Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 5

Check this site for an alternative NiMH battery. http://www.extendcomputer.com/
It is very innovative. It is just available for the Palm III and VII. But they say it will be available for the visor soon. They are just not sure of the market of Visor if it is up to volume. What do you say guys!!! I think it will be better if they design a charger with dual voltage,just so as you can use it anywhere in the world

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 30

Man, am I ever up for this ... especially givn how synching and photo shoost with the eyemodule eat up battery life.

I just e-mailed them to tell them so. We all should.

[This message has been edited by christopher_bailey (edited 04-19-2000).]

I got an e-mail back from them TODAY saying that somwas in the works for the Visor and that they would keep my e-mail on file, updating me of their progress. YES!

[This message has been edited by christopher_bailey (edited 04-20-2000).]

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Columbia, MO
Posts: 125

Chris, I jumped on your bandwagon and dropped extendcomputer an e-mail. If they come out with a rechargeable option for my Visor (and my wife's), for around the same $34.95 they charge for the Palm setup, I'm sold!

I'd love to be able to get a deal on a second set of batts so my wife & I can share the charger.

Bring on the GPS & MP3 modules!!

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

Jumped on the band wagon also. In fact I sent an email to them and suggested that they vist Visorcentral to do a poll of how many people would be interested. Here's the response that I got back:

"Thanks Craig it looks like we have a new project in the works. I will keep
you posted."

This came from a lady named Joyce.


PaulD:

I also asked her about the price of just a second set of batteries. She said that they would probably be around $20.


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Have Visor Will Travel!

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Hoboken, NJ, 07030
Posts: 105

Wouldn't it be great if the Visor version was powered off the USB bus?

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Louisville KY, USA
Posts: 43

You know, I saw a product on Palm Infocenter that looked VERY similar to this.
http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_Story.asp?ID=649

If you go to this link, you'll see that one of the ways you can charge the battery is via a cigarette lighter plug.

I really really hope that this is the same package, and I hope they DO come out with a product for Visor.

Can you think of a more ideal companion for the Handy GPS? Supposedly, the Handy GPS springboard module will eat batteries in about 6 hours. But who cares if it's constantly plugged into the cigarette lighter!

If we all wish hard enough, maybe it will happen.

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Dave

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

Instead of wishing why don't we all send email to this address and let them know of our "wishes".

[email protected]

If there is enough demand (and I'm sure there will be),then they will be prompted to get a product to market quickly.




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Have Visor Will Travel!

Registered: Apr 2000
Location: Tijuana, Mexico
Posts: 28

I just checked out the extended computer web page and noticed that AFAICS the only mod that is neccesary for this to work on a visor is that they have to ship another battery cover (or covers, ice and graphite) with the two little holes for the charger prongs.
So, if all else fails, and they don't come out with a visor version, does anyone see a reason why we can't drill the corresponding holes in the covers of our visors and use the batteries and charger on the visor?



[This message has been edited by lcohen (edited 04-22-2000).]

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Hoboken, NJ, 07030
Posts: 105

You would also need to modify the cradle unless you intend to charge outside of the cradle.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Posts: 11

Guys,
Pardon me, but what is the attraction of this product? You can buy >>four<< AAA NiMH bateries and a charger for less than the 35 bucks this company charges for their charger and >>one<< battery. Wouldn't you rather have three freshly reched batteries ready to pop in? What am I missing? See www.thomas-distributing.com , they've got a good selection of NiMH batteries and chargers.

Mark

Registered: Feb 2000
Location:
Posts: 1571

Walmt24

You can use the Visor While it is being charged. There is a big difference. I think this will do a number on the batteries though. That is, the batteries will be useless in no time.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Posts: 11

yardie,
But while you are recharging you are stuck in that spot. And, since you'll be away from that spot (your desk) frequently and draining the batteries, you'd better plug in every time you are near in order to be sure you've got a "full load" for the future. I'd rather not have my PDA shackled to the charger, and I like having a ready set of freshly charged batteries outside the Visor ready to "lock and load" instantly. And for less money. And when these NiMH finally die (years from now), their replacements will be cheap. Anyway, I guess there's a market for this thing or it wouldn't be selling.

