Trickle Charging Devices

[userwaldo]

Does anyone know what devices support Trickle Charge, or what cable is needed?

I've looked on Palm's sight, but I can't seem to find any information on trickle charge.

[userwaldo]

Just found this for the Tungsten TX, I wonder if this applies to other devices that use the Athen Connector of the mini-USB?

http://kb.palm.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,kb=PalmSupportKB,CASE=obj(40682),ts=Palm_External2001

[stevec]

A good question. It was my understanding that the TX has the same connector as the T5, which separates the data and power lines. The only USB leads I've been able to get are data only - I have to charge via a second lead that plugs into the connector at the T5 end.

As I use an iGo power supply for my laptop when mobile (the OEM one is permanently connected to its docking station) I've got an iGo adapter for my T5 (plus adapters for my phone and iPod - that way, I don't need any other PSUs when travelling). I looked for a USB power solution a few months back, with no luck - perhaps the TX lead Palm are talking about will work for the T5 as well.

[music_healing]

anyone know ? TE2 also trickle charge?

I dont like this trickle charge things from beggining, cause it gonna cost our battery life cycle, everytime we sync, pda battery thought it was 1 cycle charge

why not making old things that no trickle charge?

[userwaldo]

trickle charging is a good thing not a bad thing. it doesn't hurt the life of lithion ion batteries. in fact itsn't often considered better to keep topping off the battery rather than running it completely dead all the time.

i still haven't confirmed it, but i'm pretty sure that the normal usb sync cable will trickle charge through the usb port. it seems to apply to any device with the athena connector. the one thing you have to keep in minde is that the computer has to be on, in order for the usb port to be active and be able to trickle charge the palm.

[music_healing]

really ? in my knowing every Liion battery has life cycle, example: 500 life cycle mean 500 x charge, if everytime we sync, automated trickle charge, that would eat up the cycle I had
CMIIW ?

[stevec]

There's sometimes conflicting advice on batteries but, AFAIK, the life Li-ion batteries is just as likely to be limited by time (old age) or bad treatment (overheating of deep discharge) than through regular use and burning up the 500 or so cycles (which, is not such a fixed limit as we're sometimes led to believe).

Summing up the the best advice I've seen:

1) Don't deep discharge - light use and topping up is far better. In fact, run it right down (deep discharge) and you could end up with one that you can't recharge.
2) Don't let them get too hot (40 deg C seems to be the maximum recommendation).
3) If you're putting them into storage, leave them with just under a half-charge (40% often quoted) - i.e. don't top a Li-ion battery out if it's going into the cupboard for a few months.
4) Don't buy spares too far in advance - your spare could well expire from old age just as quick as the one in use. Similarly, don't be fooled into buying short-dated Li-ion batteries, even if they are cheap.
5) If your laptop, for example, will run without its battery, and you'll be running on ac all the time, take the battery out - having run it parly down, of course (see 3).

We seem to have been so worried with the NiCad memory effect, we assume all other batteries behave the same.

[oz-nom]

I tested my T5 when I 1st got it and posted my results here (December 2004? if you want to search for them). Anyway, T5 does trickle charge through the USB cable.

Also, I recently bought a portable USB cable for my T5 (it's retractable, can't remember the brand name) and it charges strongly enough to trigger the lightening symbol.

This is all consistent with the info posted on Palm's website regarding the TX and trickle charging. See the link in userwaldo's post above.

Cheers,
Tim