Paul,
Again I'm having similar experience in that, after our first calibration
and recharge and the power unit was unplugged, the mPower reported 100%
charged yesterday. I turned off and didn't use it for just 3-4 hours
and, when turned on again, the percentage report was only 90%.
I accept Jonathan's statement that there are only a few people having a
problem, but I'd like to make the observation that, had I been given
very clear instruction at the beginning from UK's Technical Support of
all I had to do (including running the BN down to 90% before trying to
calibrate, I would have succeeded in carrying out the needed calibration
much earlier. As it was, despite the fact that I made it very clear it
was an mPower, the instructions I was given did not work and were
probably for earlier models. I reiterate here, my main concern is now,
having had to recalibrate at this early stage, what is going to be the
battery's life expectancy (bottom line: will we perhaps end up having
to shell out to return the BN for a new battery early than 18 months'
time).
Short battery cycles and the need to reset a number of items as a result
of the battery getting too low was one of the big reasons why Mike
decided to abandon the PacMate and go for mPower. (I would very much
like to do the same, if and when funds allow.) I appreciate that we
don't lose data and it would seem there are few settings that are thrown
out when the mPower battery suddenly ceases but, once we are using it
full-time, we would not want to run the risk of losing important data
because of no warning received of "battery low" or "critical".
I'm delighted to see that we appear to have much better support with the
mPower, from the mailing list point of view anyway, and I very much
welcome the questionnaire sent out by Dean.
The last thing I want to do is to put someone off buying an mPower. I
say it again "We're really pleased with the mPower and won't let it out
of our hands unless absolutely necessary; so now I'm not intending to
say any more on the list about these battery issues, so long as we get
the support and help off list that we require. I am confident that we
will!
--
Carol
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul
Henrichsen
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2005 1:11 AM
To: Braillenote List
Subject: RE: [Braillenote] problem calibrating the battery
Hi, John. I used bluetooth a bit on Sunday and Monday as I was trying to
get it work with a verizon phone and went down to 75. I then read for an
hour and went down to 66.
Sometimes, I will drop more than five points in a day doing nothing. At
8/16/2005, you wrote:
>Hi Paul,
> The battery goes shortly after ten percent or, maybe, around five.
>Yes, PC cards and such Definitely makes a difference. I used mine
>continuously for just under three hours with only a brief use of a card
>to back up data and went from 43 percent to just under 20. If I had
>used my wireless card, I'd bet I would be recharging the unit now.
>
>Take Care
>
>
>John D. Panarese
>Managing Director
>Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
>9 Nolan Court
>Hauppauge, NY 11788
>Tel/Fax, (631) 724-4479
>Email, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Internet, http://www.tvi-web.com
>
>AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS FOR PORTSET SYSTEMS LTD, COMPSOLUTIONS VA,
>PREMIER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INDEX, PAPENMEIER, REPRO-TRONICS,
>PULSEDATA, DUXBURY, DANCING DOTS, ROBOTRON, AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR THE
>BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul
>Henrichsen
>Sent: Tuesday, August 16, 2005 6:56 PM
>To: Braillenote List
>Subject: RE: [Braillenote] problem calibrating the battery
>
>Hi. John. I think that is something in the manual from the old days
>that was never corrected. Even with the bn with the newer motherboard,
>you would never get 20 hours. The board used more power than the older
>ones. I hear the older boards could get 20 hours, but not the new ones
>and certainly not the MPower. I suppose humanware should correct this
>little oversight in the manual. I also saw a line in chapter 13 that
>went nowhere. It was half a sentence and then it went to the next
>section. At what point below ten percent does your battery die? Last
>time, mine died at around nine percent. Granted, I used the modem once,
>but that was it. I was playing with bluetooth last night trying to test
>some verizon phones and then I read for an hour. I went from 75 to 59
>when I looked at it this morning. Before using bluetooth, I think I was
>at 89; so that short time of using bluetooth repeatedly dropped it from
>89 to 75 within an hour or so of noncontinuous use.
>Peripherals really seem to drain the battery quickly.
>At 8/15/2005, you wrote:
>
> > Just out of curiosity, how much battery life should one expect
> >from a BN mower? The manual suggests twenty hours, but I do not
> >foresee this, even without using cards and external drives. Am I
> >correct in assuming that it's more like 10 or 12 hours or is my
> >battery already messed up? I've used it from 100 percent to under
> >ten three times and granted that I have used a PC card and wireless
> >card at times, my estimations have been around the 10 to 12 hour
> >range in total life.
> >
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >
> >
> >John D. Panarese
> >Managing Director
> >Technologies for the Visually Impaired, Inc.
