Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Greenwood, IN
Posts: 125

Hey everyone,

I have a Thincom modem from Card Access (the old kind without the 8 MB memory on board). I have noticed a couple of things that are happening when I use it that kind of concern me:

1. It produces a lot of heat when I am online with it.
2. It seems to drain my batteries VERY quickly (possibly related to point 1), and when it's plugged in, the battery meter drops precipitously... and then comes back up to normal when I've taken it out.

Point #2 above recently caused my Visor to crash, because I had about 1/4 battery power left and then went online with the ThinCom, only to have the Visor think that it was completely out of juice. (Thank goodness for the Backup module.) I seem to remember reading about this very soon after the ThinCom was first released.

Any ideas on either of these?

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BertBert
Mark 12:28-31

Registered: Feb 2001
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 216

Both of what you describe are well known, occurring with both the ThinModem and ThinModem Plus.

There was a thread some time ago where someone from CardAccess gave the electrical engineering explanation for the heat generation. Here is the link.

As for the battery level dropping precipitously, that is normal as well. Once you disconnect, the battery level should climb back up. I try not to use my ThinModem Plus for extended online time when my battery is below 30% to avoid problems. I could imagine that it might cause a crash. Personally, when I have used it with low batteries on my PLAT, I have gotten the low battery warning but no crash.

From what you describe, it sounds like normal functioning of the modem.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

For those who have upgraded to 56k or have the ThinModem+, does the program ever actually say you're connected at 56k? Mine never goes above 28k, a couple other users have reported this but I've never gotten an answer.

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Matt Nichols
[email protected]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 239

I think I have gotten a 48K once, and I am pretty sure that I have gotten something over that.....I must have. I just can't prove it. I'll keep my eye on it. I know the places where I have only gotten 28.8K or something like that, it's the phone lines. I get the same connect rates with my laptop.

I just tried connecting 3 times, and got a 28.8, a 26.4, and a 28.8. The phone lines here at the plant are notoriously bad, though, so I will try it when I get home.

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Soul Raven - "Sm� hjerne, stor gl�de"
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Registered: Apr 2001
Location: 'braska
Posts: 211

quote:

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Originally posted by Matthew Nichols
For those who have upgraded to 56k or have the ThinModem+, does the program ever actually say you're connected at 56k? Mine never goes above 28k, a couple other users have reported this but I've never gotten an answer.

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www.jphillips66.org

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland
Posts: 205

I'll consistently get a v.90 connection at home, but slower at work. The slower speed at work is related to the phone system though, not the wiring.

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Sven

If at first you do succeed, try not to look astonished.

Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Cincinnati, OH USA
Posts: 107

quote:

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Originally posted by flips13

I have a TM+, and often connect at 56k (actually, the status box says itu V.90).

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Michael W. Cristiani
[email protected]

Registered: Nov 2000
Location:
Posts: 714

My house is roughly 2 years old, I've never had a problem with any of my PC's modems (They all report about 50k, using tools like C-Net's download measurer I get about 46k at least), and yet I've never connected at anything above 28k

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Matt Nichols
[email protected]

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 239

My house is anything but new, and I just tried connecting a few times. I got 31.2K, 28.8K, and 28.8K. That, along with the other posts, would lead me to believe that it is a phone line issue, rather than a modem one. I worked for an ISP for a bit, and I know that modems are much more sensitive to static on a phone line than your ear is, so there could be some interference even if you can't hear anything wrong. Without knowing exactly how a modem works (I always figured it was witch-magic and mumbo-jumbo), is it possible that the Thinmodem, being smaller, is more sensitive than a PC modem?

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Soul Raven - "Sm� hjerne, stor gl�de"
Wherever you go, there you are.