Libre battery only charging to two bars

PodPeople · 03-19-2010, 02:13 PM

Well, I've run into a potential problem with my Libre. Now when I charge the battery using the AC battery charging cord the battery charge display only shows two bars. When the battery is charging there is a graphic showing charging activity (1, 2, 3 bars, 1, 2, 3 bars etc.) and when it is through charging the graphic shows all three bars black with lightning bolts above them. Then when I unplug the reader, turn it on, and check the battery charge level (settings/system settings/battery) it shows only two black bars. The battery icon in the upper right corner of the screen also shows only two bars. This has just started -- the first few times I charged it the battery indicator showed a full charge. I haven't kept track of my usage hours, but it sure doesn't seem like I'm getting 24 hours of use between charges. Is anyone else having this problem?

jswinden · 03-19-2010, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PodPeople

Well, I've run into a potential problem with my Libre. Now when I charge the battery using the AC battery charging cord the battery charge display only shows two bars. When the battery is charging there is a graphic showing charging activity (1, 2, 3 bars, 1, 2, 3 bars etc.) and when it is through charging the graphic shows all three bars are black with lightning bolts above them. Then when I unplug the reader, turn it on, and check the battery charge level (settings/system settings/battery) it shows only two black bars. The battery icon in the upper right corner of the screen also shows only two bars. This has just started -- the first few times I charged it the battery indicator showed a full charge. I haven't kept track of my usage hours, but it sure doesn't seem like I'm getting 24 hours of use between charges. Is anyone else having this problem?

There might be a firmware glitch. What I've noticed is that if I have 2 bars showing in upper-right corner and I'm reading an ePub but then close that book and open a FB2 book the indicator jumps up to 3 bars. If i close the FB2 and open an ePub the indicator drops back to 2 bars. Really quirky.

NightBird · 03-20-2010, 04:19 AM

Yes, I am having the same problem. I have had my Libre since Christmas and it just started doing this today.

MLXXXp · 03-20-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

What I've noticed is that if I have 2 bars showing in upper-right corner and I'm reading an ePub but then close that book and open a FB2 book the indicator jumps up to 3 bars. If i close the FB2 and open an ePub the indicator drops back to 2 bars. Really quirky.

My Libre behaves similarly. What shows for ePub (which uses the ADE application) is the same as what you see in the menus. It's one bar less than what you see for FB2, .txt, etc. (which use the fbreader application). Also, when the menus and ADE application shows three bars (fully charged), the fbreader application will show all three bars plus three little "ticks" above.

jswinden · 03-20-2010, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLXXXp

My Libre behaves similarly. What shows for ePub (which uses the ADE application) is the same as what you see in the menus. It's one bar less than what you see for FB2, .txt, etc. (which use the fbreader application). Also, when the menus and ADE application shows three bars (fully charged), the fbreader application will show all three bars plus three little "ticks" above.

Good, since others are having this same problem that most likely points to firmware (which can be updated in the future) rather than a faulty Libre.

Other than this oddity, I think the battery is okay on mine and seems to keep a charge fairly long. It is barely a week old so I haven't had the opportunity to fully deplete and recharge it several times as they suggested. I probably should do that!

PodPeople · 03-20-2010, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLXXXp

My Libre behaves similarly. What shows for ePub (which uses the ADE application) is the same as what you see in the menus. It's one bar less than what you see for FB2, .txt, etc. (which use the fbreader application). Also, when the menus and ADE application shows three bars (fully charged), the fbreader application will show all three bars plus three little "ticks" above.

After charging I am showing 2 bars for the system battery charge indicator, 2 bars for ePub and PDF files, and 3 bars for Mobi, PRC, HTML, and txt files.

petechan · 03-20-2010, 06:40 PM

Question to the others: on my Libre it is the same thing also as mentioned here about the diff between epub and other file systems (after a full charge I get three bars even on epub but in relatively short time it goes down to two.) But if we are saying this is firmware related, how come podpeople and nightbird did not see this right from the beginning. I think for the last couple of months the only firmware is 0.14k. Is it because the holding charge of the battery is deteriorating?

By the way is anyone else annoyed at the popup that comes up when the battery gauge is down to one bar, that keeps on reminding you to recharge. Is there a way to turn this off?

NightBird · 03-20-2010, 07:00 PM

Hi Petechan:

I was wondering about why that just started too and also which firmware version everyone is using. The latest available at the Aluratek website is 15k. I am using 15j.

