Regarding battery life of hp 50g
Felipe O.
After fidgeting with an emulator of the hp 50g calculator, I loved it
and ended up buying one.
However I would like to know if anyone has information regarding how
much time of use does it take on average for the first batteries to
die.
Also, if I connect it to my computer using the usb cable, will it
somehow use less energy from the batteries while it is connected?
Thanks in advance, and sorry if this sounds silly
Dan
> somehow use less energy from the batteries while it is connected?
You can remove the batteries when using a USB cable plugged into a
laptop. You can also use mains electricity via a USB adaptor if you
don't have a computer. I really like this feature of the HP50g.
I'm not 100% certain, but I think if you leave the batteries in they
will be recharged, so it's a good idea to remove them when using the
USB cable if they are not rechargeable.
Dan
Andreas Möller
although this has been asked and answered a zillion times, but a
apparently mankind has lost its ability to search and read:
> of use does it take on average for the first
> batteries to die.
From the HP specs:
Battery life: 65 days (1 hour usage a day assumed)
> but I think if you leave the batteries in they
Wrong, batteries will not be charged.
If the HP 50g is plugged into an "active" USB cable it draws it power
from there *but* only if the HP 50g was *off* prior to plugging the
cable in and turning the HP 50g *on* afterwards.
Regards,
Andreas
http://www.software49g.gmxhome.de
Joe Horn
> apparently mankind has lost its ability to search and read:
> ...
> If the HP 50g is plugged into an "active" USB cable it draws it power
> from there *but* only if the HP 50g was *off* prior to plugging the
> cable in and turning the HP 50g *on* afterwards.
Wrong. USB power is used even if the cable is attached when the power
is already on. This is easily verified by turning on the calculator,
then plugging in a live cable, then gently removing the batteries (or
even just one battery). The calculator will continue to work just
fine. I say "gently" because if you are in the habit of removing the
batteries all at once by smacking the calculator against your hand,
then there is a high probability that the cable will jiggle and lose
momentary connection, thus rebooting the calculator (as I found out by
trying it).
On the other hand, KILLING a USB power source while the cable is
plugged in (such as by turning off your computer) has a propensity to
reboot the calculator, even though the batteries are installed. This
too is easily verified.
Not only has mankind lost its ability to read, but it has lost its
ability to verify what it has read. ;-)
-Joe-
Andreas Möller
interesting that you can safely remove the battery while the cable is
plugged in.
However I can prove what I have written by calling appropiate ARM code
that measures the power, the SW indicates that it is *not* running by
USB power if you plug in the cable while the 50g is *on*.
Or maybe there is a bug in the SW ;-)
> Not only has mankind lost its ability to read, but it
> has lost its ability to verify what it has read. ;-)
Looking at the news mankind is loosing a lot at the moment...
Regards,
Andreas
http://www.software49g.gmxhome.de
Bill Markwick
>
> Not only has mankind lost its ability to read, but it has lost its
> ability to verify what it has read. ;-)
Amen. I just spent several days on Web forums for OpenOffice Writer
trying to find out why my exported PDF file had all its options greyed
out. Answers included paying a fortune to Adobe for the full Acrobat,
installing ludicrously complicated macros, reinstalling Reader, anad
even replacing the computer.
And the real answer? Before clicking OK to export the PDF, turn on
all the options with the dialog box. (And yes, this should have been
the default.)
All forums, newsgroups, and general discussions anywhere are like
that. Nine out of ten comments are by people who are trying to be
helpful and will post anything, even if they're not sure about it.
The video generation has been conditioned to ignore content - I refuse
to watch video tutorials because they drag on and on without saying
much.
Bill
Andreas Möller
> The video generation has been conditioned to ignore content - I refuse
> to watch video tutorials because they drag on and on without saying
> much.
Interesting point.
I made my video tutorials (http://www.youtube.com/SOFTWARE49g)
*because* people do not read the available documentation anymore and
keep bugging me with the same questions over and over which would be
easily answered if they would *read* !
On the other side documentations are often not really helpful anymore,
an example that pops into mind are the HP manuals.
But again, this has been discussed a lot and it is kind of a snake
that bits its tail while the manufacturer is looking for maximizing
short-term profit.
Regards,
Andreas
http://www.software49g.gmxhome.de
Stefan
Speaking of empirical values and coming back to the pristine topic:
Does anyone disagree when I say that the oh so referencable value of 65
hours battery life is utopistic if you do more than just looking at it?
Stefan
Andreas Möller
> Speaking of empirical values and coming back to the pristine topic:
> Does anyone disagree when I say that the oh so referencable value of 65
> hours battery life is utopistic if you do more than just looking at it?
You can ask here:
http://www.best2serve.com/grafik-taschenrechner/hp-50g-grafik-taschenrechner-uug/deu/_trackEvent
Regards,
Andreas
http://www.software49g.gmxhome.de
Bill Markwick
wrote:
> Interesting point.
I should soften my rant with a few points.
One is that many people who make net videos are copying television
techniques, and television was never meant to be instructive. It's
meant to sell toothpaste and detergents. Even if a video contains
real information, it goes by you so quickly that you can't retain
much. It's also difficult to reverse the video and find a particular
spot unless you're very patient.
But under some conditions, one video is worth a thousand words. I had
an HP6000 laptop plagued with the Won't Turn On disease. A web search
showed that almost every 6000 had the same problem - a voltage
regulator IC that comes loose from the motherboard. The IC is about
the size of your little fingernail and has 40 pins, so you can imagine
how difficult it would be to resolder without special equipment.
Then I saw a remarkable video: just brush the tip of a small iron
along the pins to reflow the solder.
Fixed in 30 seconds (not counting the ten days it takes to open the
case :-).
So did I resolder my 6000? Well, no. At the same time I got a real
deal on a new laptop, so I replaced it. But that video was a good
example of how useful they can be in showing methods that are
difficult to describe in print.
> On the other side documentations are often not really helpful anymore,
> an example that pops into mind are the HP manuals.
I couldn't agree more. I always thought that the HP48 manuals were
really good, but the 49/50 editions, wellll.... not so much.
Bill
sc
>
> Speaking of empirical values and coming back to the pristine topic:
> Does anyone disagree when I say that the oh so referencable value of 65
> hours battery life is utopistic if you do more than just looking at it?
>
> Stefan
I only get about 8-9 days on a charge of four 900 mAh Ni-MH batteries
(for what it's worth, they're Duracells). I use the 50g less than one
hour per day. I think my Ni-MH cells must be losing their ability to
hold charge (they are four or five years old now) because I seem to
recall that they used to last longer.
S.C.