battery runs down quickly --why?

[rjnagle]

Hi, I have a brand new Axim x51v. I use an extended battery I bought from aximcases.

the problem is that things charge fairly quickly. It's almost scary.

here are my power management settings:



Turn on device from suspend mode if
a program button is pressed
if the record button is pressed. Both checked.

When pressing and holding the power....dim/light the display.

on battery power: turn off device is not used for 2 minutes
on ext power: turn off device if not used for 5 minutes.

although I regularly use wifi, in this case I am writing today, I didn't use it all day.

It's possible that the fake server workaround mentioned here would solve the problem http://www.aximsite.com/boards/showthread.php?t=112012 . But later people on the thread say that it didn't need to be done for ROM12.

However, it makes sense. I was wondering if people on this list can think of other things to check for. Thanks.

[aximbigfan]

you need to cycle the battery. charge it up all of the way then use it all up. repeate about 5 times. if that doesnt work, call dell...


chris

[rjnagle]

this is a third party extended battery. Does that make a difference? (I guess I could test it using the original battery).

You say I might need to call Dell. What hardware problem could be behind this?

Did you recommend recharging and discharging 5 times to "break the pda in" or merely to confirm that the charge is not staying?

[Jogga]

It may just be the WiFi and/or BT. Turn them off when not in use and make sure that any applications that are not being used are properly closed.

[ikehiker]

The rapid discharge was one of the issues fixed by the fake server trick. It's a pretty easy thing to try and, as far as I know, there's no downside to trying it.

There may be several issues here.

1. the advice to charge the battery fully and then discharge fully, is for the sake of the battery. I have a third party battery and those were the instructions that came with it. The battery does, indeed, hold more of a charge after this break-in period.

2. If you have a new Axim and have not installed one of the programs that truly closes an application, such as vbar, magicbutton or inclose, you may be leaving applications open that are draining the battery. Regardless, a true "closer" is good to have so that you don't "forget" how many aps you have open.

3. If you use activesync, even with the fake server trick and even with rom a12, once it is in memory, and even if you are no longer connected, it may still be running. You may also have other programs, such as a weather or an alert or aggregater that may try to update. If wifi was on, when you dimmed the display, ie put the axim to sleep, the wifi will wake up, also draining your battery.

4. Finally, there are processor settings that may help. Normally the axim should cycle from 108 up to the full 640 mhz. I often force it to power saving (208 mhz).

Chances are, you have a combination of the above contributing to your problem.
Systematically looking into each of these should help. If not, then you can call dell.

[rjnagle]

what does it mean to fully discharge the battery? until it is completely dark? Or until the indicator light says almost empty?

DeeCee52, thanks for the tip about the "closer programs". I did not know they existed.

I've noticed at times that the extended battery is a little hot. I'll be more attentive about what programs are running at any given moment. It's going to take 2 weeks or so to run through possible causes and solutions. I got time.

Another dumb question. When the battery is fully charged, was is the typical amount of time for it to stay charged if it is never used?

To fully discharge the battery, leave the unit on -- do not dim it or put it to sleep and only on battery power. for this to work quickly, allow the ax to remain fully on, even when running on battery. It will eventually run out of power and the shut itself down. Now you can charge the battery fully. When you first start charging the battery should read at zereo%. Turn the unit off to allow the battery to charge. Again I would allow a good 3 - 4 hours to charge it. repeat this cycle several times.

programs working and accessing the processor will cause the battery to warm up. If it is really hot, there may be a problem -- remember the laptop batteries.

[rjnagle]

I'm going to give a followup after I do this. I just wanted to mention an interesting fact.

With bluetooth/wifi on, three applications running and for 45 minutes an mp3 running, without power going off and maximum performance settings, it took a good 6 or 7 hours for the third party extended battery to drain completely.

that's pretty reassuring. the problem seems to be power reduction when the display goes off.