> >9 Nolan Court
> >Hauppauge, NY 11788
> >Tel/Fax, (631) 724-4479
> >Email, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >Internet, http://www.tvi-web.com
> >
> >AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS FOR PORTSET SYSTEMS LTD, COMPSOLUTIONS VA,
> >PREMIER ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES, INDEX, PAPENMEIER, REPRO-TRONICS,
> >PULSEDATA, DUXBURY, DANCING DOTS, ROBOTRON, AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR
> >THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul
> >Henrichsen
> >Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 7:38 PM
> >To: Braillenote List
> >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] problem calibrating the battery
> >
> >Hi, Carol. I agree. Probably not worth sending the unit in. Just more
> >of an annoyance. I still can get it charged to 100 percent and as
> >long as you know the battery dies at just under ten percent, you know
> >what to
>expect.
> >Also,
> >losing that ten percent means that you will not get 10 to 12 hours of
> >use out of an MPower. Again, not a big deal as long as you are aware
> >of it. It just means you have to charge up more often. It would be
> >nice if these guys would come out with a car charger or some kind of
> >external battery charger. At 8/15/2005, you wrote:
> >
> > >Yes, we definitely had some trouble plugging in and getting going
> > >again. I'll keep you posted and probably the list as well.
> > >
> > >I think it may be a hardware/software issue perhaps but not
> > >something which can necessarily be repaired even if you send your
> > >unit in. We're not planning to send ours unless we're convinced the
> > >battery isn't up to scratch and we're not getting anything like
> > >what we should
>with it.
> > >
> > >
> > >--
> > >Carol
> > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul
> > >Henrichsen
> > >Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 4:50 AM
> > >To: Braillenote List
> > >Subject: RE: [Braillenote] problem calibrating the battery
> > >
> > >
> > >Hi, Carol. I assume you have seen my last message by this time.
> > >Battery percentage reading on the MPower seems to be quirky at
> > >best. It does charge, but sometimes, for no reason that I can think
> > >of, it just stops aat some point. You need to unplug the AC adapter
> > >and plug it back in again and even then, it might stop somewhere
> > >else. Plug in enough, and eventually,
> > >
> > >you will get to 100 percent. I don't know if this is a software or
> > >hardware problem or if I should send it in for repair or not. I
> > >have only had it for a month and that is why I want to talk with
> > >other MPower users, off list if need be, to see if they notice this
> > >as well. At 8/13/2005, you wrote:
> > >
> > > >Paul,
> > > >
> > > >I'm not sure if my last message got through so (everyone) forgive
> > > >me if
> > >
> > > >this is a sort of duplication.
> > > >
> > > >Interesting. We've been having similar problems with the mPower
> > > >and, although it now seems to be giving us a correct battery
> > > >reading and we haven't (after all) actually needed to try the
> > > >calibration, we certainly have had to do that "big reset" for
> > > >something, which appeared
> > >
> > > >to us, fairly minor at the time.
> > > >
> > > >Humanware, I'll watch this one closely and give feedback if I
> > > >can.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >--
> > > >Carol
> > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >-----Original Message-----
> > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> > > >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul
> > > >Henrichsen
> > > >Sent: Saturday, August 13, 2005 12:18 AM
> > > >To: Braillenote List
> > > >Subject: Re: [Braillenote] problem calibrating the battery
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >Thanks, Don. I will try that. I talked with Chris at humanware
> > > >and he was surprised as well. I also had quite a scare today with
> > > >my
>MPower.
> > > >I
> > >
> > > >had it
> > > >down to nine percent last night. I thought I would turn it on
> > > >today and it would drop the customary five percent. I was
> > > >surprised to find it was still at nine percent. I played with
> > > >menus, moved something to a flash card, etc, for a while in an
> > > >effort to get it to drop, It dropped ti eight
> > >percent.
> > > >I
> > > >decided to try loading a large book with the book reader. During
> > > >the loading, the MPower died. I plugged it in and tried a reset
> > > >after about 15
> > > >seconds. Nothing happened. I tried this for the next hour and
> > > >still, nothing happened.
> > > >Chris from humanware told me the secret and got me back up. I was
> > > >sure
> > >I
> > > >
> > > >had to send it in and was talking to tech support to get an RMA
> > > >number.
> > >
> > > >What I had to do is to press reset and record at the same time.
> > > >This brought the unit back up. It was still plugged in and was at
> > > >93 percent. In no time, it was at 99 percent and working again,
> > > >but what a
> > >
> > > >scare! At 8/12/2005, you wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >Hi Paul,
> > > > >
> > > > >The problem probably is that at that high of a level, the
> > > > >battery is trickle charging.
> > > > >
> > > > >Try discharging the battery to something under 90 percent and
> > > > >then start the cycle.
> > > > >
> > > > >It should first charge the rest of the way which won't take
> > > > >long and then the discharge should start.
> > > > >
> > > > >I think it needs to charge before discharging to accurately
> > > > >determine
> > >
> > > > >the point where the battery is fully charged as part of the
> > > > >overall calibration process.
> > > > >
> > > > >It won't hurt a thing to do this.
> > > > >
> > > > >Don
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >___
> > > > >To leave the BrailleNote list, send a blank message to
> > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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> > > > >http://list.humanware.com/mailman/listinfo/braillenote
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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> > >
> > >
> > >
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