Pocket Pro battery issue?

[Var]

I have received my PP5 right before the Labor Day. I was very excited, but since I was very busy, I didn't have time to play with it.
Right out of box it came with the battery already installed. It was showing it as FULL, but I did follow the instructions and charged it - it took about 10 hours.
Yesterday I turned it on and it was only one bar short from full. It made sense since the total time it was used was around 20 min max.
Today I took it to the office to show it to my co-worked. I have turned it on and all I got was four short beeps. Reset didn't work. After coming to home (I didn't have the power adapter with me since I was not expecting I was going to need to charge the battery) I connected to the power adapter and it did start. The battery was EMPTY!

Right now it's charging. But I am worried a little bit: it was fully charged 9 days ago and the total usage time was only about 20 minutes. Yesterday it was showing (FULL-1) bar (I just checked and turned it OFF). Today is was EMPTY!

What are your comments - is this normal? I do understand that new batteries need a few full cycles before becoming 'normal', but still... No extreme conditions (temperature, ...).

I will see how it goes and I will update the forum.

Thanks,

[Morlac]

Would not be too worried.

(a) As you alluded to -- for the first several full charge cycles, the sensors are calibrating to be able to get a better handle on how "full" full really is. It should get better at determining the middle ground between full and empty.

(b) Despite what you may have heard, e-ink devices usually do use a trickle of power when not in use. What confuses folks is that the power is not needed to maintain the display itself. So whatever is on screen stays that way regardless of battery level, until you change the page.

I'd think of it a bit more like a cell phone in that you need to charge it regularly, versus something like a flashlight.

[Musicman]

Did this occur with the upgraded firmware or the firmware that it came with?

[lynt666]

Originally Posted by Var

I have received my PP5 right before the Labor Day. I was very excited, but since I was very busy, I didn't have time to play with it.
Right out of box it came with the battery already installed. It was showing it as FULL, but I did follow the instructions and charged it - it took about 10 hours.
Yesterday I turned it on and it was only one bar short from full. It made sense since the total time it was used was around 20 min max.
Today I took it to the office to show it to my co-worked. I have turned it on and all I got was four short beeps. Reset didn't work. After coming to home (I didn't have the power adapter with me since I was not expecting I was going to need to charge the battery) I connected to the power adapter and it did start. The battery was EMPTY!

Right now it's charging. But I am worried a little bit: it was fully charged 9 days ago and the total usage time was only about 20 minutes. Yesterday it was showing (FULL-1) bar (I just checked and turned it OFF). Today is was EMPTY!

What are your comments - is this normal? I do understand that new batteries need a few full cycles before becoming 'normal', but still... No extreme conditions (temperature, ...).

I will see how it goes and I will update the forum.

Thanks,

I have not yet received the PP (still stuck at custom) but my prs 505 did the same thing once & i realise later on that it was because i had not lock it & the buttons kept pressing themself when in my purse. Not sure if you had lock the unit....

[slayda]

Originally Posted by Morlac

Would not be too worried.

(a) As you alluded to -- for the first several full charge cycles, the sensors are calibrating to be able to get a better handle on how "full" full really is. It should get better at determining the middle ground between full and empty.

(b) Despite what you may have heard, e-ink devices usually do use a trickle of power when not in use. What confuses folks is that the power is not needed to maintain the display itself. So whatever is on screen stays that way regardless of battery level, until you change the page.

I'd think of it a bit more like a cell phone in that you need to charge it regularly, versus something like a flashlight.

I can vouch for (b) because I lost my EZ Reader basic at the first of the summer. When she went back for the fall term teashing school, my wife found it with some of her stuff. The battery was completely dead but the display still showed the page I was reading when it was lost.

[SDRebel]

Originally Posted by Var

I have received my PP5 right before the Labor Day. I was very excited, but since I was very busy, I didn't have time to play with it.
Right out of box it came with the battery already installed. It was showing it as FULL, but I did follow the instructions and charged it - it took about 10 hours.
Yesterday I turned it on and it was only one bar short from full. It made sense since the total time it was used was around 20 min max.
Today I took it to the office to show it to my co-worked. I have turned it on and all I got was four short beeps. Reset didn't work. After coming to home (I didn't have the power adapter with me since I was not expecting I was going to need to charge the battery) I connected to the power adapter and it did start. The battery was EMPTY!

Right now it's charging. But I am worried a little bit: it was fully charged 9 days ago and the total usage time was only about 20 minutes. Yesterday it was showing (FULL-1) bar (I just checked and turned it OFF). Today is was EMPTY!

What are your comments - is this normal? I do understand that new batteries need a few full cycles before becoming 'normal', but still... No extreme conditions (temperature, ...).

I will see how it goes and I will update the forum.

