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| Thread ID: 65841 | 2006-02-02 02:20:00 | battery power (or the lack of it) | Thomas01 (317) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 426207 | 2006-02-02 02:20:00 | I mentioned to a local computer salesman that I was disappointed in the battery capacity of my year old HP laptop. He asked me a few questions and then criticised my habit of leaving the battery in while running from the mains power. Wrong he reckoned - I was damaging my battery - and insisted that he always disconnected the battery if on mains. I have since optimised the battery - but he reckons I have done too much damage already. Frankly I am a bit disbelieving of this theory but he gets results from his battery. What do you think? Is this a myth or is there some truth in it? And if true - is it OK to run on mains and battery if the battery has already been run flat, or must I leave it to charge up on its own? Tom |
Thomas01 (317) | ||
| 426208 | 2006-02-02 04:10:00 | I was under the impression that Lithium ion batteries don't have a memory and are unaffected by repeated or ongoing charges ... | Jester (13) | ||
| 426209 | 2006-02-02 04:24:00 | If it's only a year old I'd assume that it's a lithium battery. The official line is that the controller in the battery pack will make sure that it can be left connected while the computer is being powered by the mains. However I can imagine that that's not as good for the battery as "normal use" where the battery is run down then recharged. I would be reluctant to leave a NiMH pack(even a smart battery, with a charge controller) connected to a charger for long periods. But the salesman might have got a better battery. :D The only restriction on whether you can use the computer and charge at the same time is whether the mains power pack is rated for the double load. Some aren't. |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 426210 | 2006-02-03 00:04:00 | I remember looking on the HP site concerning battery care once, and it recommended that for extended periods of time using mains power, the battery should be disconnected. For storing a battery for a long period of time, it should be left at 40% charge. It also recommended a full disharge/recharge once a month so the Windows battery readout was accurate. I guess one reason you should take out the battery is because its storage temperature range is from 0 to 60 degrees Celcius, so excessive heat from operating from mains power may damage the battery. Battery life can be greatly increased by reducing the brightness of the screen, for me it can increase life from 30-60mins on average. I can run for around 4hrs with my 8cell nx8220. |
Marmion (9274) | ||
| 426211 | 2006-02-03 04:26:00 | seen two notebooks... 1st..AC won't work if battery isn't removed (older acer i think) 2nd..batter is like..a part of the notebook (not so old benq) if you take it out you loose one of the supporting legs because the battery is actually a part of the bottom of the notebook.. not like..slot into a hole but instead clip onto and become a part of the base ..i don't think i might matter that much or shorten the battery life rapidly otherwise why would the 2nd notebook be design like that |
heni72847 (1166) | ||
| 426212 | 2006-02-03 07:51:00 | I have had a Compaq Armada for nealy 5 years running it mostly on power with the battery in, and partly on battery. I always discharge the battery fully once a month. This type of usage seems fairly standard among PressF1 users when the subject has been discussed previously. There has been no noticeable deterioration in the battery's (lithium-ion) performance over that time. | Shortstop (632) | ||
| 426213 | 2006-02-03 22:26:00 | I have the facility to OPTIMISE my battery. I assume this is the same as discharging it completely and then recharging. So I will carry on doing that but on a more regular basis. Tom |
Thomas01 (317) | ||
| 426214 | 2006-02-04 00:16:00 | The "optimising" is probably a calibration of the battery monitor processor . This is built into the battery pack . It has precision volt and current meters . Apart from watching the voltage -- i'ts important to not get too high a voltage (which can cause "venting with flame") and too low a voltage (which can kill the battery) -- it keeps track of amps in and amps out, so it knows the state of charge . Although the measurements are fairly accurate, it needs to see the battery "flat", then fully charged, from time to time . Your low capacity might have been just the charge monitor's amp-hour meter drifting because the battery is always at full charge . |
Graham L (2) | ||
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