.

[This message has been edited by bludelx (edited 11-04-1999).]

Anyone know if the Visor has the same "battery drain" problem as the PalmPilot when left in the cradle?