2210 Battery life - is this normal?

[synner]

I've got a 2210, which I've been very happy with, up until the last few days. I've found that the battery is draining, often quite quickly. I keep the IPAQ in the cradle overnight, then remove it and take it with me to work. Over the last few days, I've discovered the battery has drained down to 50-60% by midday - a few hours where it was switched OFF.

I expect some drain, as the battery keeps the RAM refreshed, but this is ridiculous, surely? The IPAQ has an IBM 1gb Microdrive fitted, and a 128mb SD card - are these draining power? I've applied a patch from HP's website supposedly to sort out an SD card power drain issue, but it didn't help. Nor did removing the SD card altogether - I'm afraid to remove the Microdrive, for fear of it getting damaged.

If my battery is dying, I've seen a nice extended battery on Proporta's site, which will give me roughly double the battery life for a very reasonable £40 - but I also notice it will add a bulge to the back of the IPAQ - which will mean the IPAQ will be too porky to fit in the nice leather flipcase I keep it in. Are there any cases out there that accommodate a less svelte 2210?

Thanks all!

[Mitchybums]

Your battery is getting lazy
It doesnt get drained all the way, and even if it still has some power left, you charge it again.

I had the same problem with mine and I basicaly drain it untill I get to arounf 5% and then charge it.
I try not to charge it halfway anymore, and from having an active time of 1 1/2 watvching a movie and then have to charge, I'm now on around 3 hours.
I can also listen to mp3's for 8 hours straight (screen off) before I even get a warning message.

I use a 128mb sd and a 512 cf.
The microdrive does use more power then a CF, but in your case, the battery is just lazy. When you come home, and dont use your pda anymore untill next day, just leave it on. maybe disable sound, and have it play movies/music from the microdrive, to drain its power.

then when it's very low, put it on the charger.

[Kowalski]

my device uses 3% of power in off state for 24 hours. so you definately have a hardware problem.
if you are using microdrive you should expect a significant increase in battery usage but not that much.

[AggieJon]

I had the same problem with mine and I basicaly drain it untill I get to arounf 5% and then charge it.
I try not to charge it halfway anymore...


I thought that with the new Lithium Ion batteries that most electronics use nowdays it's better to NOT let the charge get very low. I don't think that new batteries build up a memory like they used to, so there is no longer a need to condition them. In fact, it's my understanding that you can decrease your battery's life by letting the charge get very low. 8O

I would say that the Microdrive is probably the culprit. You might check to see if you have any programs running that might be causing it to continue to spin while the device is in standby.

[milkman dan]

Your battery is getting lazy
It doesnt get drained all the way, and even if it still has some power left, you charge it again.

I had the same problem with mine and I basicaly drain it untill I get to arounf 5% and then charge it.
I try not to charge it halfway anymore, and from having an active time of 1 1/2 watvching a movie and then have to charge, I'm now on around 3 hours.


That has to be the most harmfull, ignorant advice you could POSSIBLY give. Please, in the future, make sure you know what you are talking about before you tell someone to DESTROY their battery. Lithium Ion batterys od not work like that. the only battery that works like that are NiCad, and that isn't even entirly true. You drain the battery compleatly to give the highest possibly voltage at a full charge. It doesn't make the battery last longer, it does the exact opposite. Charge your battery whenever you get the chance, and it will last a good long time. Overcharging is still bad though, but I am pretty sure the 2200's stop charging once the battery is fully charged, so you should be fine

[Steven Cedrone]

I expect some drain, as the battery keeps the RAM refreshed, but this is ridiculous, surely? The IPAQ has an IBM 1gb Microdrive fitted, and a 128mb SD card - are these draining power? I've applied a patch from HP's website supposedly to sort out an SD card power drain issue, but it didn't help. Nor did removing the SD card altogether - I'm afraid to remove the Microdrive, for fear of it getting damaged.

If you really want to test it, you're going to have to remove that microdrive! Pull all of the cards out and see if you still have a significant drain on your battery...

