Weird Power Problem

Hepcat · 07-05-2007, 11:24 PM

Sorry if this is a FAQ, but I did a quick search and didn't see a similar thread.

Anyway, I have had my reader now for about a month, but haven't actually used it much as I was finishing up a paper book.

So, it has primarily sat mostly unused for the last few weeks. I had assumed that the Reader could sit in this state almost indefinitely without running out of battery as I had heard that the thing that draws power are the actual page turns and not the e-ink displaying.

So, I took it out with me to the coffee shop thinking I'd start reading one of my ebooks. After starting it up, though, it would die on me without fully rendering the main Menu.

When I got home, I plugged it in and it now seems to work okay. The batter meter shows full after charging for about an hour. Is this a known problem or is this By Design? Am I supposed to ensure that I keep the batter charged even if I'm not using the device regularly?

Thanks,
Hep.

Detour · 07-06-2007, 12:14 AM

I don't think this is normal because it has never happened with my Reader. I purchased two Readers as Mothers Day gifts and one of them had this problem. The one I gave my Mother-in-law works fine but the one I gave my daughter-in-law does exactly what you describe.

I'm working with Sony to get it exchanged for her. So far we haven't gotten it back but Sony didn't give us any problems, just said "ship it back and we'll send you a new one".

Maybe you can do the same?

NatCh · 07-06-2007, 12:34 AM

Unfortunately, it's a known ... trait of the Reader -- it still draws some current even when it's "off" such that the battery effectively discharges after 3~4 weeks, whether it's used or not. You can find details (including something of the why's) in this obnoxiously long thread, if you like.

The nutshell answer is that you ought to plan to charge it about every 3~4 weeks.

Nogg · 07-06-2007, 12:39 AM

Actually, it sounds like you're running into the same "issue" that most of us have discovered upon spending some time with it. The reader isn't ever actually off, even when you've flipped the switch and the screen's gone blank. It's still running the OS all the time. What this means is that after about 3-4 weeks, the battery will be depleted. I'm guessing you just needed a charge after it sitting for so long.

It's true that it doesn't require any power to maintain the image that's on the screen, but it's still sucking juice with the background OS: running the clock, for one, and probably just maintaining it so that the power on doesn't take several seconds.

Many of us have complained that it'd be much nicer if it really could last several months on the shelf, but just as many have correctly remarked that the battery life of this device is orders of magnitude greater than any of our other personal electronics.

Nogg · 07-06-2007, 12:40 AM

Curse you Natch! You just beat me!

Hepcat · 07-06-2007, 12:52 AM

Well, thanks for the responses so far. Unfortunately, I've gotten both the "it's a defect" and "it's By Design" responses! :-)

I think what I will do is actually read an ebook next and see if normal usage results in this issue. If I have this problem recur when it clearly should not, then I'll assume it's a defect. If the battery drains in a "normal" or expected fashion, then I'll assume it's the typical 3-4 week shelf sit that did this.

Thanks!
Jim

HarryT · 07-06-2007, 02:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hepcat

Well, thanks for the responses so far. Unfortunately, I've gotten both the "it's a defect" and "it's By Design" responses! :-)

I think what I will do is actually read an ebook next and see if normal usage results in this issue. If I have this problem recur when it clearly should not, then I'll assume it's a defect. If the battery drains in a "normal" or expected fashion, then I'll assume it's the typical 3-4 week shelf sit that did this.

Thanks!
Jim

Hi Jim,

This is by design. If the Reader is a month old, and has never been recharged, the battery will be flat, regardless of whether or not you use it. There's a constant power drain due to the operating system running. We all find that we need to recharge our Readers about once every 3 weeks.

I'm 99% certain that you don't have a faulty Reader.

Bierius · 07-06-2007, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hepcat

When I got home, I plugged it in and it now seems to work okay. The batter meter shows full after charging for about an hour. Is this a known problem or is this By Design? Am I supposed to ensure that I keep the batter charged even if I'm not using the device regularly?

Hep.

Just thought I’d mention that the unit will not be fully charged until the little red light above the power switch goes off. This will take 4-6 hours (from a fully discharged battery) depending on your chosen power source.

The last part of your post seemed to indicate that you thought the unit fully charged after just one hour (the charge indicator on the unit is confusing), in which case you would not experience anywhere near the advertised operational use period between charges.

Good luck!

HarryT · 07-06-2007, 04:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bierius

Just thought I’d mention that the unit will not be fully charged until the little red light above the power switch goes off. This will take 4-6 hours (from a fully discharged battery) depending on your chosen power source.

Good point. I generally recharge when the battery meter gets down to 2 bars (which takes about 10 days or so for me) and find that from that state, it does fully charge from the wall charger in under an hour (ie the red light goes out). Charging via USB takes much longer - at least 4h or so.

