battery issue

Hi to all

I have just purchased Fuze 4GB with 4GB card installed also. I use mediamonkey to sync both internal memory and micro card which works fine. Problem I have is the battery does not even last a full 8 hour day (without recharging at lunch time) usually shutting down mid afternoon. I have noticed that even when the hold button is on each time a button or scroll wheel is pressed the screen shows the locked symbol then a normal screen for 30 secs which I have it set too. I wear my ear monitors all day at work and have an active job moving around all the time is it possible that the movement in my pocket is causing the screen to come on a lot and hence flatten the battery prematurely. Surely when the hold button is on the screen should be completely deactivated or is this a firmware issue? Win XP SP3, Sansa Fuze Firmware 01.01.22F

Any help appreciated.

@rithym wrote:
…I have noticed that even when the hold button is on each time a button or scroll wheel is pressed the screen shows the locked symbol then a normal screen for 30 secs which I have it set too. … is it possible that the movement in my pocket is causing the screen to come on a lot and hence flatten the battery prematurely. Surely when the hold button is on the screen should be completely deactivated or is this a firmware issue?

Yes and yes to your questions.

I also dislike that the hold/lock doesn’t work as it should.  When I lock the player, it should stay locked until I unlock it, with no response to anything.  A firmware change would fix this.

It was suggested that this would confuse users who locked it accidentally, but I’m not buying that, as the first thing most anyone would do is try to power cycle it, which would automatically take it off hold.

Yip, I also strongly support a real hold/lock without that useless battery drain. So instead of slipping the Fuze into my pocket I have to put it into the lil bag first so that battery is not drained all the time.

Do a firmware update, most likely in the newer verisons of the firmware, the hold feature with the screen being on should be fixed.

@pringles wrote:
Do a firmware update, most likely in the newer verisons of the firmware, the hold feature with the screen being on should be fixed.

Not in the latest version, and I doubt it will be in the version that is due to be released (today or tomorrow?  Dare I hope?)

Has this battery life been fixed in the newer update?  I have a 8G Sansa Fuze (silver).  The battery does not last for more than 6-8 hours.  And this is very frustrating.

@txreddy wrote:
Has this battery life been fixed in the newer update?  I have a 8G Sansa Fuze (silver).  The battery does not last for more than 6-8 hours.  And this is very frustrating.

New firmware is not here yet. And depending on the file type and about 5 other factors your battery life drops. So… despite the upgrade you may be getting the best battery life you can.

What are the five other factors that drop the life of the battery? Sureley the life cannot be a 1/3 of what Sansa claims it should.  The only file type I have is MP3 and no video.

@txreddy wrote:
What are the five other factors that drop the life of the battery? Sureley the life cannot be a 1/3 of what Sansa claims it should.  The only file type I have is MP3 and no video.

Backlight timer, screen brightness, custom EQ, how often you skip songs manually, bitrate(320 would use more battery than 128)

I have all set to defaults …

@txreddy wrote:
What are the five other factors that drop the life of the battery? Sureley the life cannot be a 1/3 of what Sansa claims it should.  The only file type I have is MP3 and no video.

  1. Filetype (We already discussed this)

  2. Bitrate (Sandisk tests with a 128 kbps test file)

  3. Backlight Timer

  4. Brightness

  5. EQ settings

  6. SD card

Your file type is not whats causeing the drop, but the bitrate on the mp3 has an effect. If you are using 320 kbps or anything higher than 128 kbps your battery wont last as long as the box claims. The backlight hurts battery (this is why video is a killer) if it is bright that drains battery life faster, and then If your back light timer is set very high then the screen stays on longer… This all comes into effect a lot more if you skip songs frequently, because the screen lights up everytime you skip. The EQ settings, if you use a custom eq it drains the battery to process this information. I have not tested the various settings but I do know that custom drains more life than the normal setting. Finally if you have an SD card inserted, that will take some battery life too, not musch but a little. The battery life did drop after the last firmware just a little bit, but not significantly. There are tons of little miniscule things that when they add together can effect your battery life. I hope the battry life is improved with the new release but if not we will just have to adjust.

Thanks for the lenghty reply.  I have reduced brighness and the backlight timer.  Hopefully it will help a little.   I do have SD card and all my mp3 files are on the card.   But as you said, it should only add a little.  I think then it is the bit rate that must be killing the life.

I just noticed that BitRate is 24kBits/s … so something else must be draining the

battery

Try moving your files to the internal memory and see if there is a noticable difference. Having to read exclusivly from the card could do it (It something I have not tested.)

I do have the screen brightness up full as the sun is mostly shining here in Portugal and I can’t see the time on its default setting. I also use the Jazz EQ as it kicks the base into life. All my tracks are played from the micro card they are mp3 128 kbps. Today I charged the Fuze at lunch time (1200-1300) and the battery expired at 17.30. Its got to be the the fact that the buttons are being pressed whilst i’m working and so the screen is on pretty much all day long. I took the player off charge last night before zzzz and placed it on bedside cabinet playing it was still going strong with 50% battery at 0700 when I got up so this confirms the problem to me. Only thing I can think of is to place it in hard case within my pocket so the buttons cannot be depressed during the day.

I hope Sansa can do a firmware fix its rediculous to have a hold button that still allows screen functionality when toggled to on no sense in that whatsoever! From what I know about these batteries it will not last long if it keeps going flat between charges and as they are not replaceable I will be looking elsewhere for my next player.   

@rithym wrote:

I do have the screen brightness up full as the sun is mostly shining here in Portugal and I can’t see the time on its default setting. I also use the Jazz EQ as it kicks the base into life. All my tracks are played from the micro card they are mp3 128 kbps. Today I charged the Fuze at lunch time (1200-1300) and the battery expired at 17.30. Its got to be the the fact that the buttons are being pressed whilst i’m working and so the screen is on pretty much all day long. I took the player off charge last night before zzzz and placed it on bedside cabinet playing it was still going strong with 50% battery at 0700 when I got up so this confirms the problem to me. Only thing I can think of is to place it in hard case within my pocket so the buttons cannot be depressed during the day.

 

I hope Sansa can do a firmware fix its rediculous to have a hold button that still allows screen functionality when toggled to on no sense in that whatsoever! From what I know about these batteries it will not last long if it keeps going flat between charges and as they are not replaceable I will be looking elsewhere for my next player.   

Something to consider is turining the backlight timer all the way down, and then when you go inside just turn the brightness down. Then if you go outsid turn it up.

@rithym wrote:

I hope Sansa can do a firmware fix its rediculous to have a hold button that still allows screen functionality when toggled to on no sense in that whatsoever! From what I know about these batteries it will not last long if it keeps going flat between charges and as they are not replaceable I will be looking elsewhere for my next player.   

YES!  When locked, the player should be LOCKED.  Period.

sansafix, are you listening?

If the device is “locked”, but the power is ON, you will get a response on the display telling you of the status.

µsansa

@microsansa wrote:

If the device is “locked”, but the power is ON, you will get a response on the display telling you of the status.

 

µsansa

Thats the complaint. Why have it respond at all?

@conversionbox wrote:


@microsansa wrote:

If the device is “locked”, but the power is ON, you will get a response on the display telling you of the status.

 

µsansa


Thats the complaint. Why have it respond at all?

I can see a real problem with ‘no response at all’. People will think it’s died on them, forgetting that they themselves locked it. I think the best work-around/solution for the OP is to get a case that will prevent the scroll wheel from turning in his pocket, thus activating the backlight and constantly drawing power from the battery, or to use a case & belt clip arrangement or a armband holster, both of which would work also.