Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Alameda, CA, USA
Posts: 24

i havent received my visor dlxe yet (ordered 11/23 @ night so im expecting a late christmas gift), but was wondering what kind of batteries everyone is using that does have them already? is energizer keeping your visor going...and going... and going...? or is the coppertop, duracell a better choice since it's geared toward "high-tech devices"?


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Andrew Seto

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

IMHO, the most cost-effective alkaline batteries are whatever they're stocking in the office supply cabinet at work.

Failing that, check out the NiMH batteries & chargers at http://www.nimhbattery.com/

Thing is, these devices are so easy on batteries that I don't think it really matters. I'm using NiMH's, but even if you used the worst (most expensive and least powerful) alkalines it isn't going to send you to the poorhouse.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

Axeman, Do you work in my department? Our company batteries disappear at an alarming rate I tried some cheap Rayovacs from our office supply closet and they only lasted 13 days!

Seriously though, the tests and reviews show that Duracell batteries are best. There are some stores like CVS that sell Duracell batteries with their own label. The Duracell Ultra is the one to stock up on when you can find them cheap.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: San Francisco, CA
Posts: 431

Uugghh... VisorCentral was acting up and I posted twice.

[This message has been edited by kalahari (edited 12-09-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA Interests: Women, Drums, Visors, Computers, Home Theater and any cool gadgets.
Posts: 138

Kali: I really don't think that the Duracell Ultra's work any better than the normal Duracell's for the Visor anyway. They say they are better in "high drain" devices which the Visor is not. I used a set and only got about a week out of them, same as any alkaline. I think for the Visor they are just a waist of the extra cost unless you get them on sale etc..

I now use NiMH's and love them so far. I use the hackmaster hack called "battery level Hack" and it lets me show percentage next to the normal meter as well as shade it but allows the meter to be acurate for NiMH's.

I have another set charged so when the Visor hits about 50% I will swap, this should allow me to use it as much as I want, including the backlight, without worry.

I like the rotating power method...

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 95

I'm using Renewal Rechargable Alkaline batteries. I've been through a set (their charging now) already after 4 days, but then again, they lasted about 30 hours of run-time with about 10 of that using the backlight, so I don't think that's too bad.

Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location:
Posts: 21

30 hours of run time in 4 days? That's like having your visor on continuously for 7 hours a day. I use mine quite a bit and I've had it for about 3 weeks now. According to runtime, it's only been "on" a total of 7 hours. Anyway, I think you'd get around 11 hours or so of actual use out of a set of decent alkaline batteries. I seriously doubt you got 30 hours of actual use out of renewals.

I would be curious to see how long someone has actually gotten out of a pair of batteries as measure by a utility like runtime (it tells the actual amount of time the visor was really turned on).

So far I'm at 7 hours and about 39% battery.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location:
Posts: 95

Crypie:
Well, my 'Runtime' display shows '1d 03:12' (27+ hours) for actual run time with 3d 02:51 since I installed it about a day after my first battery change. The 10 hours of backlight may be a bit of an exageration, but I can definitely account for at least 4-5 hours of it being on.

As far as the about 7 hours a day, that sounds about right, I've been playing the tetris, and columns clones quite a bit, and have spent at least 5 hours playing 'Miner 2149', as well as using it at work and writing some programs on it using PocketC.

On another note, does anybody know if there's a C++ equivalent to Pocket C?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

Theo, you're a Visor animal, man!

Kalahari: You must have a WinCE user in your company if batteries are disappearing that fast!

I used the Renewals with my Palm III for about a year & a half. The problem I had with them was that they didn't seem to be able to take many recharges. It seemed like every 6 months or so I was buying new batteries. I never kept track, but how many recharges could that have been? Couldn't have been many. We'll see how the NiMH's do, but I suspect they'll be better.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location:
Posts: 10

Axeman,

RayOVac renewals work best if you don't discharge them that much. They last a long time if you discharge them very little and recharge them immediately. The deeper you discharge them, the faster they wear out. I think if you drain them, you can recharge them about 25 times before their capacity fades, and if you only lightly discharge them, you can recharge them a thousand or more times.

Anybody knowledgeable in batteries wanna try to decipher this document?
http://www.rayovac.com/busoem/oem/specs/rec_bat.pdf
I skimmed through it and the above is what I got out of it.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

Having used various regular (Duracell, Energizer) and rechargeable alkalines (Rayovac Renewals, Pure Energy), NiCd and NiMH batts over the past 2 years on my PalmIII, I find that NiMH offers the best value, performance, ease of use and rechargeability. They easily last 2-3 weeks for me,... and I'm a heavy user. Now, I overclock using Afterburner with abandon and don't even hesitate using the backlight whenever I want to. So, Axeman, you'll be pleasantly surprised with your NiMH batts.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 36

Visordoc, which brand of NiMH battery do you use then? How does Rayovac compare vs Pure Energy then?

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

Gretz99, I see from your name that you're Canadian, and I'm sure you must have guessed I'm too, because Pure Energy rechargeable alkalines are only available up here. I find that they are not as good (doesn't recharge as much and drains faster) as Renewals for rechargeable alks. The NiMH batts I use are GP Rechargeables made by Gold Peak. Each AAA is rated at 1.2V 550mAH and costs $5CAD at Batteries Plus(?). If you can't find these stores around your area, you can also get a different brand from Radio Shack for $6CAD each, which I think is just as good.

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posts: 36

Visordoc, thx for your reply. I too have been using a Palm (PalmProf) for about 3 1/2 years now but have been exclusivly using Duracell alkalines. For some reason I have never seen people who posted on various boards as being too happy with the rechargeables (whether Rayovac, Pure Energy or others).

I hope I am not being too picky on asking the following question, but is there really a big difference between Rayovacs (the better of the rechargeable alkalines) and the Gold Peaks (The better of the NiMH)? The reason I ask is that it seems like my local Wallmart store has Rayovac at a much cheaper price than the Gold Peak equivalent (Radio Shack brand, 12.99/2 AAA).

My other question is that for the NiMH, have you tried the Radio Shack brand? I can't seem to find the Gold Peaks anywhere

Thx a lot for your help again. I see you're still waiting for your visor

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: KINGSPORT, TN, USA
Posts: 25

Gretz99

I hope i spelled you right.

I use the radio shack NiMh and they have been outstanding they have to be over a year old and i have 2 or 3 sets that I swap around in my palm pro. It is a necessity with my synapse pager card it sucks them down in about 2 weeks with the pager on continuous. I eagerly await my Graphite VDX 11/30 order. And would highly recommend them. Check out the program OnTime it is a great small program for keeping track of your NiMh batteries and along with Battery Hack you'll have a pretty accurate count of where you are.

OnTime (i think) www.wavefront.com/~daniel/hoohoo/index.html

Battery Level Hack is by David Smith (sorry you'll have to find him)

P.S. I use the quick charger 1or2hrs vs 4 and its been great.

Mike

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 97

Gretz99,
Like gadgetmike, I also have 2 sets which I swap around when the voltage reads around 2.35V or so, after which I've noticed the voltage starts to dip faster. I've only used Gold Peaks NiMH, so I can't comment on the Radio Shacks; but having said that, I think all NiMHs are comparably similar... probably contracted out to the same few manufactures in the Far East! The only difference is in their charge capacity rating which can range from 500 to 650 mAH for the newer generation.

While researching and comparing the Rayovac Renewals and NiMH batts in actual usage, I noticed 2 things that made me switch to the latter.

First, in order for the Renewals to last 25-50 recharges as mentioned on the packaging, they must be recharged frequently, before they are even half-discharged. This can get tiresomely fast for me as I use my unit a lot. Fully drain them once and they act like regular alkalines. On the other hand, NiMHs don't have this limitation and can be recharged 500-1000 times (ie a factor of 20 more!).

Which leads to the second point: NiMH are much more cost effective. Let's say the Renewals cost the same as regular alks at $1 each (which would be considered a very good deal). NiMH will have to cost $20 a piece to be comparably priced in terms of the number of recharges and length of time usable. But they only cost $5-6CAD each, which makes them an excellent deal!

This is not to say that rechargeable alks are bad. Unlike NiCd and NiMH which tend to self-discharge at around 5-10% per month just sitting on the shelf, they can hold their charge like regular alks for about 3-5 years. So, I think the best application for them is in "standby" devices which only occasionally need to be used and recharged (eg. emergency flashlights, AV remote controls). And remember, if they don't get recharged soon enough, they will behave just like regular alks. For a frequently used device, however, I think NiMH batts are the way to go...

Hope this helps...

For more info on NiMH batts, check out an earlier thread on VisorCentral: http://discussion.visorcentral.com/...TML/000188.html

And yeah, I'm still waiting for my IVDx. Will be approaching the 7th week now... sigh, I think I'll breakdown and call them tomorrow...

[This message has been edited by visordoc (edited 12-14-1999).]

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

Bigcow (or anybody else): I always recharged the Renewals before they got down to 2.5 volts. Is that too low?

Registered: Dec 1999
Location:
Posts: 8

Duracell makes a battery called the 'Procell' aimed at professional use (broadcasting, wireless mics, police, fire, etc...). I love them. I use them in everything and they DO last significantly longer than regular Duracells (or any other battery). They're not available everywhere (I buy mine online) and they're more expensive, but well worth it!

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Gainesville, FL USA
Posts: 112

Speaking of batteries, check out John C Dvorak's latest column on ZDNet at http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/c...2408068,00.html