Battery care for the PRS-505

Armaced · 09-24-2009, 06:22 PM

Do you try to refrain from charging your ereader until the battery is mostly depleted?

With all of my other portable systems, I try to take care when charging the battery. I try to use up most or all of the charge before recharging it, which I believe lengthens the battery life.

With most devices, this is simple enough - I wait until they are nearly dead, then perform some battery intensive task to drain it just before recharging. However, the ereader presents a new challenge. Since it is so battery friendly, I have to (get to) go a long time without charging it. However, it charges whenever I connect to the computer, so I feel discouraged from syncing my ebooks very often.

Also, when I get down to the last bar on the charge, I don't know of a battery intensive operation which I could use to quickly drain the rest of it prior to charging.

Am I worrying too much? Is the battery not really that delicate? Or, if it is (as i believe the batteries for most other devices to be), has anyone developed some good habits for making battery care easier?

acidzebra · 09-24-2009, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Armaced

Do you try to refrain from charging your ereader until the battery is mostly depleted? With all of my other portable systems, I try to take care when charging the battery. I try to use up most or all of the charge before recharging it, which I believe lengthens the battery life.

This was useful behavior to prevent 'conditioning' of older battery tech but may even shorten the lifespan of newer generations of batteries which are found in most gadgets today, including your reader.

Specific tips for li-ion batteries are here, but the site provides great info for all kinds of batteries.

DDHarriman · 09-24-2009, 06:38 PM

Hi

Yes you are worrying too much.

Let’s say you have 1 week from your battery… charging a little from every connection just counts for that, a little, so charging a full charge or 20 little times affect the reader the same.

Let’s say the battery can accept 300 full recharges… I bet I’m seeing this at too loo on the number of charges and days they last… but humour me…

Then your reader will last: 300/52 (weeks) or 5.77 years!

Enjoy your reader and be happy it lasts so much… battery worries just lost its’ significance.

Best regards,

Armaced · 09-24-2009, 08:04 PM

Thank you both for your replies.

DD, I like your math, but this part is news to me:

Quote:

... charging a full charge or 20 little times affect the reader the same.

Is that true? It was my understanding that a bunch of little charges shortened the life of the battery considerably (though less with the newer technologies). However, if you have some authority on this issue, I will take your word for it.

Either way, you are probably right. Even if I abuse it (by my standards, charging whenever I feel like it), I will probably get an acceptable lifespan out of it.

RCR · 09-25-2009, 02:51 AM

I'm still thinking about buying a backup Sony 505 while they are still available.

So... if I was to buy a second device as a backup in case my current Sony breaks...

How should I treat the backup -

- don't touch it until I need it (which could be any time between six months to two years).

- recharge it, to top up the battery (say) every month?

I guess what I am asking is: what is the best way to care for the battery in a Sony 505 which is going to sit on a shelf for an indefinite time?

mgmueller · 09-25-2009, 04:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RCR

I'm still thinking about buying a backup Sony 505 while they are still available.

So... if I was to buy a second device as a backup in case my current Sony breaks...

How should I treat the backup -

- don't touch it until I need it (which could be any time between six months to two years).

- recharge it, to top up the battery (say) every month?

I guess what I am asking is: what is the best way to care for the battery in a Sony 505 which is going to sit on a shelf for an indefinite time?

Most agree, best would be to keep it always charged.
It doesn't have to be fully charged, but it shouldn't be "dry" for months either.
I try to (at least partially) charge all my readers about once per month.

RCR · 09-25-2009, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgmueller

Most agree, best would be to keep it always charged.
It doesn't have to be fully charged, but it shouldn't be "dry" for months either.
I try to (at least partially) charge all my readers about once per month.

Thank you.

Armaced · 09-25-2009, 09:31 AM

My understanding is that the best charge level for sitting on the shelf is around 40%. Now, I don't know why that is the best level, so take that as you will.

Penforhire · 09-25-2009, 01:20 PM

Hmm, I'd always heard Li-ion batteries preferred lots of little charges so mine gets charged almost every night.

Not terribly important in the end because the reader would still be quite functional even with only 1/2 its original battery capacity for me. And I don't expect to own my Sony for more than three years. But who knows? I'm not impressed enough with the newest batch to want to upgrade my 505 yet.

Shiren · 09-25-2009, 03:18 PM

Yes, lithium-ion batteries like the one in the ebook reader and most electronics today prefer to be charged often rather than depleted first!

Personally, I always charge my PRS-505 when the first bar is gone.

DDHarriman · 09-25-2009, 05:33 PM

Hi

I’m no authority in the subject, but it’s just my personal experience with new batteries… especially with these devices.

Taking, per example, the information from one of the eBook reader makers - Irex , producers of the Iliad and the DR 1000S (http://www.irextechnologies.com/batteries):
“Battery-lifespan
A lithium-ion battery like the ones used in iRex’ products can deliver its maximum battery-life for a long time. After 400 charge-cycles the battery should still be able to achieve 80% of the maximum battery-life. Temperature can also influence the battery-lifespan, therefore it is best to use your device at temperatures between 0º and 35ºC (or 32º to 95ºF). The best storage temperature for products with a lithium-ion battery is room temperature. Heat, for example in a hot car, can strongly degrade the battery's performance and lifespan.”

