> Date: Sat, 31 Aug 2002 21:03:52 -0400 > From: Tom & Lisa P <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: [Duo2400] Duo batteries > > I have been doing some experiments with some Duos, trying to see why > some batteries work, and other wont. > > I traded another lister here a FrankenDuo for a bunch of parts, and a > whole Duo 210. > > When he got Frank, he found out that it woundnt run off the battery. > It would see and charge the battery, but not run off of it.
It sounds like there wasn't enough amperage to actually run the Duo. (Reminds me a lot of a very dead Type 1 that I have.) > So, I decided to take a hard look at the (as of that time, dead) > batteries I had. > > By experimenting with the Duo 210 and various, modified and > unmodified Duos I had, it turned out that little Duo 210 had by far, > the best luck in running off of various batteries. I even managed to > bring 3 batteries back to life (to some degree) using it. > > It didnt seem to be a SW thing. > > I put another HD (with a later system) into the Duo 210, and the Duo > 210 _still_ ran off of batteries. Though I haven't checked the TIL, I would suspect that the Duo 210 has the lowest power consumption of any Duo given the passive greyscale screen, and slower 030 processor. > AHA ! I said, maybe there is something hardware related that causes > our problems ? > > So, now I am trying to figure out just what could cause this problem. > Does anyone have any ideas on what to test ? I dont see any fuses. > There are some inductors, but I am unsure of how to "rate" them as > good or bad. Personally, I don't think that the problem is a hardware one, per se, but a quirk of the Duo charging circuit. Out of curiousity, have you tried an external charger? Earlier this week, I posted my own experiences with a presumed dead Type 3. (This one was so bad that it would shut down a running Duo (both a 230 and a 280c) when inserted and would not let it start from an adapter when plugged in.) Last week, I finally got an external charger (M1812, the one that can handle a Type 3); on a whim, I plugged the bad battery in... and it charged it. It took a charge and appears to work fine. (Capacity seems a little lower than my other Type 3s, but I haven't tried reconditioning it, yet.) So I'm at a similar confusion as you. My suspicion is that a few things are going on. First, I suspect that the Duo internal circuits need a certain minimum voltage from the battery for it to be even recognized. Second, I seem to recall that the Duo monitors the voltage of a charging battery for upward movement otherwise it terminates charging (One of my type 3s, when I first got it, required several insertions before the Duo would charge it to capacity (before that, it would charge for a while and then stop).); I don't remember if you get the dialog about the adapter being plugged in but the battery not charging. Lastly, I suspect that the charger can deliver a higher charging current to the battery since it doesn't have to run a computer, too. <<<John>>> P.S. I have a Lind SuperCharger II coming from a recent ebay auction. Contact me off list if you want me to try and run a couple of batteries through it. ---------- Duo/2400 List, The friendliest place on the Net! A listserv for users and fans of Mac subportables. FAQ at <http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/DuoListFAQ.shtml> Be sure to visit Mac2400! <http://www.sineware.com/mac2400> To unsubscribe, E-mail to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To switch to the DIGEST mode, E-mail to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Need help from a real person? Try. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ---------- Dr. Bott | 10/100 Ethernet for your 2400 is finally here! MPC-100 | <http://www.drbott.com/prod/mpc100.html> RoadTools $30 PodiumPad available at Apple retail stores, $20 Traveler CoolPad at Staples. Both in white for iBooks at <http://roadtools.com> Midwest Mac Parts ][ <http://www.midwestmac.com> After-market parts for Macs. ][ 888-356-1104 ][ MacResQ Specials: LaCie SCSI CDR From $99! PowerBook 3400/200 Only $879! Norton AntiVirus 6 Only $19! We Stock PARTS! <http://www.macresq.com>