Thanks,

hey, I also have a problem with 4 beeps, I don't know if you saw my thread about it locking up. I can't get it out of that state, though mine happened after I removed the SD and put it back again. I assumed that was it, but I wonder if my device and yours have the same problem. Let me know if yours comes back to life after charging. I left mine charging overnight but it didn't come back to life

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by slayda

I can vouch for (b) because I lost my EZ Reader basic at the first of the summer. When she went back for the fall term teashing school, my wife found it with some of her stuff. The battery was completely dead but the display still showed the page I was reading when it was lost.

Interesting.

[mrsquash]

My Pocket Pro's gone dead on me twice in the week-and-a-half I've had it, the last time yesterday. Both times it had lain around for about three days, fully charged and left turned on, unlocked, with a book open on screen. When I came back to use it again, I found the battery dead: the screen was frozen, all buttons unresponsive (except for the 4 beeps on certain keypresses), reset no workee. After charging to the point that it could be reset back to the main menu, then unplugging the USB cable, the battery indicator was solid white and a low power warning was issued when I tried to navigate the menu.

I've only read about a hundred pages on the Pocket Pro since I've had it, mainly just checking the device out, so whatever's draining the battery, it's not page turns.

I do most of my reading around the house on my 6" Astak EZReader, on which I've read several thousand pages and have experienced no similar battery problems, not even when it was new (I've had it for a few months now). I never turn it off and the battery life has been very good.

I recharged the Pocket Pro overnight last night. I know it's fully charged. I've left it on and will see how long it takes the battery to discharge just sitting there.

I wrote the first occurrence off to a fluke or inadequate charging, although I think I let it go for about 14 or 15 hours the first time. The second occurrence has me concerned.

I'm curious as to whether my Pocket Pro is defective or not; maybe they're all like that. Hopefully people will report their experiences here in time for those of us with possibly defective units to return them. Or if it's not a defect, maybe we can find a work-around like turning them off between uses (assuming that stops the battery drain).

But it's early times yet. Maybe it just needs a few charge cycles. We'll see.

Other than that, I really like it.

And, SDRebel, I had hell getting mine going again after it died the second time, and I'm still not sure exactly what started it again, but I _think_ it was this: plug in the USB cable. Nothing will appear to happen (maybe you'll get the beeps, I don't remember). Wait a couple of minutes. Press the reset button in the back. Nothing will appear to happen. Just leave it plugged in, don't touch anything, and in about 3 to 5 minutes or so, the screen should clear from whatever was frozen on it, and return you to the main menu. Then of course just leave it plugged in to charge.

I also tried a bunch of stuff before this, but I don't think any of it did anything. Good luck with it.

[SDRebel]

what is the normal light supposed to be when the device is charging? Mine shows a green light, then a yellor or orange, then a red, then repeats.... I am still unable to bring it back to life and I hope I can do it before I send it back tomorrow morning

[SDRebel]

Originally Posted by mrsquash

And, SDRebel, I had hell getting mine going again after it died the second time, and I'm still not sure exactly what started it again, but I _think_ it was this: plug in the USB cable. Nothing will appear to happen (maybe you'll get the beeps, I don't remember). Wait a couple of minutes. Press the reset button in the back. Nothing will appear to happen. Just leave it plugged in, don't touch anything, and in about 3 to 5 minutes or so, the screen should clear from whatever was frozen on it, and return you to the main menu. Then of course just leave it plugged in to charge.

I also tried a bunch of stuff before this, but I don't think any of it did anything. Good luck with it.

i've been trying everything like crazy, and still no luck. With yours, did you leave the battery connected when you were able to turn it on?

[griffonwing]

I read somewhere that these ship with very cheap batteries. It might be best to simply order 1 or 2 name-brand batteries and install these instead. Someone who is more in the know can tell us what type, exactly, to make sure you buy.

This might solve some of the battery issues. It's what I plan to do.

[SDRebel]

i am concerned that I didn't find these issues with google on any of other devices but there's already 3 people with this problem with the v5(pocket pro)

[griffonwing]

It might be something a newer firmware caused. If so, which one?

[wallcraft]

Originally Posted by Var

Right now it's charging. But I am worried a little bit: it was fully charged 9 days ago and the total usage time was only about 20 minutes. Yesterday it was showing (FULL-1) bar (I just checked and turned it OFF). Today is was EMPTY!

Did you turn a page yesterday? Remember, the screen shows its last image even when turned off. So the FULL-1 might have been a few days ago, unless you refreshed the screen.

My impression is that the Pocket Pro's battery does not last as long as the Basic's battery. There might still be battery calibration going on, but the Pocket Pro seems to last ~1 week vs ~3 weeks for the Basic.

[SDRebel]

Originally Posted by griffonwing

It might be something a newer firmware caused. If so, which one?

i have the one of september 10th, and if it is firmware related, and the 6" juts got the same firmware as the v5, then it is possible that the 6" will start seeing this issue :evillaf: