Battery Pack Operating Time

This appendix covers the following information concerning battery pack operating time:

Increase battery pack operating time

Conditioning a battery pack

Disposal of a used battery pack

Increasing Battery Pack Operating Time

Battery pack operating time differs depending on several variables. To avoid unnecessary replacement, consider the following variables when determining how long a charged battery pack should last:

Power management settings

Hardware configuration

Software applications

Installed options

Display brightness

Hard drive usage

Changes in operating temperature

Type and number of installed PC Cards

NOTE:
The power consumption requirements for PC Cards vary widely. Some cards drain the battery pack very rapidly.

Battery pack operating time can be increased by as much as 50 percent by controlling the energy required by the computer and the energy stored in the battery pack.

Minimizing the Energy Required

To minimize the energy required by the computer, follow these steps:

Set the power conservation levels in the Power Management utility to Maximum.

Customize the timeout value to work more efficiently with the applications. The amount of battery life depends on the values selected.

Maximizing the Energy Stored

To maximize the energy stored in the battery pack, follow these guidelines:

Condition the battery pack at least every 30 days to improve overall battery performance.

Keep a battery pack in the computer when using it with AC power to supply the battery pack with a constant trickle charge.

Store the battery pack in a cool, dry place when not in use.

Conditioning a Battery Pack

CAUTION: To avoid a loss of data, ensure that all data is saved before discharging a battery pack.

To condition a battery pack, complete the following steps:

1. Allow the battery to drain until the computer reaches hibernation and turns itself off. Do not plug in the AC adapter during this process. Also, the system should not be allowed to sleep. To prevent sleep, you may either use the computer while the battery is draining, or you may disable power management.

2. Plug in the AC adapter and allow the battery to charge until the LED light on the display stops blinking. Your battery gauge may read 100 percent for a period of time before LED light on the display stops blinking. Do not unplug the AC adapter until the arrow disappears.

Your battery is now re-conditioned, and you may begin using the computer normally.

The battery pack charge time may vary greatly from 2 hours to 5 hours or more, depending on many factors (including whether it is charged on-line or off-line).

Disposal of a Used Battery Pack

In the interest of safeguarding our environment. Compaq Computer Corporation recommends that nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li ion) battery packs be recycled. Battery packs should be handled in accordance with country, state, province, or local regulations.

CAUTION: Never attempt to open or service a battery pack. Opening a battery pack not only damages the pack and makes it unusable, but also expose potentially harmful battery components.

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