How long did your first charge last?

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by crsheilah

I'm amazed when I read about how many page turns someone gets before having to charge. How would one ever keep track of that?! I use the NYPL a lot so everytime I plug in to download books from there my reader charges, it would be impossible to know how many page turns I get even if I were to keep notes (as these people must). I usually give it a full charge when it gets down to two bars. My big worry is that someday I may have to return it to Sony for a new battery. Anyone run into this problem?

Dear crsheilah:

We welcome Sony people to our Astak Dedicated Forum and consider you an asset.

A major difference between the Astak line and the Sony line is the battery! Sony, Kindle, B&N, and almost everyone else uses a sealed-in battery. It is not user replaceable. People tend to only worry about this after they buy (unfortunately for Astak).

From what I have heard, the charge by Sony to replace the battery is about $80 plus freight and takes 4-6 weeks. I hope to God I am wrong; but that is why Astak sticks with User-Replaceable Rechargeable Batteries and keeps spares in stock!

[cancelx]

Robert- You said you sell the batteries for the PP?
Where and how much?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cancelx

Robert- You said you sell the batteries for the PP?
Where and how much?

This is what we have been nagging about
Web site organization. Accessory/parts are not on the EZReader site, only on the Astak site. Same company---2 different sites

http://www.astak.com/category.asp?id=7 near the bottom

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by theducks

This is what we have been nagging about
Web site organization. Accessory/parts are not on the EZReader site, only on the Astak site. Same company---2 different sites

http://www.astak.com/category.asp?id=7 near the bottom

That site is only for people in the USA, there is a different site for international customers, with no batteries on it. Since Astak charges a king's ransom in shipping outside the USA, it probably does not matter anyway. With a shipping charge of $45 for a $15 battery, who would order it?

http://www.astak.com/ezreader/step1.asp

[cancelx]

WOW ! are you serious Dave?
whats the shipping cost within the US? i might have someone who could buy for me and send (im in canada)

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cancelx

WOW ! are you serious Dave?
whats the shipping cost within the US? i might have someone who could buy for me and send (im in canada)

It is the International shipping and customs forms that are insane
Then there is the Brokerage fee (included in FedEx, UPS Air. But not Ground. at your end

So much for NAFTA

Postage in the US should be a few $.
Handling (packing, packaging material) appears to be part of the shipping charges.

[cancelx]

hey duck
yeah, i buy a lot from US and China (china is the easiest, and fastest)

but us to canada is simple, IF you only use USPS. First Class is cheap, and sometimes faster than priority
insurance is fake (people think use priority for insurance), because insurance is ONLY TO the border.

it's one slip, name, item and value in this case.

anyway, my lesson for the day (grin)

ps- my PP ARRIVED !!

[Dave_S]

Originally Posted by theducks

It is the International shipping and customs forms that are insane

I have ordered PDA batteries out of the USA, and for something with a low weight and low value like $15, it is just first class air mail postage and a little green customs sticker. IIRC, the shipping charge for a LiOn PDA battery was in the region of $5 from USA to Germany.

[hidari]

Originally Posted by Robertb

Dear Blossom:

You are doing everything right; and I thank you. BUT, the factory instructions are wrong! The OLD batteries needed to use this archaic "charge fully, drain fully" idea. The new batteries do not require this!! You should charge when the battery charge life meter get just below 1/2. If you let it get too low it will start to have problems. tery!

Robertb: Ta for this update. I keep hearing 30 different views on battery life. Seems a bit strange..... I have the March firmware and have had no problems. On my second charge that has lasted for WEEKS... now at 1/2 or maybe a wee bit below. Will charge for 12 hours today.

I think charging at half is a good Idea. Was not aware that there may be problems if the battery went too low.

[theducks]

I think the problem goes away once the gauge is calibrated.
Until it calibrates., is 1/2 or 1/4 really that reading or just a freckle from dead (80% of nominal voltage is a common benchmark for dead).

My unit has been charged many cycle now and I can read reliably at a early 1 bar. We are talking about playing Music AND reading over a week to drag it that low.
This was one of the reasons I did not give up my PEz when it peeled. It works

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cancelx

hey duck
yeah, i buy a lot from US and China (china is the easiest, and fastest)

but us to canada is simple, IF you only use USPS. First Class is cheap, and sometimes faster than priority
insurance is fake (people think use priority for insurance), because insurance is ONLY TO the border.

it's one slip, name, item and value in this case.

anyway, my lesson for the day (grin)

ps- my PP ARRIVED !!

In the USA, Priority Mail (tm) is nothing but "First Class" mail.
Express Mail gets the special treatment.

I prefer UPS. If the shipment gets lost, you get you shipping charge returned.
Not so with the USPS. It only covers the goods, not the postage (on International, that can be $$)

Also UPS includes the first $100 for free, you only pay for additional $100's.

[cancelx]

hey ducks

for canada, UPS is the killer, because cross border they are treated as a 3rd party broker, so no matter what, you'll get hit with tax and duty, and as a separate letter in the mail usually. sucks.

for me, usually been happy with 1st class usps. my eReader was sent priority, since the 12th, it JUST arrived today.

[Robertb]

Originally Posted by hidari

Robertb: Ta for this update. I keep hearing 30 different views on battery life. Seems a bit strange..... I have the March firmware and have had no problems. On my second charge that has lasted for WEEKS... now at 1/2 or maybe a wee bit below. Will charge for 12 hours today.

I think charging at half is a good Idea. Was not aware that there may be problems if the battery went too low.

Dear Hidari:

I have told this story a few times but my first plane ride (5 hours) with our first EZ Reader Basic was an adventure. I was by myself. I am playing music while reading and having a ball when all of a sudden the music stops and the device freezes up!! I freak out. I quickly borrow a paper clip and reset. It resets and I go back to reading. Five minutes later it freezes again. I saw I still had one bar on the meter and thought: "OH, MY GOD, our device has a glitch". It ruined the whole rest of the flight. I get off the plane and email the office telling them this tragic news. They wrote back one word: "recharge".

I did recharge that night and never had another problem. Yes, even good devices like the EZ Reader and Pocket PRO get cranky on low charge. So, the Gospel of RobertB: "recharge when it gets down to a little below 1/2"!! I NEVER want anyone else to see their Astak at anything less than energetic and wonderful!

[theducks]

Originally Posted by cancelx

hey ducks

for canada, UPS is the killer, because cross border they are treated as a 3rd party broker, so no matter what, you'll get hit with tax and duty, and as a separate letter in the mail usually. sucks.

for me, usually been happy with 1st class usps. my eReader was sent priority, since the 12th, it JUST arrived today.

And you are not on the US border.

I knew UPS Ground had the Broker. I heard Air did not.
So Ottawa is just as greedy as DC when it come to duties

[jusmee]

Originally Posted by theducks

Sorry, but electronic theory does support a long charge.

When charging Capacitors (and more so, Batteries), they are always approaching a full charge as the never truly reach 100%. The charge gain just becomes smaller and smaller and smaller....
(charge curve, )

Not quite what I meant. Firstly, because the charging voltage is always larger than the target voltage for the battery, the asymptotic approach to the final voltage is not as much of a problem. In fact, for a current controlled charge from a higher voltage than the battery, it is quite a different situation.

However, the important point is that, reliable operation of the device is achieved with a battery voltage way less than fully charged, obviously. For a device than goes so long (normally) without needing to be charged, even if you only get to 75% charge then start using it, for example, then you should NOT be experiencing any operational problems - yet excessive charging is still suggested when people experience problems - go figure.