[bookcourier] Re: Sapping batteries - a helpful warning
- From: "Greg Epley" <gregepley@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bookcourier@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 6 Jun 2005 13:36:05 -0500
Okay experts, exactly how - and post all the detail here on the list - not
specifically to me off list - how do I place probes on a meter and perform
the loaded battery test? I'll start using that if anyone can describe to me
in great detail how to perform this test in a safe manner without any damage
whatsoever to my device. I am very careful with electronics in this
regard - I will not risk doing anything else to my delicate BC just because
a Ph.D. or an electronics person tell me - in detail on this list - exactly
how to do the test in a safe manner for me as well as my device. I will
post all future help off list though; I don't mind admitting when I'm
wrong - but all this recent nitpicking over what started out to be just a
helpful post is ridiculous. I have never seen nor heard of testing
batteries in the way proposed here, and I've been educating myself on
electronics and electricity at least since 1974. Okay fellas, so I'm wrong
and you're right - so then tell me how to do your test - don't mince words -
either give me the details or shut up.
-Greg
----- Original Message -----
From: "A. Lester Buck III" <bookcourier-reg@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bookcourier@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 12:55 PM
Subject: [bookcourier] Re: Sapping batteries - a helpful warning
>
> While Greg has made up his mind and doesn't want to be confused by the
> facts, for the rest of you I'll point out a resource on the web for a
> mildly similar device with rechargeable batteries, the Archos line of
> hard-disk based MP3 players. A group of very dedicated amateurs studied
> the Archos design and reverse engineered completely new firmware to
> drive the system. Their project is open source and documented at
>
> http://www.rockbox.org/.
>
> Interestingly, they have recently added support for blind and visually
> impaired users,
>
> http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/BlindFAQ
>
> This is just an add-on to a device not designed (at all) for use by
> visually impaired people, and while cute, I didn't find it very helpful.
> The buttons, in particular, are nothing like as useful as on the Book
> Courier, and that is why I got my father (who has macular degeneration)
> to buy a Book Courier instead of having him learn to use my Archos 6000.
>
> On the subject of batteries and charging, they have a rather detailed
> FAQ here:
>
> http://www.rockbox.org/twiki/bin/view/Main/BatteryFAQ
>
>
> When I was in school, a battery was modeled as an ideal voltage source
> with a series resistance, and as the battery discharged, the series
> resistance rose. Eventually all the voltage drop occurred over the
> internal resistance of the battery.
>
> I thought almost everyone had had that delightful time at the auto
> repair shop where your battery is producing the ideal voltage right up
> until the time you try to start the car (i.e., put it under load), at
> which time all the lights on the dashboard dim... Sigh. The only test
> that really matters for any battery is a load test. Other tests are
> easier to perform, and may give some indications, but the rubber meets
> the road with a load test.
>
>
> PS I'm not an electrical engineer, but I play one on the Book Courier
> mailing list. (PhD in Physics, though)
>
>
> Best regards,
>
> Lester
>
>
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