Steve

[Mitchybums]

Well, say all you want, but draining the battery to about 3-4% and then charging it up has increased my batterly life significant.
Maybe I dont know, but doubling the time on my 2215 this way should indicate to ME that it works.

Lithium-Ion or not, if you take my advice or not, I am enjoying the longer battery life, and over the weeks I used it as an mp3 player, it nicely went from 5 hours of playtime to a nice 8 hours of playtime.

For the times I used it for movies, I was anoyed in the beginning I couldnt even finish 1 movie, and now I can watch almost 2 without having to plug in the powercord.

So I guess I dont know what the * I'm talking about then.

Maybe get out of the books and get in the real world before flaming someones personal experiences.

[milkman dan]

http://www.batterycanada.com/Battery_Facts.htm


Maybe get out of the books and get in the real world before flaming someones personal experiences.


You know, you are right. The fact that I have repaired well over 1000 laptops in my time, dissasembled about 20 pda's, and have been a technology junkie my whole life DEFINATLY means I have no real world expereince :/


So I guess I dont know what the * I'm talking about then.


Glad you came to that conclusion

[synner]

Thanks all - I've tried removing the MD for a few hours today - and the battery only drained 3% all day. There are no programs running in the background, but I do have pocket plus 2 installed - and the battery problem started just after I installed it. I'm guessing one of it's undocumented features is a special battery drain mode - either that, or it's constantly updating the shortcuts on the today screen - several of which are on the MD, causing it to spin-up. Grasping at straws there, though, I'll admit. To keep it scientific, I'll disable PP2 and put the MD back in.

I certainly won't try conditioning the battery though - I too have read that this is nearly the worst thing you can do to a lithium ion battery, short of setting fire to it or eating it. I did this with my digital camera battery - which now holds less charge than the dustbin it ended up in.

Anyone know of a case that will take a 2210 with an extended battery bulge though?

[Mitchybums]

http://www.batterycanada.com/Battery_Facts.htm


Maybe get out of the books and get in the real world before flaming someones personal experiences.


You know, you are right. The fact that I have repaired well over 1000 laptops in my time, dissasembled about 20 pda's, and have been a technology junkie my whole life DEFINATLY means I have no real world expereince :/


So I guess I dont know what the * I'm talking about then.


Glad you came to that conclusion


I guess we could make this into a technology knowledge clash thread, but I wont.
Yes you are absolutely right. I guess my PDA just decided to last longer over time for no reason at all.

here, I'll say it.

YOU WIN.

happy now ?

What I said works for me, and thats it. I just posted it here so it might help the threadstarter. I didnt write it for people to b**ch.

This used to be a helpfull forum, but people like yourself make it basicaly a drag to post something usefull in here. Are you just here to whine about other peoples comments?

(looking at some of your previous posts, I'd say, YES)

[Steven Cedrone]

O.K. guys, time to take this "discussion" off-line...

Steve

[milkman dan]

I guess we could make this into a technology knowledge clash thread, but I wont.
Yes you are absolutely right. I guess my PDA just decided to last longer over time for no reason at all.

here, I'll say it.

YOU WIN.

happy now ?

What I said works for me, and thats it. I just posted it here so it might help the threadstarter. I didnt write it for people to b**ch.

This used to be a helpfull forum, but people like yourself make it basicaly a drag to post something usefull in here. Are you just here to whine about other peoples comments?

(looking at some of your previous posts, I'd say, YES)


Woah, settle down there sailor. My ONLY problem with your post was the fact that the information you were handing out can and will destroy a lithium ion battery. I am happy you wanted to help someone out, but that is some bad advice, that is all I am saying. I am not here to whine about other peoples comments, so I don't see where you would get that impression as this is the first dissagreement I have had on these boards. I don't come here becuase I love PPC's that much, I come here becuase this is one of the best communities I have come across yet

[Steven Cedrone]

Thread locked...

Steve