VisorCentral.com - Ni-MH batteries are lasting 1 day!

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VisorCentral.com (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/index.php)
- How To / Troubleshooting (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=2)
-- Ni-MH batteries are lasting 1 day! (http://discussion.visorcentral.com/vcforum/showthread.php?threadid=12164)

Posted by Pigeonboy9 on 02-23-2001 02:53 AM:

I just bought some Maxelle Ni-MH batteries for my VDX a few days ago. I let them charge up over night, and then popped them in this morning. Now, its telling me batteries are low. I had another set in there charging up all day, and i put them in. After hotsynching i lost about 10% of the power. Whats going on? The charger is set to charge Ni-MH and not Ni-CD, but it was shipped with the setting on Ni-CD and with Ni-MH batteries in it? Should i use the other setting or what? I didnt pay that kinda money for batteries that would die on me!

Erik

Posted by rascho on 02-23-2001 08:32 AM:

You also have to change settings in PalmOS so it knows rechargable batteries are in use (not alcaline as default). Go in MemoPad (Or any other app in which you can write). Click on new and write "(sign for shortcut).7" and you will change batteries to NiCd (there isn't settings for NiMH but NiCd works fine here). If you don't know which is the sign for shortcut you can find it in graffiti help.

Posted by olivier101 on 02-23-2001 08:56 AM:

I use 2 sets of Energizer NiMH 700 mAh batteries with my Platinum, and they last well over 2 weeks.
On the Platinum there IS the setting for NiMH batteries, maybe it comes with PalmOS 3.5 only?

Posted by EricG on 02-23-2001 04:33 PM:

NiMH don't charge to 1.5v, they are only 1.2v (look on the battery you'll see the 1.2v).. In fact most rechargeable batteries don't go to 1.5v!

this is where your 10% has gone to.. Don't worry, it shouldn't drop much for the next few weeks.. On my VDX, I would get about 2 weeks on a charge.

The visor's battery display is calibrated to 1.5v alkaline, on a Visor Deluxe (or a pre OS 3.5 Palm), set your battery type to NiCAD (NiMH as a setting is only available in OS 3.5)
To easily change your battery display calibration type, you need to get a freeware/shareware program, check palmgear.com

You should be ok so long as you are not getting a pop up window that actually says "your batteries are low..." If you are getting a warning window, your batteries or the charger may be defective.

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Posted by septimus on 02-23-2001 04:41 PM:

If you don't feel like using hacks and If you use silverscreen, the Toolbox, Device Info screen shows you which battery your visor is set to.

I will be switching to rechargeables this weekend.. I'm burning up the alkalines in about a week or so on my VDX...

Dieter

Posted by potter on 02-23-2001 05:32 PM:

quote:
Originally posted by EricG
The visor's battery display is calibrated to 1.5v alkaline, on a Visor Deluxe (or a pre OS 3.5 Palm), set your battery type to NiCAD (NiMH as a setting is only available in OS 3.5)

The NiMH setting first appeared in PalmOS 3.3.

quote:
Originally posted by dietrichbohn
I will be switching to rechargeables this weekend.. I'm burning up the alkalines in about a week or so on my VDX...

When I was using alkalines in my VDX, I was getting about 3 weeks. When I started using NiMH (700 mAh), I was getting about 2. Your results, and my memory, may vary.

Posted by EricG on 02-23-2001 06:34 PM:

Thanks for the specification, but Handspring owners only have two choices, 3.1 or 3.5 (I didn't want to confuse anyone out there)

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Posted by WorldCTZen on 02-25-2001 02:55 AM:

Dot commands

Hmm. I've tried using the (shortcut).7 command to change the battery type, and it doesn't seem to have any effect (I've also never been able to get other dot commands to work...) Is this an issue with VDx's or am I just dense?

After trying it, SilverScreen's Device info still says "alkeline" despite the .command and using Battery Level hack..

Any other suggestions or bright ideas?

Posted by EricG on 02-25-2001 06:31 AM:

I used to use a shareware/freeware program to set the battery type on my VDX, "Batt type", or something like that, although the program has the option for NiMH the OS on a VDX doesn't support it, so it defaults to NiCAD (which is fine).

Shortcut activation has always been a mystery to me as well..

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Posted by bregent on 02-26-2001 12:41 AM:

Re: Dot commands

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
Hmm. I've tried using the (shortcut).7 command to change the battery type, and it doesn't seem to have any effect (I've also never been able to get other dot commands to work...) Is this an issue with VDx's or am I just dense?

I you using two dots in between the shortcut symbol and the 7?

Posted by WorldCTZen on 02-26-2001 07:28 AM:

Not Dot commands

I've tried the double-tap for a period, and a single tap followed by the alphanumeric.. no dice either way. Shame, too. I'd like to enable the reversed backlight sans hack.. (command.8) Anyone else having this issue?

Posted by rascho on 02-26-2001 12:04 PM:

Re: Not Dot commands

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
I've tried the double-tap for a period, and a single tap followed by the alphanumeric.. no dice either way. Shame, too. I'd like to enable the reversed backlight sans hack.. (command.8) Anyone else having this issue?