I don't know if there is a way to turn off the warning but I doubt it. I usually just keep mine charged up all the time. I am still a little concerned about whether or not this is a battery problem, as in testing it I did let it go down until I got the warning. When I charged it up to where it was supposedly fully charged it only took about 3 hours. It should take a lot longer than that.

The problem with these new ereaders is they haven't been out long enough for anyone to have experience regarding their longevity.

Also, btw as to the question about battery life, when I first got mine I tested the battery life between full charging and getting the need to recharge message and it was only about 13 hours. I did this by keeping a log of every time I turned it off and on. This was with the largest font size and using auto page turn of 5 seconds or 10 seconds. I am wondering how they came up with the 24-hour battery charge anyway. I doubt that they took into consideration the larger number of page turns required with a larger font.

NightBird · 03-20-2010, 07:01 PM

Also wondering if the Jetbook owners are having this problem or not.

doug38 · 03-20-2010, 07:26 PM

Yesterday my LIBRE battery showed 2 of 3 parts black/holding a charge, and that was immediately after charging (with the Power Adaptor). I have to admit, I probably didn't charge it long enough--only an hour. ----Soon after that I decided to do it much longer and charged it (with the Power Adaptor) for a full four hours, and then the charging screen showed something I'd never seen before: the whole battery icon (all 3 parts) solid black, with *no animated 1,2,3 movement. (The Settings/ Battery showed full 100%, but it had shown that way before, with an incomplete period of charging.)

[I'm not sure why people mention that file format seems to affect how the battery holds a charge or shows it.]

Also, I wonder if I might have crippled my battery by not charging it long enough when I first took it out of the package. Any one know?

PodPeople · 03-20-2010, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doug38

then the charging screen showed something I'd never seen before: the whole battery icon (all 3 parts) solid black, with *no animated 1,2,3 movement.

It is normal for the animation to stop after the Libre has finished charging. This usually takes 3 to 4 hours.

Nakor · 03-20-2010, 09:05 PM

The Libre uses a lithium-ion polymer battery, which if I'm not mistaken isn't adversely affected by partial recharges. However, sometimes the indicator can lose accuracy over the course of several months; this can be corrected by letting the battery completely die on its own, then charging it all the way to maximum in one go. Doing this once will fix the indicator if it does ever become inaccurate.

However, as the others above have mentioned this doesn't appear to be a battery issue, it's a firmware issue. I notice the same thing. So the full-empty-full-charge trick won't work here, it's a programming problem. Hopefully a patch fixes it up soon.

jswinden · 03-21-2010, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nakor

The Libre uses a lithium-ion polymer battery, which if I'm not mistaken isn't adversely affected by partial recharges. However, sometimes the indicator can lose accuracy over the course of several months; this can be corrected by letting the battery completely die on its own, then charging it all the way to maximum in one go. Doing this once will fix the indicator if it does ever become inaccurate.

However, as the others above have mentioned this doesn't appear to be a battery issue, it's a firmware issue. I notice the same thing. So the full-empty-full-charge trick won't work here, it's a programming problem. Hopefully a patch fixes it up soon.

Agree. Someone asked why this just started happening, well it has always happened on my 1.5 week old Libre.

The manual states to charge the battery for eight full hours the first three times to condition it, I doubt many of us did that. Butt as Nakor states let it completely discharge then fully recharge it (until charging icon stops its animation) and the battery should hold a charge as advertised.

PodPeople · 03-21-2010, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jswinden

But as Nakor states let it completely discharge then fully recharge it (until charging icon stops its animation) and the battery should hold a charge as advertised.

I guess the best way to discharge the Libre is to put it on auto page turn on a very large book. Is there any danger of the Libre becoming a brick if it is completely discharged?

mrkarl · 03-21-2010, 01:19 PM

I just had that problem....I thought I'd forgot to turn it off...then I left it on charge for quite a while, day and a half, and then had to reset it to get away from the charge screen...oh well a few days and I'll see how the charge holds, but so far after a few weeks I don't think I'm getting 24 hours use out of a charge

03-19-2010, 02:13 PM	#1
PodPeople Connoisseur Posts: 94 Karma: 134 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Houston, TX Device: Nook Simple Touch, iPad 3, Kindle 4B	Libre battery only charging to two bars Well, I've run into a potential problem with my Libre. Now when I charge the battery using the AC battery charging cord the battery charge display only shows two bars. When the battery is charging there is a graphic showing charging activity (1, 2, 3 bars, 1, 2, 3 bars etc.) and when it is through charging the graphic shows all three bars black with lightning bolts above them. Then when I unplug the reader, turn it on, and check the battery charge level (settings/system settings/battery) it shows only two black bars. The battery icon in the upper right corner of the screen also shows only two bars. This has just started -- the first few times I charged it the battery indicator showed a full charge. I haven't kept track of my usage hours, but it sure doesn't seem like I'm getting 24 hours of use between charges. Is anyone else having this problem? Last edited by PodPeople; 03-20-2010 at 01:02 PM.

