Palm/Handspring Battery Indicator Question

[Lex Luthor]

I have the Visor Deluxe that I am using with 650mah NiMH batteries (NexCell).

With newly charged batteries, my battery indicator on the Visor doesn't show as full. With alkalines it did.

I know there are some differences in the voltage between the 2 battery types that might account for the lower showing.

I see that there is a command in OS3.3 which the visor doesn't have to set the battery type to NiMH. My question is what would that do? Is the battery indicator not correct on the visor when using NiMH batteries?

Would a 3rd party battery app give me a more accurate reading? Which one is best (free, if possible and not using hackmaster or the like, if possible).

Thanks in advance to anyone who answers me.

David

 

[Mikewarrior2]

Hmmm... on the 700mAh AAA battery's on my palm, the battery bar shows full for the first few hours, then slowly dips to 82% and sits their for a while...


Mike

 

[medic]

It could be that Alkaline batteries typically have an initial (and fairly constant) 1.5V. output and NiMH batteries usually have a fully charged voltage of 1.20-1.32V.
It is just reading the 1.2V as slightly discharged, when it really isn't.

Edit:
You know you can nearly triple your battery life for 10 bucks?
These guys have 4-packs of 1550mAh NiMH batteries (they test at nearly 1700mAh) for only $9.96
Thomas-Distributing

 

[Lex Luthor]

Those are AA batteries. Palm/Handspring take AAA where 650 is typically about as high as NiMH batteries go.

What about the 2nd part of my question? Anyone have a 3rd party battery meter that works better and is more accurate for NiMH batteries?

Thanks!
Lex

 

[medic]

OK I didn't know the Visor Deluxe takes AAA, if they had only made it "slightly" larger, then users could of had nearly 3 times the run time.
You could look at small rechargeable LiIon batteries apparently coming out next spring.

 

[Redwingsguy]

NIHM? this the one that can be charged almost infinetly times and dont need to be discharged to charge again(like my MD battery)? And do I just buy some of these and pop them in?

 

[JW310]

I know there's a shortcut in the original Visor that will change the battery meter depending on the battery type you have. Don't know if it'll work in the Visor Deluxe or not. Probably best to try it in a new memo:

In the graffiti area, write the shortcut letter (like a lowercase cursive "L&quot, tap the graffiti area twice (like you were putting a "." into the text), and then write a 7 in the number side of the graffiti area. If it works you'll see text show up in the new memo that says something like [Alkaline], etc. If you do that a few times, you'll see what your options are. The one you stop on is the one the battery meter will adjust for. This will help take into account the lower cell voltages of the rechargable batteries.

Hope this helps!
JW

 

[Lex Luthor]

Thanks. I had already found that shortcut and it works. OSs prior to 3.3 (the visor) do not have the choice for NiMH. Would choosing NiCad at least be a better choice than standard alkaline? Would that be pretty similar to if I had a choice for NiMH?

Lex

 

[JW310]

I would think that the setting for NiCd would give you more accurate of a reading than for an alkaline or rechargable alkaline, for NiMH batteries... the cell voltages are similar enough that the meter should be close.

JW

 

[Eug]

Doesn't NE1 check my FAQ?

 

[Lex Luthor]

Nice FAQ and I like your site. Hopefully, the forums there will start to get some more traffic as well.

So are you saying that the NiCad setting for the visor should give me a fairly account accounting of my battery power left with NiMHs in the unit?

Thanks!
Lex

 

[medic]

Lex
Yes they both have initial fully charged voltages of 1.20-1.32V.