[P1] recalibrating ibook battery

[Joost van de Griek]

On 2003-10-06 08:45, e.mkeene wrote:

>> The battery needs to be re-calibrated from time to time to keep the
>> onscreen battery time and percent display accurate. You should
>> perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then
>> every few months thereafter."
>> 
>> The procedure for re-calibrating is to first fully charge your
>> PowerBook, then disconnect it from the external power source and run
>> it until there is no power left (the machine goes to sleep). Then
>> connect the adapter and full recharge.
>> 
> Does anybody know if there is a problem if the battery is re-calibrated
> too often? The reason I ask is because my normal work habit is to keep
> the ibook plugged in to ac with the battery installed and sleeping when
> I am not using it. Then if it is convenient, I leave it in that same
> state while I am working. When ac is not convenient, I unplug and run
> it on battery. Most of the time I run it until I get the reserve dialog
> and replug. Sometimes, I run on battery for awhile and when I get back
> near the ac, plug it back in even if it has not run down to reserve.
> 
> Any comments of how this does or does not affect battery life? As far
> as the battery indicator goes, it seems to be quite consistent and the
> amount of battery time I get on a full charge also seems to be
> consistent. I have not actually timed it and tracked it because some of
> the battery time may be spent sleeping intermittently. I run it with
> the monitor on max brightness and with airport always on and get about
> 4hours consistently of steady use on battery. I do have the energy
> settings set to dim screen with 2 min of inactivity and to sleep the
> system with 8 minutes of inactivity even on ac. I don't use the
> speakers alot

Li-Ion batteries don't degrade gradually; they just lose a large portion of
their capacity rather suddenly.

To keep it alive for as long as possible, try to minimize the number of
discharge/charge cycles as much as possible. In other words: use AC power
whenever possible. Oonly recalibrate your battery when you notice the
battery charge indication being off.

,xtG
.tsooJ
-- 
Dead end
You are at a dead end of a dirt road.  The road goes to the east.
In the distance you can see that it will eventually fork off.  The
trees here are very tall royal palms, and they are spaced equidistant
from each other.
There is a shovel here.
>take shovel
Taken.  
>eat shovel
You forcefully shove a shovel down your throat, and start choking.

You are dead.
You have scored 0 out of a possible 90 points.
-- 
Joost van de Griek
<http://www.jvdg.net/>