Pocket Pro battery problem solved???

[ekaser]

Originally Posted by RichyRich

I am still only showing 1 bar loss with 1100+ pages read and not having charged the Pocket Pro in 13 days. I've been reading Epubs only with the SD card in. My SD card is a 2 GB San Disk Ultra II and I turn my Pocket Pro off when I'm not using it. Initially, I did 2 battery run down cycles on the Pocket Pro when it first came in and I have been running on the 3rd battery charge for the past 13 days.

I'm reading ePubs only also, and it sounds like you have the exact same SD card as I. But by "I turn my Pocket Pro off", I'm guessing you mean complete power down (holding the Power button for several seconds until the unit shuts down). Whereas I only do a momentary press to lock the keyboard.

[Solicitous]

Originally Posted by ekaser

What brand and model is your SD card?

http://www.lexar.com/digfilm/sd_card.html

I actually bought them because they were going for $5AU a couple of months back. Unfortunately the website doesn't give any technical details, but might be of some use.

Edit: I forgot to add, whilst still early days and what I suspect to be the little trickle charge when connecting the PP to USB when transfering books accelerating battery depletion, I experience the same issue with my iPod mini and my mobile phone. I now with all my electronic devices will only charge the unit to its full capacity, never do a partial charge. Maybe the issue is batteries don't register partial charges correctly, but ever since ONLY doing full charge on all my devices I have not had an issue.

[RichyRich]

Originally Posted by ekaser

I'm reading ePubs only also, and it sounds like you have the exact same SD card as I. But by "I turn my Pocket Pro off", I'm guessing you mean complete power down (holding the Power button for several seconds until the unit shuts down). Whereas I only do a momentary press to lock the keyboard.

Yes, I do hold in the power button for a few seconds to power if off when I am done using it.

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by Solicitous

http://www.lexar.com/digfilm/sd_card.html
I now with all my electronic devices will only charge the unit to its full capacity, never do a partial charge. Maybe the issue is batteries don't register partial charges correctly, but ever since ONLY doing full charge on all my devices I have not had an issue.

Modern devices with Lithium Ion batteries should not have a problem with partial charges. I think this idea is a hangover from older battery types.

Still a full discharge and recharge won't hurt occasionally.

[rling]

Originally Posted by ekaser

I've been following the thread on folks having problems with their batteries dying in just a day or two (if even that)...The SD card...

Got my white replacement 2 weeks ago. Charged it fully, and used it with the included SD card inserted all the time. All books on SD card, and have not used internal memory at all. Have read through 2 novels in epub format. Still showing 3/4 charge. Unit never turned off, just keyboard lock in between reading sessions.

[ekaser]

It's been six days now since the full charge, with no SD card, and I just finished a novel, and there's still 4 bars on the battery indicator. I just had to connect to my PC via USB for about a minute to transfer more books for reading, but that shouldn't have added much charge to the battery. I'm set now to read for several weeks, if the battery lasts that long. After the battery drops to 2 bars, I'll charge it again and put the SD card back in to make sure the battery-life drops back down to 4-5 days. Then I'll try it with the SD card I got from Astak with the unit, and see if it differs. I'll post another update when the battery reaches 2 bars.

[Xerxes]

I'll play your game. I think the Class of card maybe the issue. And I'll be testing this on my next charge.

[Sweetpea]

I don't use a SD card (still need to buy one) and I go from full to empty in about 4 days. Without reading... I'm highly dissapointed... I can get more out of my 7" LCD device.

I was under the impression the device didn't need power unless pages are turned. And I don't want to completely turn it off as the mobipocket reader doesn't remember the last used font.

[AJ Starr]

Did everyone make sure their batteris are seated properly? If the plug wiggles out a little it might not hold the charge.

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I don't use a SD card (still need to buy one) and I go from full to empty in about 4 days. Without reading... I'm highly dissapointed... I can get more out of my 7" LCD device.

IMHO, the firmware is forgetting to shut some circuitry down when the device is sleeping. There have been some rumblings of a firmware update from Hanlin that addresses this problem.

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I was under the impression the device didn't need power unless pages are turned. And I don't want to completely turn it off as the mobipocket reader doesn't remember the last used font.

There is a small amount of power consumed during sleep mode to keep the SDRAM refreshed, but that power consumption is very small compared to active state power consumption.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by Dave_S

IMHO, the firmware is forgetting to shut some circuitry down when the device is sleeping. There have been some rumblings of a firmware update from Hanlin that addresses this problem.

There is a small amount of power consumed during sleep mode to keep the SDRAM refreshed, but that power consumption is very small compared to active state power consumption.

I don't expect my device to have an everlasting power supply even when turned off But, I did expect it to be a bit longer lasting then right now.

And I did some research (both here and on the bebook forums) and noticed something about a new firmware that should be arriving any day now that would fix the problem. So, I'll wait!

(I don't have a holiday planned until christmas anyway )

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by AJ Starr

Did everyone make sure their batteris are seated properly? If the plug wiggles out a little it might not hold the charge.

I'm sorry, but electrically, that doesn't make sense to me. If it was making contact, it would lose charge as normal as the device consumes power. If it was not making contact, it would lose no charge at all (other than normal internal leakage). The only effect of a bad contact would be that the device wouldn't work, and wouldn't charge.

[jusmee]

My experience with a brand new white Astak - arrived 4 days ago. After initial charging and loading some books etc, it has now been about 2 days, and about 1000 page turns. I have been only locking it - not turning it off, in fact, often I just leave it turned on and not locked. It has a 2G Kingston SD card in it (the one that came with it from Astak).

... and still 4 full bars on the battery meter.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by jusmee

I'm sorry, but electrically, that doesn't make sense to me. If it was making contact, it would lose charge as normal as the device consumes power. If it was not making contact, it would lose no charge at all (other than normal internal leakage). The only effect of a bad contact would be that the device wouldn't work, and wouldn't charge.

A poor connection is the bane of all technicians
Sometimes they work (Always when on the bench),
Sometimes, they don't.
I would unplug the battery completely, Give a gentle tug on each wire,
looking for the lead that pops free . The contact on that lead should latch into the housing. If the wire comes free without the spring contact, you found a "Bad crimp" (and probably your battery problem).
Full to Nil over a short period is probably a connection problem.

[ekaser]

I'm beginning to wonder, based upon the wide disparity in battery performance reported, and in the reports of imminent firmware update to 'fix' battery problems, if maybe the improved battery performance I'm now seeing without an SD card may actually be because I updated my firmware shortly before starting the test. Jinke had posted an update on their website, with no changes to the description of what it did from the previous update. That build is dated Oct 15 and was posted on their download page Oct 19. I started my current test (no SD card) on Oct 22nd, which (according to the date of the folder I created on my PC's harddisk) is the exact date that I also downloaded the new firmware update from Jinke. I never got more than 4-5 days of battery life before (before it was down to 1 or 2 bars), and now I *JUST* dropped down to 3 bars tonight, after 11 days and two epub novels.

I think I'll charge it up overnight tonight, put the SD card back in, and start another test, to see if the better battery life might be the lack of SD card or MIGHT be the firmware update!

For those who'd like to try the new firmware update, it's available from the Jinke site at:
Jinke Oct 19 firmware update for V5/Pocket Pro

That connection can be slow, so I've posted the update as a ZIP file on my web server at:
U.S. server, may be faster download of Oct 19 firmware update