4th unit has just failed

neillm · 04-17-2008, 09:46 AM

My 4th HP 214 has just failed. It was sat on my desk at about 96% charge. I switched it off and went to a meeting. An hour later I came back and plugged in the 24 pin sync connector and the unit switched on (as it does when you plug it in) and then immediately switched off.

Then it was back to the old problem I had with my previous other three 214's. It says the battery is at 0%, then after 5 minutes or so it jumps to 100% and the green light comes on. The cycle then repeats.

What the heck and I to do now? The retailer has already said they will not replace it and HP are not replying.

The battery really is dead. Had it tested by our battery guru. So how can it have gone from 96% to 0% instantly like that? Did plugging in the 24 pin connector short it out? Was it not really at 96% to start with? This is just crazy! I am not doing anything unusual with these things.

Previous thread history here:
http://forum.brighthand.com/showthread.php?t=256035

alan sh · 04-17-2008, 11:15 AM

Neil,

what is it that you are doing that we don't? Do you live in an area where power fluctuates? Or are you particularily sensitive to static?

There must be some reason why you have lost 4 of these and others haven't.

I'm not blaming you - there may well be an inherent weakness that only you have found - but we have to start somewhere.

I gather that the 4700 batteries work in the 210 - have you tried them?

Also, have you tried recharging the battery overnight (Ok, probably too soon to know this yet)

Alan

Binh · 04-17-2008, 11:33 AM

It might be a power surge when you plug in the sync connector. Have you tried any other brand/model? The biggest statistic information here is that all 4 broken items all are HP 214.

neillm · 04-17-2008, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binh

It might be a power surge when you plug in the sync connector. Have you tried any other brand/model? The biggest statistic information here is that all 4 broken items all are HP 214.

This is the first time I've seen it fail this way. Other times it's failed when turning it on when on battery power.

I did absolutely nothing unusual this time. The unit was switched off on my desk. No way could any app have taken the battery down to 0% in one hour. I just got back from a meeting and connected it to sync it. I'm absolutely gobsmacked. I'm using the genuine HP mains adapter that came with the 4th unit. I'm also in the UK, the power is very clean here. I also doubt it's a short circuit. Discharging 2.2AH instantaneously would cause an explosion. I think the battery or 214 just thinks it's dead.

I'm running my Fujitsu 720 in parallel. It's running the same software and has an identical SD card fitted. They both sit on the same desk connected to the same mains and the same laptop. I do the same to my Fujitsu as I do to my HP. This is how I found that SPB Insight is capable of completely discharging the battery of any device (I don't use it anymore).

I'm not the only person to see this either.

HP, at last, have promised to contact me tomorrow. Let's hope we get somewhere.

neillm · 04-17-2008, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alan sh

Also, have you tried recharging the battery overnight (Ok, probably too soon to know this yet)
Alan

The battery will not charge. No current flows into it. Something somewhere is screwy.

David Hettel · 04-17-2008, 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neillm

The battery will not charge. No current flows into it. Something somewhere is screwy.

Okay I've got to ask, how do you know this? HP has chosen to hide this information, as far as I know no software will read this from an iPAQ 210. If this is factually true, then you have tripped a safety device in the battery pack IMHO. Even a dead battery will accept some current flow, provide one has the ability to measure it. Either you've blown a fuse, or the battery pack has been told to shut down, by software (not sure if it is capable of this).

Do you have software that is attempting to read battery status that you've installed?

neillm · 04-17-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Hettel

Okay I've got to ask, how do you know this? HP has chosen to hide this information, as far as I know no software will read this from an iPAQ 210. If this is factually true, then you have tripped a safety device in the battery pack IMHO. Even a dead battery will accept some current flow, provide one has the ability to measure it. Either you've blown a fuse, or the battery pack has been told to shut down, by software (not sure if it is capable of this).

Do you have software that is attempting to read battery status that you've installed?

I work for a company that specialises in mobile devices. We have the facilities to test batteries in situ here.

Also, I had a Mugen extended battery with my 2nd 214. I saw the same fault with that battery as well. Mugen took it back and said "Our technical department has tested the battery and found the ID Code data was not typed in correctly. The data control current flow in/out setting was found incorrect. The charging led can turn to green, but actually no current flows in. We have checked other batteries from the same batch and this seems to be an isolated case."

Perhaps the ID code in the battery's chip is getting wiped or corrupted by the 214 somehow.

davidbec · 04-17-2008, 12:34 PM

When I first got to the brighthand site and saw the title. I thought perhaps it was you but hoped it wasn't.

I am absolutely dumbstruck!! Utter shock.

David Hettel · 04-17-2008, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neillm

I work for a company that specialises in mobile devices. We have the facilities to test batteries in situ here.

So is that by means of software? As opposed to hardware? To me it sounds a lot like your means maybe effecting the HP batteries. You are saying in situ, and by that I take it you mean with the battery inside the iPAQ.

Mechanically you could insert something between the terminals to divert the current so that it can be measured. I suppose it is also possible you have access to information most of us don't.

Clearly you are doing something that most of us are not doing, as we are not experiencing this, and at four in a row I no longer buy it is random luck of the draw. HP's quality control is poor, (IMHO) but it just isn't that poor. Something is different in your environment, and your ability to measure in situ jumps out at me. I am sorry.

wetsleet · 04-17-2008, 12:54 PM

if a fully charged battery discharged completely in 60 minutes its got to have been very warm. Was it?