NX80 Battery Status

[Q-man]

I have the NX80 for about 2weeks and noticed the battery status stays at 100% for a long time. Even when I used the camera, video camera and flash light for about 15 minutes. It then later jumped to 85% (skipped the 99%, 98%,97% so on)

Question:
- How accurate is the Sony battery monitoring software?
- Has anyone experiencing the same problem?

Thx!

[n2ifp]

It's normal and it's only relative, not to worry, there's nothing wrong. I used to have the same on my N760C.;)

[fabeg]

The NX80's battery its better than the other NX models, but try to use it until the battery indicate 50%.

After that, it begins to drain a lot faster.

I think that the Lithium battery "lies" a lot.

[kpu]

I've always wondered the EXACT same thing since getting my NX about a month ago. I assume it's normal and I've gotten used to it, but what you say is true: it would be nice to have a more "accurate" battery monitor.

I personally thought it was because the designers at Sony wanted to impress users that the battery could last for like a week and still be 100% full charge. But you know, YOU KNOW that the monitor can't be right because when you put the Clie into the charger, it charges for more than an hour!

I've noticed the same phenomenon on an original pocket pc (Casiopeia) that actually never dropped--except when it dropped to 50% power and then 10% warning shortly after. Guess we should be grateful for the 87% warning...

[MrBrad]

I read in another thread that the lithium-ion battery takes a certain amount of time to reach 100% of voltage, and then another (equal?) amount of time to reach 100% of charge (available power).

So I'm assuming that the numbers you are looking at on discharge is the voltage and that the charge is dropping as you use it but the voltage doesn't start dropping until the available power hits some critical point.

[r0b456]

I just got my NX80 yesterday and so far the battery display seems to be spot on.

I was using it for a while and it seemed very bright, so I checked the backlight. It was on full, so I put it quite a bit lower -- about 1/4 strength. I then listened to some MP3's for about an hour to an hour and a half while I worked on cleaning out my inbox, etc. I had it on Hold while listening, to turn the screen off while I listened. When I turned it back on, it said 95%. I turned off completely for a little while, and pulled it back out again to poke around with some things. I did a MS backup of my files, just in case. And then I played some games, and played around with the camera and video recorder settings (but didn't actually take any pictures or video). Battery then said 93%. I turned it off shortly after that and it's been in my pocket. I'm going to the movies later and plan on listening to my music some more before the movie starts. I just checked it, and it still says 93%.

Pretty great.

My 1910 had a tiny battery, obviously. But I have an extra AC cable here at work because I would need to leave my 1910 plugged in while listening to MP3's or I would just kill it. Also, the battery meter would stay at 100% for a while -- even when listening to MP3's with the screen on, etc. Then it would suddenly drop to 89%, and start dropping more frequently after that. I haven't charged my NX80 since 7am this morning, but I am pretty certain, by the looks of things, that by the time I get home and drop my NX80 in it's cradle after the movie, it'll probably not have dipped down past 85%.


So far, so good.
I was original going to buy an extra cradle and charger for my NX80, so it can charge while here at work. But I'm now thinking that might not be all that necessary. I'm now free to use that money on buying more software.

[evaoni]

When charging..sometimes the orange LED flickers. It charges weird, too. If it's flickering, I'll unplug the charger to see where it's at at charging. It'll either be a certain number, then trickle down or up. I find it odd...anyone have this problem?

[kp*]

I always forget which kinds of batteries do what, but isn't there something with the lithium ion batteries, that they have to "learn" what a full charge is by being used, and charged and discharged a few times. So that the meter actually gets more accurate over time as the battery (or the software?) figures out exactly how much charge it can hold.

Or maybe I'm totally confused. Rechargable batteries make me feel like I'm living in the dark ages -- I generally base my behavior on scientifc fact and logic, but this is the only situation in which I follow all kinds of myth and superstition about how they work and what rituals you have to perform to appease the mysterious energy spirits that dwell within them!;)