One final point it's perhaps worth noting is that, if you let the battery get too low, you can't recharge it via USB, but have to use the wall charger.

NatCh · 07-06-2007, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hepcat

Unfortunately, I've gotten both the "it's a defect" and "it's By Design" responses! :-)

Hey, Jim, if you'll have a look that thread I referenced, you'll see the whole discussion of the phenomenon. You may have a clearer picture of what's going on from that, and you'll at least understand why so many of us have reached the conclusion we have.

@Nogg: Sorry 'bout that, buddy -- and yours was a really well phrased answer too.

JSWolf · 07-06-2007, 09:21 AM

When you charged it, did you make sure the red light on the left side was actually out? If it's not out, then it has not yet gotten a full charge.

Hepcat · 07-06-2007, 01:18 PM

Thanks, all, for the red light tip. Just in case, I plugged it in overnight, so it should be good to go.

NatCH, I'll go ahead and check out the long thread. Sounds interesting, and I like to know that kind of stuff anyway.

J.

07-05-2007, 11:24 PM	#1
Hepcat Minister of Silly Walks Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500	Weird Power Problem Sorry if this is a FAQ, but I did a quick search and didn't see a similar thread. Anyway, I have had my reader now for about a month, but haven't actually used it much as I was finishing up a paper book. So, it has primarily sat mostly unused for the last few weeks. I had assumed that the Reader could sit in this state almost indefinitely without running out of battery as I had heard that the thing that draws power are the actual page turns and not the e-ink displaying. So, I took it out with me to the coffee shop thinking I'd start reading one of my ebooks. After starting it up, though, it would die on me without fully rendering the main Menu. When I got home, I plugged it in and it now seems to work okay. The batter meter shows full after charging for about an hour. Is this a known problem or is this By Design? Am I supposed to ensure that I keep the batter charged even if I'm not using the device regularly? Thanks, Hep.

07-06-2007, 12:52 AM	#6
Hepcat Minister of Silly Walks Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500	Defect or By Design? Well, thanks for the responses so far. Unfortunately, I've gotten both the "it's a defect" and "it's By Design" responses! :-) I think what I will do is actually read an ebook next and see if normal usage results in this issue. If I have this problem recur when it clearly should not, then I'll assume it's a defect. If the battery drains in a "normal" or expected fashion, then I'll assume it's the typical 3-4 week shelf sit that did this. Thanks! Jim

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07-06-2007, 12:14 AM	#2
Detour Lurker Posts: 20 Karma: 91 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Ankh Morpork Device: Sony Reader PRS 500/505 (blue) / iPhone / Kindle (gave away)	I don't think this is normal because it has never happened with my Reader. I purchased two Readers as Mothers Day gifts and one of them had this problem. The one I gave my Mother-in-law works fine but the one I gave my daughter-in-law does exactly what you describe. I'm working with Sony to get it exchanged for her. So far we haven't gotten it back but Sony didn't give us any problems, just said "ship it back and we'll send you a new one". Maybe you can do the same?

07-06-2007, 12:34 AM	#3
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	Unfortunately, it's a known ... trait of the Reader -- it still draws some current even when it's "off" such that the battery effectively discharges after 3~4 weeks, whether it's used or not. You can find details (including something of the why's) in this obnoxiously long thread, if you like. The nutshell answer is that you ought to plan to charge it about every 3~4 weeks.

07-06-2007, 12:39 AM	#4
Nogg Literate! Posts: 256 Karma: 2247 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: PRS-500	Actually, it sounds like you're running into the same "issue" that most of us have discovered upon spending some time with it. The reader isn't ever actually off, even when you've flipped the switch and the screen's gone blank. It's still running the OS all the time. What this means is that after about 3-4 weeks, the battery will be depleted. I'm guessing you just needed a charge after it sitting for so long. It's true that it doesn't require any power to maintain the image that's on the screen, but it's still sucking juice with the background OS: running the clock, for one, and probably just maintaining it so that the power on doesn't take several seconds. Many of us have complained that it'd be much nicer if it really could last several months on the shelf, but just as many have correctly remarked that the battery life of this device is orders of magnitude greater than any of our other personal electronics.

07-06-2007, 12:40 AM	#5
Nogg Literate! Posts: 256 Karma: 2247 Join Date: Mar 2007 Device: PRS-500	Curse you Natch! You just beat me!

07-06-2007, 09:21 AM	#11
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,957 Karma: 128903250 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	When you charged it, did you make sure the red light on the left side was actually out? If it's not out, then it has not yet gotten a full charge.

07-06-2007, 01:18 PM	#12
Hepcat Minister of Silly Walks Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500	Thanks, all, for the red light tip. Just in case, I plugged it in overnight, so it should be good to go. NatCH, I'll go ahead and check out the long thread. Sounds interesting, and I like to know that kind of stuff anyway. J.

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