Let me say one more thing, I do have a Cybook who completes now 18.5 months of age with normal reading use, sometimes one book per day, sometimes one to two books per week, and the battery is still perfectly strong.
Never recharged it bellow 40% and normally when its’ around 70%, plus the normal connecting to copy content to the reader or delete from it (so t charges that “bit”).

Once more, my advice is forget about it, it’s the first device one can forget about battery use and or death (besides normal malfunction ones, that no one can predict).

Enjoy your reader,

09-24-2009, 06:22 PM	#1
Armaced Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony eReader PRS-505	Battery care for the PRS-505 Do you try to refrain from charging your ereader until the battery is mostly depleted? With all of my other portable systems, I try to take care when charging the battery. I try to use up most or all of the charge before recharging it, which I believe lengthens the battery life. With most devices, this is simple enough - I wait until they are nearly dead, then perform some battery intensive task to drain it just before recharging. However, the ereader presents a new challenge. Since it is so battery friendly, I have to (get to) go a long time without charging it. However, it charges whenever I connect to the computer, so I feel discouraged from syncing my ebooks very often. Also, when I get down to the last bar on the charge, I don't know of a battery intensive operation which I could use to quickly drain the rest of it prior to charging. Am I worrying too much? Is the battery not really that delicate? Or, if it is (as i believe the batteries for most other devices to be), has anyone developed some good habits for making battery care easier?

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09-24-2009, 06:38 PM	#3
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	Hi Yes you are worrying too much. Let’s say you have 1 week from your battery… charging a little from every connection just counts for that, a little, so charging a full charge or 20 little times affect the reader the same. Let’s say the battery can accept 300 full recharges… I bet I’m seeing this at too loo on the number of charges and days they last… but humour me… Then your reader will last: 300/52 (weeks) or 5.77 years! Enjoy your reader and be happy it lasts so much… battery worries just lost its’ significance. Best regards,

09-25-2009, 02:51 AM	#5
RCR Addict Posts: 334 Karma: 992487 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: 2 x Sony 505, iPad, Samsung 7 Tablet, ASUS Transformer, Nexus 7	I'm still thinking about buying a backup Sony 505 while they are still available. So... if I was to buy a second device as a backup in case my current Sony breaks... How should I treat the backup - - don't touch it until I need it (which could be any time between six months to two years). - recharge it, to top up the battery (say) every month? I guess what I am asking is: what is the best way to care for the battery in a Sony 505 which is going to sit on a shelf for an indefinite time?

09-25-2009, 09:31 AM	#8
Armaced Enthusiast Posts: 34 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Sony eReader PRS-505	My understanding is that the best charge level for sitting on the shelf is around 40%. Now, I don't know why that is the best level, so take that as you will.

09-25-2009, 01:20 PM	#9
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Hmm, I'd always heard Li-ion batteries preferred lots of little charges so mine gets charged almost every night. Not terribly important in the end because the reader would still be quite functional even with only 1/2 its original battery capacity for me. And I don't expect to own my Sony for more than three years. But who knows? I'm not impressed enough with the newest batch to want to upgrade my 505 yet.

09-25-2009, 03:18 PM	#10
Shiren Connoisseur Posts: 70 Karma: 712 Join Date: Dec 2008 Device: Sony PRS-505/iPod Touch	Yes, lithium-ion batteries like the one in the ebook reader and most electronics today prefer to be charged often rather than depleted first! Personally, I always charge my PRS-505 when the first bar is gone.

09-25-2009, 05:33 PM	#11
DDHarriman Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 4380 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Almada, Portugal Device: Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS 505, Kindle DXG and Samsung Galaxy Note	Hi I’m no authority in the subject, but it’s just my personal experience with new batteries… especially with these devices. Taking, per example, the information from one of the eBook reader makers - Irex , producers of the Iliad and the DR 1000S (http://www.irextechnologies.com/batteries): “Battery-lifespan A lithium-ion battery like the ones used in iRex’ products can deliver its maximum battery-life for a long time. After 400 charge-cycles the battery should still be able to achieve 80% of the maximum battery-life. Temperature can also influence the battery-lifespan, therefore it is best to use your device at temperatures between 0º and 35ºC (or 32º to 95ºF). The best storage temperature for products with a lithium-ion battery is room temperature. Heat, for example in a hot car, can strongly degrade the battery's performance and lifespan.” Let me say one more thing, I do have a Cybook who completes now 18.5 months of age with normal reading use, sometimes one book per day, sometimes one to two books per week, and the battery is still perfectly strong. Never recharged it bellow 40% and normally when its’ around 70%, plus the normal connecting to copy content to the reader or delete from it (so t charges that “bit”). Once more, my advice is forget about it, it’s the first device one can forget about battery use and or death (besides normal malfunction ones, that no one can predict). Enjoy your reader,

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