Shutting off with battery meter still high?

I’ve seen several references on this thread to a specific battery life percentage - 59 percent, 98 percent, etc. How do you check that? I’ve been going by my battery meter on the clip, which indicates full, or about a quarter used, but not a specific percentage. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. 

There is another factor not discussed regarding the rapid charge from “dead”, and that’s the power management scheme.

The processor handles the battery charge current, as it’s a Li-Polymer cell.  The charge current is not constant, and is varied by the processor logic.  This is quite critical to ensure that the battery charge current is not excessive, for the life cycle of the battery.

It’s completely normal when charging for the unit to first “tickle” the battery fior a short time, determining battery status, then it will increase the charge current to maximum.  This rate will drop off, as designed, to protect the cell from overcharging and heat.  Have you noticed the rate of charge as displayed in “properties” will slow considerably after the battery has charged for two hours or so?

This normal charge rate change can fool you into thinking something is “wrong” with your Clip’s meter, as it will ramp up rapidly during the first- say, third of your charging cycle.

Bob  :wink:

You can check the battery condition from Windows, while charging- My Computer > Right-Click on the Sansa > Properties.

Then you’ll see the battery icon.

Bob  :wink:

That did it. Thank you very much.

Hi,

I’ve experienced the same discharging issue, which is very annoying. Now, a check is running on how long the battery actually lasts, whereas I forgot to attach a headphone. Does it affect the battery duration, so that I have to redo the check? Maybe the amplifier is shut down in case of a missing headphone, which saves some energy…

Message Edited by qwerbeet on 03-09-2008 10:23 AM

qwerbeet wrote:  forgot to attach a headphone. Does it affect the battery duration, so that I have to redo the check?

Let’s say it can only be shorter with headphones connected…  :wink:

If you are well into your timing, my suggestion is connect the headphones now and continue. Then you can redo the first part of your test (to your present battery level) later and add up the duration…

Of course, that’s a possibility to continue. But I want to ship it back to the store tomorrow and don’t have time for another test. I guess I have to live with an invalid test result and just hope that the next clip is doing fine.
Are there about as many posts of members with normal battery duration than these kind of posts or is it a wide-spread problem of the clip?

Thanks for help!

Forums such as thse tend to reflect issues and problems, rather than everything-is-fine. 

Forums such as these tend to reflect issues and problems, rather than everything-is-fine. 

@neutron_bob wrote:

There is another factor not discussed regarding the rapid charge from “dead”, and that’s the power management scheme.

 

The processor handles the battery charge current, as it’s a Li-Polymer cell.  The charge current is not constant, and is varied by the processor logic.  This is quite critical to ensure that the battery charge current is not excessive, for the life cycle of the battery.

 

It’s completely normal when charging for the unit to first “tickle” the battery fior a short time, determining battery status, then it will increase the charge current to maximum.  This rate will drop off, as designed, to protect the cell from overcharging and heat.  Have you noticed the rate of charge as displayed in “properties” will slow considerably after the battery has charged for two hours or so?

 

This normal charge rate change can fool you into thinking something is “wrong” with your Clip’s meter, as it will ramp up rapidly during the first- say, third of your charging cycle.

 

Bob  :wink:

Hey Bob, thanks for the input! :smileyvery-happy:  Does you battery act the same way…lose its charge much faster when it gets to around the 40 to 30% level??

Ouch!  The server lost my post…weird experience…

With the previous firmware, 1.01.18, the four-zone battery meters went from 25% to empty rather quickly.  Note that I have four wee Clips being studiously tested by my wife and daughters.  Looks like your Clip is doing just fine.

The most important criterion I use is the net hours of service on them, which is quite acceptable, over 12 hours.

I’m experimenting with my latest new Sansa today, an e280v2.  It has the same processor as the Clip.

Gotta love these toys, man!

Bob (earbuds on!)  :smileyvery-happy:

@neutron_bob wrote:

There is another factor not discussed regarding the rapid charge from “dead”, and that’s the power management scheme.

