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I have a Compaq 1540DM and really don't have any problems with it but am
curious about something. I read that the charge in the battery should be
depleted every so often to maximize the battery life and its ability to
power the laptop for as long as possible between charges. My question is
this: how totally should the battery be discharged? If I run it down to 3
percent of its charge before starting a recharge, is that sufficiently
drained? If I drain it all the way down to a zero charge and the computer
dies will I lose any information stored in the computer?

Thanks,


Martin

Starstuffed wrote:

> I have a Compaq 1540DM and really don't have any problems with it but am
> curious about something. I read that the charge in the battery should be
> depleted every so often to maximize the battery life and its ability to
> power the laptop for as long as possible between charges. My question is
> this: how totally should the battery be discharged? If I run it down to 3
> percent of its charge before starting a recharge, is that sufficiently
> drained?

Yes. I will take mine to 10 Minutes left about every 6 weeks.

> If I drain it all the way down to a zero charge and the computer
> dies will I lose any information stored in the computer?

That's possible, except your power control logic should shut it
down forcibly before it dies. - RM

Taking a moment's reflection, Starstuffed mused:
|
| I have a Compaq 1540DM and really don't have any problems with it but am
| curious about something. I read that the charge in the battery should be
| depleted every so often to maximize the battery life and its ability to
| power the laptop for as long as possible between charges.

I use a program called Prime95. It has a Torture Test setting that
calculates Prime numbers, and drains the battery fairly quickly. I run it
every two weeks, and I don't leave my battery in my laptop when in use
(unless I need the battery). I run Prime95's Torture Test until the laptop
shuts itself off. Then I recharge the battery, and do it again. After the
second recharge, I take the battery out and put it back in my laptop case.
Overkill? Maybe.

I have a Gateway 5300, and it has a battery discharge feature in the bios,
(found it when I used the F2 key on bootup) works great.
As far as the draining, you need to take the battery to 0%,
for it to maximize the battery life.
And no it doesn't affect anything you have saved in the computer. It is like
shutting your computer off for the night.
--sexkitten--

"Starstuffed" <> wrote in message
news:ORYlb.3419$ ink.net...
> I have a Compaq 1540DM and really don't have any problems with it but am
> curious about something. I read that the charge in the battery should be
> depleted every so often to maximize the battery life and its ability to
> power the laptop for as long as possible between charges. My question is
> this: how totally should the battery be discharged? If I run it down to
3
> percent of its charge before starting a recharge, is that sufficiently
> drained? If I drain it all the way down to a zero charge and the computer
> dies will I lose any information stored in the computer?
>
> Thanks,
>
>
> Martin
>
>
>

O
My question is
>this: how totally should the battery be discharged? If I run it down to 3
>percent of its charge before starting a recharge, is that sufficiently
>drained? If I drain it all the way down to a zero charge and the computer
>dies will I lose any information stored in the computer?

if it is a lithium ion type battery you will ruin it by draining it.

From GE Tech Notes ....

"Among the many users of batteries in both the industrial and consumer
sectors, the idea of a memory phenomenon in nickel-cadmium batteries has been
widely misused and understood. The term 'memory' has become a catch-all
'buzzword' that is used to describe a raft of application problems, being most
often confused with simple voltage depression.

"To the well informed, however, 'memory' is a term applied to a specific
phenomenon encountered very infrequently in field applications. Specifically,
the term 'memory' came from an aerospace nickel-cadmium application in which the
cells were repeatedly discharged to 25% of available capacity (plus or minus 1%)
by exacting computer control, then recharged to 100% capacity WITHOUT OVERCHARGE
[emphasis in the original]. This long term, repetitive cycle regime, with no
provisions for overcharge, resulted in a loss of capacity beyond the 25%
discharge point. Hence the birth of a "memory" phenomenon, whereby
nickel-cadmium batteries purportedly lose capacity if repeatedly discharged to a
specific level of capacity.

"The 'memory' phenomenon observed in this original aerospace application was
eliminated by simply reprogramming the computer to allow for overcharging. [Note
that no mention is made of adding an intentional *discharge* to clear the
problem - RLM] In fact, 'memory' is always a completely reversible condition;
even in those rare cases where 'memory' cannot be avoided, it can easily be
erased. Unfortunately, the idea of memory-related loss of capacity has been with
us since. Realistically, however, ' memory' cannot exist if any one of the
following conditions holds:

1. Batteries achieve full overcharge.
2. Discharge is not exactly the same each cycle - plus or minus 2-3%
3. Discharge is to less than 1.0 volt per cell.

"Remember, the existence of any ONE of these conditions eliminates the
possibility of 'memory'. GE has not verified true 'memory' in any field
application with the single exception of the satellite application noted above.
Lack of empirical evidence notwithstanding, 'memory' is still blamed regularly
for poor battery performance that is caused by a number of simple, correctable
application problems."

End of quote ... Basically memory (loss of capacity) due to discharge is a myth.


--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

I stand corrected, even learned something new.
I am assuming from your quote, and please correct me if I am wrong, The
function I found in the bios for draining the battery is almost a throwback
when batteries had the memory problem, and just to be used if the battery
does have a memory.

"Steve Knight" <> wrote in message
news:...
> O
> My question is
> >this: how totally should the battery be discharged? If I run it down to
3
> >percent of its charge before starting a recharge, is that sufficiently
> >drained? If I drain it all the way down to a zero charge and the
computer
> >dies will I lose any information stored in the computer?
>
> if it is a lithium ion type battery you will ruin it by draining it.
>
> From GE Tech Notes ....
>
> "Among the many users of batteries in both the industrial and consumer
> sectors, the idea of a memory phenomenon in nickel-cadmium batteries has
been
> widely misused and understood. The term 'memory' has become a catch-all
> 'buzzword' that is used to describe a raft of application problems, being
most
> often confused with simple voltage depression.
>
> "To the well informed, however, 'memory' is a term applied to a
specific
> phenomenon encountered very infrequently in field applications.
Specifically,
> the term 'memory' came from an aerospace nickel-cadmium application in
which the
> cells were repeatedly discharged to 25% of available capacity (plus or
minus 1%)
> by exacting computer control, then recharged to 100% capacity WITHOUT
OVERCHARGE
> [emphasis in the original]. This long term, repetitive cycle regime, with
no
> provisions for overcharge, resulted in a loss of capacity beyond the 25%
> discharge point. Hence the birth of a "memory" phenomenon, whereby
> nickel-cadmium batteries purportedly lose capacity if repeatedly
discharged to a
> specific level of capacity.
>
> "The 'memory' phenomenon observed in this original aerospace
application was
> eliminated by simply reprogramming the computer to allow for overcharging.
[Note
> that no mention is made of adding an intentional *discharge* to clear the
> problem - RLM] In fact, 'memory' is always a completely reversible
condition;
> even in those rare cases where 'memory' cannot be avoided, it can easily
be
> erased. Unfortunately, the idea of memory-related loss of capacity has
been with
> us since. Realistically, however, ' memory' cannot exist if any one of the
> following conditions holds:
>
> 1. Batteries achieve full overcharge.
> 2. Discharge is not exactly the same each cycle - plus or minus
2-3%
> 3. Discharge is to less than 1.0 volt per cell.
>
> "Remember, the existence of any ONE of these conditions eliminates the
> possibility of 'memory'. GE has not verified true 'memory' in any field
> application with the single exception of the satellite application noted
above.
> Lack of empirical evidence notwithstanding, 'memory' is still blamed
regularly
> for poor battery performance that is caused by a number of simple,
correctable
> application problems."
>
> End of quote ... Basically memory (loss of capacity) due to discharge is a
myth.
>
>
> --
> Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
> Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
> See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

On Thu, 23 Oct 2003 21:41:52 -0700, "--sexkitten--" <> wrote:

>I stand corrected, even learned something new.
>I am assuming from your quote, and please correct me if I am wrong, The
>function I found in the bios for draining the battery is almost a throwback
>when batteries had the memory problem, and just to be used if the battery
>does have a memory.
>
it seems to be.
I remember draining my RC batteries. I never tried it without draining them.
but they were pushed nard charged in 15 minutes and drained in three.
but the newer batteries will be damaged if they are drained.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.