Difference in battery life between iPaq versions

[Reidan]

I previously had an iPaq 3650 that I had to give up when I changed jobs. After starting the new job I purchased my own 3765 so that I would not have to give it up again. Besides that, the company wanted to give me a used Palm m100.

I have noticed that the battery life in the 3765 is much shorter than the old 3650. I am using same applications and use patterns as before so battery life should be similar.

I am only getting about 30 minutes out of a fully charged battery. I do use the backlight, but it is on the lowest power setting. It actually seems like the battery life is getting shorter the longer I have the unit.

Anyone else seen this before? Sound like I have a defective battery in the 3765?


Thanks,
Reidan

[Nitestrike]

As far as I know the 3600s and 3700s have the same hardware except for the ROM size to accommodate the larger size of PocketPC 2002. I have linked below to a Whitepaper on iPAQ batteries. It has some very useful information even though it is about the 3900 series battery usage and such. Also did you have a sleeve for the 3650, that can have a impact some times on battery power.

Battery WhitePaper (http://wwss1pro.compaq.com/support/reference_library/viewdocument.asp?countrycode=1000&prodid=2183|iPAQ+H3800+Series+Pocket+PC&source=308402-001.xml&dt=21&docid=11364)

[hubzik]

Actually, there have been quite a few cases concerning the 37xx model's battery life. The iPAQ battery is a gel type battery, which means inside the battery it contains a gel type substance. If the battery is drained and has been sitting on the stores shelf for some time, the gel dries up and is ruined. there is no way to revive a dried up battery. If your unit is still under warrenty, i would call compaq, and get a battery replacement.

Under normal use, with the backlight set to low, NOT OFF but low, you should get about 2-3+ hours of battery life.

Without Backlight around 3-4+ hours battery life. On the 37xx models.

-HubZik.com Support-
HubZik.com Pocket PC Software and Reviews
http://www.hubzik.com

[CH2S]

2-3 hours of battery life with backlighton low??? I hope its longer on the 3955! MY jornada 720 lasts 6-8 hours with the screen on 100% brightness playing mp3s from my CF card!

[Reidan]

Thanks for the info guys.

I do have a CF Sleeve. One of the originals without the extra battery. When I use it the battery life is even less because of the extra drain.

Even without the CF Sleeve I have never gotten those times on the 3765, even when it was new. But it has gotten much worse in the last week or two. I have had it since April so it is still under warranty. Heck, I do not think I got 2-3 hours on the 3650 either, but it was a much longer time than I am getting now. I may have kept the backlight on a higher setting on it though. Looks like I will give H-Paq a call.

FYI, When I am listening to an MP3 audio book off of my CF memory card I am only getting about 10 minutes now, and that is with the backlight turned off. I had to go out and buy an auto lighter adapter to get me enough play time to survive the 1 1/2 hour drive to work. When playing MP3's the unit never warns me that batteries are running low, it just turns off. Once this happens the data for any open/running programs is corrupted.

I have read some post in the past where you could install aftermarket batteries into the iPaq to get extended life. When my warranty expires I might want to give that a try. Any of you guys tried that? If so, what kind of battery life are you getting with the new battery? Is it worth the investment?

Also, been thinking of getting one of the new CF Sleeves with the battery built in. Read some post that the Nexian Dual Slot sleeve is kinda flimsy and breaks easily and some CF cards do not fit. Anyone have any suggestions on those.


Thanks again for your help and suggestions,.
Reidan

[laser]

I have a 3835 with the CF Plus expansion sleve. I have been very happy with both the internal battery and the sleve.

I like that the sleeve seems to use its battery first and then when it gets low it finally starts to use the system battery. When you power off the iPAQ the sleeve battery then charges your main battery back to full.

I also like that if you need it you can buy an extended battery for the sleeve.

I easily listen to MP3 or audio books 1 hour each way to and from work plus use my iPAQ during the day for no less than 2 hours. I still have my main battery at 98% - 100% and the sleeve battery is showing it would like a charge at around 25%. Even over a weekend I have never run to where both batteries are warning me.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck.