| Forum Home | ||||
| Press F1 | ||||
| Thread ID: 67925 | 2006-04-10 09:47:00 | laptop battery issue | aidanmaz (7180) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 445492 | 2006-04-10 09:47:00 | i was given an Acer Travelmate 527te which i put XP on, the battery keeps saying 5% remaining (charging) but never goes anywhere, yet the light on the laptop goes off, it refuses to work without AC, is the battery shot? | aidanmaz (7180) | ||
| 445493 | 2006-04-10 10:02:00 | Probably, but only trying a new battery would prove it. There could be a power issue on the motherboard conversion circuitry, but no way you can tell without a simple test with another battery. |
godfather (25) | ||
| 445494 | 2006-04-11 01:33:00 | The battery capacity reading is based on the amount of charge which has been put in before the battery voltage reaches its "full" level. If the battery is dead, it takes very little charge to bring it up to full voltage. Unfortunately, as soon as you try to use the battery, it takes very little time (even less than 5%) for the volts to drop to the cutout level. You can usually assume that the battery on a secondhand laptop is dead. ;) Especially one you are given. :cool: |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 445495 | 2006-04-11 02:31:00 | You can usually assume that the battery on a secondhand laptop is dead. ;) Especially one you are given. :cool:You can also assume that a replacement battery, if available, will cost precisely twice what the laptop would be worth with a new battery installed. For semi-portable use you can power laptops from external battery packs using lead acid batteries or the rechargeable secondary cells of your choice. Not a happy or convenient option though. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 445496 | 2006-04-11 06:06:00 | The problem with lead acids is that their Ah ratings are for 20 hrs. As soon as you pull 2 or 3 amps from a 7Ah or even an 18 Ah battery, the time available is fairly short. I do it sometimes, either with an inverter to the normal mains PSU or with a DC-DC converter. What I want is a 100W alternater, and a quiet petrol engine ;) | Graham L (2) | ||
| 445497 | 2006-04-11 23:37:00 | The poor life of laptop batteries seems to be almost unknown. I was a bit startled when my own started going down after only 2 years. But I bought a 5 year warranty - which doesn't mention batteries. As we all know the Consumers Guarantee makes the warranty unneccessary, so should I expect a new battery? After all they will still make a hefty profit. I run the thing on mains now of course. Tom |
Thomas01 (317) | ||
| 445498 | 2006-04-12 04:47:00 | As far as I know, the expected life is about 18 months to 2 years. That's the state of the art. I doubt if the CGA can overrule that. | Graham L (2) | ||
| 445499 | 2006-04-12 10:52:00 | I do have a battery recycler program that will flatten the battery completely and reset the remaining charge status. Works on mine as well as it can do, and increases the life from 30 secs to about 30 mins. The version I have requires a floppy drive on the laptop, something which is missing from many these days. I assume there is probably a new version of the app by now. There is also a place in Penrose, Auckland that repacks batteries with nice, shiny new cells.... and about 1/2 the price of a new one. |
EX-WESTY (221) | ||
| 445500 | 2006-04-12 20:24:00 | There is also a place in Penrose, Auckland that repacks batteries with nice, shiny new cells.... and about 1/2 the price of a new one.I don't think they repack Lithium-Ion batteries anymore, there were probably issues with charging rates and safety. They are good for Ni-Cads though. This (http://www.batteryuniversity.com/) is a good site to learn more about laptop batteries and reconditioning etc. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 445501 | 2006-04-13 01:20:00 | Over the years I have used a company called "Simpower" (aka "The Battery Doctor") with excellent results for laptop, two-way radio and video camera batteries . They can assess your battery's condition and repack the battery case with fresh cells at a price much cheaper than buying a new battery pack . Often they are able to fit higher capacity cells, for a longer duty cycle . The company has offices in Pakuranga and Christchurch and all they deal in is the supply of batteries, so they know their stuff (they supplied the NZ Army's radio batteries for years) . One 5 watt radio I use everyday is still going strong on a four year-old repack from Simpower - the original battery only lasted 18 months . |
cpg (8333) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||