Battery Life - Basics

[Asrar]

Battery life has been a major concern for Pocket PCs users. The primary reason why Pocket PCs are juice hungry is because up to 50% (enough for 72 hours or storage) of battery power was reserved just to maintain data in volatile RAM. While WM5 has provided a marked improvement on that front, the upcoming “Photon”, the successor of WM5 will perhaps settle this issue fair and square.

Till that happens here are a few tips to get the most of the devices we already have –

1. When the device is new let it charge off AC Mains for a good 12 hours or so.
2. Fully drain the battery to zero level for at least 2-3 times.
3. Make sure the standby battery remains always charged to 100%. This is the battery that helps retain data for 15-30 minutes if the main battery runs out or while it is being swapped.
4. Set the device to turn off after a period of inactivity. Shorter the better.
5. Set the backlight just enough for good visibility and set it also to turn off after a period of inactivity. Shorter the better.
6. Programs running in the background drain juice. Make it a practice to close all programs through the Start>Setting>Memory>Running Programs or, better still, use a program like BatteryPackPro that allows quick closure of programs off the today screen.
7. Set the network settings to manual with your telco preselected – AlJawal, Etisalat, etc. since Automatic settings may cause the phone to search continuously, draining juice, in the background.
8. Switch of Bluetooth when you don’t need it.
9. The following are major juice drainers Backlight, WLAN, Bluetooth active connection, Games, Multimedia. Set a pattern for their usage and work out the most optimized usage pattern that suits your work out personal environment.
10. It’s a good idea to leave the device cradled overnight for charge. Staying connected to A/C for an extensive period will not damage the battery. The Pocket PC operates with Lithium Ion battery that does not retain a memory.
11. While at your desk, keep it in the sync cradle, it will not only keep the data always in sync but fully charged when you are ready to go out.
12. Processor speeds are another major battery drainers. Higher the processor speed, higher the power consumption and conversely. By overclocking processors through some available software, you will no doubt enhance your experience esp. for games, but they will drain juice exponentially. The flip side, however, is that some of these software will also allow underclocking (and better battery life) with also an “auto” mode that will throttle the processor to max, or let it rest fully, depending on the usage of the device and application it is running or not running – best of both worlds. One interesting program is the XCPUScalar2005 (http://pocketpcdubai.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/606604964/m/8691037621)

http://pocketpcdubai.com/i-mate_PPC/PDA2K/images/Benchmark/WMP.png

[Docc]

Very nice Asrar! Definitely a good read, will ber very helpful http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/smile.gif

I would just like to add one thing here. Contrary to beliefs, it is NOT good to let your battery drop to the red zones. The newer currently used Lithium-ion batteries "like" being kept at full charge. But YES, once in a month, letting it drop to 20% can be good in "conditioning" the battery, kinda like making it flex its muscles to the max http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/wink.gif

Thank you Asrar!

Docc.

[Asrar]

Thanks, Docc. Okay, so I guess for the "conditioning" it would be safer and more advisable not to not go below 20%.

[Docc]

Thats right Asrar. Its not advisable to drop below 20% at any time. Technically, the battery should be able to come out alive even after a complete drain, but thats just on paper. It has been documented several times that people wake up to dead devices because they forgot to charge it the previous night http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/sad.gif It doesn't mean that every battery is expected to behave this way, just citing a possibility which i am sure no one would like to test http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/wink.gif

Guess its worth taking the extra effort to save oneself from the misery of having to look at a dead device http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/wink.gif

Docc.

[Mohammed Alfalasi]

Great effort Asrar! http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/waytogo.gif

[Saravana Kumar Paulraj]

A great work Asrar....

Usefull tips for new commers and existing PPC users.

Would like to add this....

** Turn the 'BEAM Receiving to OFF', by default it is ON. To do this,
Start -> Settings -> Connections - Beam -> UNCHECK

http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/smile.gif

[Asrar]

Ooooh, Yes, Saravana, that's a major point. I had made a mental note of this point but somehow forgot to add it in my post. Yes, the "beam receiving on" thing actually figures on a lot of forums when discussing battery issues and is a very important point that Saravana made. Many thanks, Saravana.

I don't know about my post, but now the thread has indeed become a valuable pool of information, with key posts from you great people.

Thanks for the kind, encouraging words, all of you.

[Saravana Kumar Paulraj]

Originally posted by Asrar:
Ooooh, Yes, Saravana, that's a major point. I had made a mental note of this point but somehow forgot to add it in my post. Yes, the "beam receiving on" thing actually figures on a lot of forums when discussing battery issues and is a very important point that Saravana made. Many thanks, Saravana.

I don't know about my post, but now the thread has indeed become a valuable pool of information, with key posts from you great people.

Thanks for the kind, encouraging words, all of you.

U R Welcome Asrar.... finally we can compile this whole thread into an article and put that our http://pocketpcdubai.com/Forums/smileys/smile.gif

[Saravana Kumar Paulraj]

Some one told me (@ my office)....

Charge the device on the 'wall charger' once a while instead of the 'USB charging'....

I really dont know if this would be necessary for the device... Any views??

[Docc]

That is correct SKP. Via USB, there is usually a trickle charge whereas charging it through a regular wall-outlet provides a continous charge. Trickle charges diminishes battery life if done regularly. If occasionally done, it really doesn't make that much of a difference.

Docc.

[Asrar]

Leaving the device on overnight charge of the AC wall outlet would necessitate only very little charging off the USB, anyway. USB charging would then only serve to replenish the natural power drain during the day and/or to support the ActiveSync, file transfers, etc. while cradled.