Shortcut commands work when you see on a screen what you type. That means you need to write "(shortcut).7" and you need to see on a screen "(shortcut).7". This is why you need to enter it in memo (or any othe editor). You cant just write something if it doesnt apear in a screen. And I think backlight shortcut doesnt work in Visor (but I havent tried it).
Let me repeat step by step. Start memo/new. Type "(shortcut).7" (no quotes). Then this will desapear from screen and Visor will write current battery settings. By repeating this you can cycle through 3 types of batteries.

Posted by bregent on 02-26-2001 07:52 PM:

Re: Re: Not Dot commands

quote:
Originally posted by rascho

Shortcut commands work when you see on a screen what you type. That means you need to write "(shortcut).7" and you need to see on a screen "(shortcut).7". This is why you need to enter it in memo (or any othe editor). You cant just write something if it doesnt apear in a screen. And I think backlight shortcut doesnt work in Visor (but I havent tried it).
Let me repeat step by step. Start memo/new. Type "(shortcut).7" (no quotes). Then this will desapear from screen and Visor will write current battery settings. By repeating this you can cycle through 3 types of batteries.

This is not completely accurate. You can enter shortcuts from any application that allows text input, whether or not it echo's what you're writing. For example, I can enter a shortcut from LaucherIII. I do this often when I want to temporarily enable beam recieve. I agree that it's usually a good idea to enter them from an app that provides feedback so you know that you've entered what you think.

Posted by bregent on 02-26-2001 07:55 PM:

Re: Not Dot commands

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
I've tried the double-tap for a period, and a single tap followed by the alphanumeric.. no dice either way. Shame, too. I'd like to enable the reversed backlight sans hack.. (command.8) Anyone else having this issue?

The shortcut 8 command does not work on the Visor. If the other shortcuts are not working then you have a problem. I believe there is a bug (possibly related to the Palm OS 3.x shortcut bug) that can prevent shortcuts from working. I think the fix is a soft reset; have you tried that? Search the VC forums for this, I know I've seen it reported here.

Posted by bookrats on 02-26-2001 11:44 PM:

Re: Re: Not Dot commands

quote:
Originally posted by bregent

The shortcut 8 command does not work on the Visor. If the other shortcuts are not working then you have a problem.

I know the shortcut 7 command works on my Visor Deluxe. Since I use NiMH batteries, I have it set to the [Nicad] setting. (I understand that with later versions of the Palm OS -- 3.3 or 3.5 -- there is a separate setting for NiMH batteries.]

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Posted by miradu on 02-27-2001 01:44 AM:

I use REchargable alkalines regrettably.. but I do find they drop to 50% or less quickly.., thoughI'm someone who milks my batteries to the lowest level. (2.074mV is my lowest leval).. WHen they warn you.. ESPEICALLY using rechargacles.. you have at elat an hour more of runtime.. so

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Posted by WorldCTZen on 02-28-2001 08:03 AM:

clueless

After following all the sage advice (which I already knew) I still have not been able to change my Visor's battery setting..

actual actions:
open Memo
enter 'shortcut' (the lowercase "l" thingy), ".7"
My visor still says "alkeline".. I've tried with SilverScreen disabled (just in case. How do you determine what battery type the Visor is set to outside SilverScreen?), with BatteryLevelHack disabled..

what are some other dot.commands that work on the Visor so I can troubleshoot whether the problem is me or my Visor?

Posted by linguas on 02-28-2001 02:56 PM:

Re: clueless

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
enter 'shortcut' (the lowercase "l" thingy), ".7"
My visor still says "alkeline"

You need to enter the

.7 several times on the same screen - each time you do, you will see another one of the battery settings options. Stop when the one you want is displayed.

BTW, I had a problem with Ni-MH batteries draining very fast too - it turns out to have been due to the patch to the infamous memory chip problem with the early Visors. Handspring replaced mine immediately, and no further problems.

Good luck!

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Posted by DBrown on 02-28-2001 03:00 PM:

Re: clueless

quote:
Originally posted by WorldCTZen
After following all the sage advice (which I already knew) I still have not been able to change my Visor's battery setting..

actual actions:
open Memo
enter 'shortcut' (the lowercase "l" thingy), ".7"
My visor still says "alkeline".. I've tried with SilverScreen disabled (just in case. How do you determine what battery type the Visor is set to outside SilverScreen?), with BatteryLevelHack disabled..

what are some other dot.commands that work on the Visor so I can troubleshoot whether the problem is me or my Visor?

Open Memo. Enter the shortcut, then two dots in the letter area. Then enter a 7 in the number area. This should print the battery type into the current Memo. If it doesn't yet print the type of batteries you are using, then DO IT AGAIN. Each cycle of shortcut ..7 will toggle to the next type. On the deluxe and lower Visors there are three types. On the Plat and Prism there are four. Use NiCAD for NiCADS and NiMHs on the deluxe or lower. Use NiMH for NiMHs on the platinum and prism.

Hope that helps. It took me a while to get the shortcut sequence understood and working. Practice.

Dave

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Posted by olivier101 on 02-28-2001 04:32 PM:

dot = tap tap

quote:
Originally posted by DBrown
Open Memo. Enter the shortcut, then two dots in the letter area.
(...)

No, not two dots, two TAPS, which make one dot!!!

Shortcut-dot-7 = sortcut-tap-tap-7

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