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03-20-2010, 04:19 AM	#3
NightBird Wizard Posts: 2,364 Karma: 3724797 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch	Yes, I am having the same problem. I have had my Libre since Christmas and it just started doing this today.

03-20-2010, 06:40 PM	#7
petechan Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 148 Join Date: Feb 2010 Device: Aluratek libre	Question to the others: on my Libre it is the same thing also as mentioned here about the diff between epub and other file systems (after a full charge I get three bars even on epub but in relatively short time it goes down to two.) But if we are saying this is firmware related, how come podpeople and nightbird did not see this right from the beginning. I think for the last couple of months the only firmware is 0.14k. Is it because the holding charge of the battery is deteriorating? By the way is anyone else annoyed at the popup that comes up when the battery gauge is down to one bar, that keeps on reminding you to recharge. Is there a way to turn this off?

03-20-2010, 07:00 PM	#8
NightBird Wizard Posts: 2,364 Karma: 3724797 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch	Hi Petechan: I was wondering about why that just started too and also which firmware version everyone is using. The latest available at the Aluratek website is 15k. I am using 15j. I don't know if there is a way to turn off the warning but I doubt it. I usually just keep mine charged up all the time. I am still a little concerned about whether or not this is a battery problem, as in testing it I did let it go down until I got the warning. When I charged it up to where it was supposedly fully charged it only took about 3 hours. It should take a lot longer than that. The problem with these new ereaders is they haven't been out long enough for anyone to have experience regarding their longevity. Also, btw as to the question about battery life, when I first got mine I tested the battery life between full charging and getting the need to recharge message and it was only about 13 hours. I did this by keeping a log of every time I turned it off and on. This was with the largest font size and using auto page turn of 5 seconds or 10 seconds. I am wondering how they came up with the 24-hour battery charge anyway. I doubt that they took into consideration the larger number of page turns required with a larger font.

03-20-2010, 07:01 PM	#9
NightBird Wizard Posts: 2,364 Karma: 3724797 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: California Device: KPW, KF, KF HD, iPod Touch	Also wondering if the Jetbook owners are having this problem or not.

03-20-2010, 07:26 PM	#10
doug38 Member Posts: 22 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2008 Device: Ectaco jetBook or Aluratek Libre	Yesterday my LIBRE battery showed 2 of 3 parts black/holding a charge, and that was immediately after charging (with the Power Adaptor). I have to admit, I probably didn't charge it long enough--only an hour. ----Soon after that I decided to do it much longer and charged it (with the Power Adaptor) for a full four hours, and then the charging screen showed something I'd never seen before: the whole battery icon (all 3 parts) solid black, with *no animated 1,2,3 movement. (The Settings/ Battery showed full 100%, but it had shown that way before, with an incomplete period of charging.) [I'm not sure why people mention that file format seems to affect how the battery holds a charge or shows it.] Also, I wonder if I might have crippled my battery by not charging it long enough when I first took it out of the package. Any one know?

03-20-2010, 09:05 PM	#12
Nakor Addict Posts: 214 Karma: 511602 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: BC, Canada Device: Aluratek Libre	The Libre uses a lithium-ion polymer battery, which if I'm not mistaken isn't adversely affected by partial recharges. However, sometimes the indicator can lose accuracy over the course of several months; this can be corrected by letting the battery completely die on its own, then charging it all the way to maximum in one go. Doing this once will fix the indicator if it does ever become inaccurate. However, as the others above have mentioned this doesn't appear to be a battery issue, it's a firmware issue. I notice the same thing. So the full-empty-full-charge trick won't work here, it's a programming problem. Hopefully a patch fixes it up soon.

03-21-2010, 01:19 PM	#15
mrkarl Connoisseur Posts: 74 Karma: 22 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: the great white north Device: aluratek libre pro	I just had that problem....I thought I'd forgot to turn it off...then I left it on charge for quite a while, day and a half, and then had to reset it to get away from the charge screen...oh well a few days and I'll see how the charge holds, but so far after a few weeks I don't think I'm getting 24 hours use out of a charge