 

The processor handles the battery charge current, as it’s a Li-Polymer cell.  The charge current is not constant, and is varied by the processor logic.  This is quite critical to ensure that the battery charge current is not excessive, for the life cycle of the battery.

 

It’s completely normal when charging for the unit to first “tickle” the battery fior a short time, determining battery status, then it will increase the charge current to maximum.  This rate will drop off, as designed, to protect the cell from overcharging and heat.  Have you noticed the rate of charge as displayed in “properties” will slow considerably after the battery has charged for two hours or so?

 

This normal charge rate change can fool you into thinking something is “wrong” with your Clip’s meter, as it will ramp up rapidly during the first- say, third of your charging cycle.

 

Bob  :wink:

Hey Bob, thanks for the input!:smileyvery-happy:  The charging back up quickly at lower levels part doesn’t bother me too much, it’s how the battery discharges much quicker with use when it gets down to around the 40 to 30% level. My battery will get around 15 - 16 hours of playtime from a 100% charge to around the 40 to 30% level, then once it gets down to around the 40 to 30 % level, it drains down to 0 in about an hour.  Is this normal, and does you battery act the same way?

Does anyone else’s battery act this way?

Message Edited by Jay_Dee63 on 03-09-2008 09:53 PM

That sounds pretty good!  I will get 14-plus hours if I just let her run, but the inevitable cycling of the device, plus browsing through the menus and its requisite display draw drops the total a bit.

Bob  :wink:

@neutron_bob wrote:

Ouch!  The server lost my post…weird experience…

 

With the previous firmware, 1.01.18, the four-zone battery meters went from 25% to empty rather quickly.  Note that I have four wee Clips being studiously tested by my wife and daughters.  Looks like your Clip is doing just fine.

 

The most important criterion I use is the net hours of service on them, which is quite acceptable, over 12 hours.

 

I’m experimenting with my latest new Sansa today, an e280v2.  It has the same processor as the Clip.

 

Gotta love these toys, man!

 

Bob (earbuds on!)  :smileyvery-happy:

Thanks again, Bob :smileyvery-happy:  I’ve used version 18 and 20 firmware (both had same results).  I’m using 20 now.  When I monitor the battery level in Windows (not just the battery icon on the Clip itself), it’ll drain down to 0 within about an hour of use once it gets down to around the 40 to 30% level.  I was wondering if that was “normal.”

Although I get plenty of playtime, I still want everything else on my Clip to function properly.   I had to exchange my first two Clips since they wouldn’t hold a charge. :mansad:

Message Edited by Jay_Dee63 on 03-09-2008 10:15 PM

That wouldn’t surprise me at all.  The gauge is not linear (as Sansafix has noted in this forum).  But then, I haven’t experienced this:  to help preserve my battery, I recharge at the 30-40% point.   :wink:

Check it in My Computer or Windows Explorer. Right-click the Sansa Clip icon and select Properties. On the General tab you will see a pretty green battery icon and the % of charge.

bobfastner wrote: … Sansa Clip icon and select Properties. On the General tab you will see a pretty green battery icon and the % of charge.

Are you replying to scclip’s question (a quote would be helpful to understand that)? That’s of course kind of you, but did you notice that the question already has been answered, and that the thread was three months old??  :wink:

Read this page. It should give you some insight.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm

@miikerman wrote:

That wouldn’t surprise me at all.  The gauge is not linear (as Sansafix has noted in this forum).  But then, I haven’t experienced this:  to help preserve my battery, I recharge at the 30-40% point.   :wink:

I have noticed this myself, the gauge’s non-linear nature, although it’s not a worry for me. I generally recharge when the little battery icon appears to be about half-empty, and every few weeks I’ll run it down most of the way, to “reset” the gauge’s memory. :smiley:

Hi,

I realised that even with the new firmware, this issue of battery depleting from 46% to 0% in less than an hour, is not resolved. Can someone please confirm that this is normal or my Clip is defective? The total playback time seems okay so far. 

I have a Silver 4GB version.