Mark

Registered: Dec 1999
Location: New York, New York
Posts: 30

Could I have both the fresh and ready rechagable batteries and synch/charge? I know I etoled the virtues of contacting these folks but I think I should have researched a little more.

Walt makes a valid point, and frankly, I don't want to have three different power sources for my Visor.

And yes, the new eyemodule is eating my batteries. I still love it though.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Louisville KY, USA
Posts: 43

Although the point that there are less expensive rechargeable batteries is an incredibly valid one. There is one aspect of this product that will probably sell it for me.

I contact the company through their web site and asked about a cigarette lighter adaptor, and they are planning on marketing it the same time they market their product for Visor in June.

This strikes me as being a perfect companion for the Handy GPS module that will (hopefully) be released by then (and yes, I know Handy GPS is supposed to be released the later part of April.)

Since the Handy GPS module will reduce battery life to about six hours, and since I would primarily use a GPS in my car, a cigarette lighter adaptor would be a huge benefit for me.

Just food for thought.

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Dave

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

Doesn't the HandyGPS have its own batteries? And in the case that it does, how will the cigarette lighter adapter that plugs into the visor do you any good? Being able to use the cigarette lighter would only be good if the module uses the visor's batteries.

Registered: Jan 2000
Location:
Posts: 391

Um, this gadget doesn't prevent you from using regular batteries as well. It's not an either-or proposition.

I don't know if I'd go for it, but I plug my visor into the cradle to hotsync it every other day at a minimum... I can see sticking it in there in the evening, hitting the hotsync button, and going to bed knowing it'd be charged in the morning.

Reducing complexity is a good thing.

That reminds me. I still have my "Renewal" charger, I ought to get some more batteries and see how they work in my Blue Brain.

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Louisville KY, USA
Posts: 43

I was under the impression that the Handy GPS does not have it's own batteries. That it in fact shortened the Visor's battery life to only about six hours.

Of course, it's possible that the Handy GPS has changed it's design, which is why the release date keeps getting pushed back. Who knows.

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Dave

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Border Independent
Posts: 69

quote:

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Originally posted by Walmt24:
yardie,
But while you are recharging you are stuck in that spot. And, since you'll be away from that spot (your desk) frequently and draining the batteries, you'd better plug in every time you are near in order to be sure you've got a "full load" for the future. I'd rather not have my PDA shackled to the charger, and I like having a ready set of freshly charged batteries outside the Visor ready to "lock and load" instantly. And for less money. And when these NiMH finally die (years from now), their replacements will be cheap. Anyway, I guess there's a market for this thing or it wouldn't be selling.

Mark

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Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
Posts: 222

Dave, I believe all the other GPS units for the Palm (Earthmate, Rand McNally, etc.) uses an separate external power source. I can't imagine the HandyGPS being any different. The Navicom website says that the HandyGPS uses 2 AA batteries, which leads me to think that they mean their own, not the visors. Like some products that use the Visor's batteries, they explicitly mention that it uses no batteries and runs off of the visor's.

Well, that's what I think at least. Of course, I could just get off my lazy butt and blast off an email to Navicom, but that would be the smart thing to do, and I don't want to be out of character!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Seoul, Republic of Korea
Posts: 11

Argent,
Good luck with the Renewal batteries, but I've given up on them. Even if when I recharged them frequently (as recommended, well before fully discharged, which is a PITA), I would only get 10 or so uses, with them getting weaker each time. Then, some would leak white foam or black ooze while in the charger (never while in the powered device, thankfully). I liked the idea of these Renewals at first, but NiMH are far cheaper in the long run, and much more convenient/safe.

Superstream:
Yep, I've got no experience with the Palm V (nor with a Visor--I'm just about to take the plunge). Maybe I'd like this deskbound recharger with integral battery pack, but I don't think so. The NiMH charger I bought juices up all my batteries (for minidisc player, portable radios, etc) with no fuss, so the Visor will just be another in my NiMH powered collection.
Mark