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HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem

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  HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> - 2011-08-14 21:49 +0100
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> - 2011-08-14 22:06 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Andy Burns <usenet.aug2009@adslpipe.co.uk> - 2011-08-14 22:33 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> - 2011-08-14 22:54 +0100
        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> - 2011-08-15 07:23 +0100
          Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> - 2011-08-15 09:48 +0100
            Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> - 2011-08-15 16:14 +0100
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "Peter Crosland" <g6jns@yahoo.co.uk> - 2011-08-15 07:38 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> - 2011-08-15 09:53 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-15 05:18 -0500
        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem NT <meow2222@care2.com> - 2011-08-19 15:33 -0700
          Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-20 11:14 -0500
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "Brian Gaff" <Briang1@blueyonder.co.uk> - 2011-08-15 09:24 +0100
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2011-08-15 10:55 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> - 2011-08-15 16:21 +0100
        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Davey <davey@example.invalid> - 2011-08-15 16:36 +0100
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "Man at B&Q" <manatbandq@hotmail.com> - 2011-08-15 08:36 -0700
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-15 10:44 -0700
        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-16 07:49 -0500
          Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <1245nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-16 08:40 -0700
            Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-16 11:56 -0500
              Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <1245nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-16 17:18 -0700
                Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-18 06:14 -0500
                  Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <1245nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-19 14:09 -0700
                    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-19 19:13 -0500
                      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-19 21:41 -0700
                        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "dennis@home" <dennis@killspam.kicks-ass.net> - 2011-08-20 08:21 +0100
                          Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-20 14:51 -0700
                            Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "dennis@home" <dennis@killspam.kicks-ass.net> - 2011-08-20 23:37 +0100
                              Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-20 18:28 -0500
                                Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> - 2011-08-21 01:48 +0200
                                  Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-20 19:19 -0500
                                    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Sjouke Burry <burrynulnulfour@ppllaanneett.nnll> - 2011-08-21 03:00 +0200
                                    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem geoff <troll@uk-diy.org> - 2011-08-21 02:34 +0100
                                Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem geoff <troll@uk-diy.org> - 2011-08-21 02:32 +0100
                                Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "dennis@home" <dennis@killspam.kicks-ass.net> - 2011-08-21 17:17 +0100
                              Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-20 19:38 -0700
                                Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "dennis@home" <dennis@killspam.kicks-ass.net> - 2011-08-21 17:25 +0100
                                  Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2367946nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-21 19:47 +0000
                        Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-20 11:13 -0500
                          Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-20 15:15 -0700
                            Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem BillW50 <BillW50@aol.kom> - 2011-08-20 18:07 -0500
                              Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <2579843445nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-20 20:27 -0700
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem "ghelf" <ghelf@sbcglobalDeathToSpam.net> - 2011-08-15 14:08 -0700
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem digger <digger02XXX@gmail.com> - 2011-08-21 20:41 -0700
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem Andy Burns <usenet.aug2009@adslpipe.co.uk> - 2011-08-22 04:59 +0100
      Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem AJL <12468945nomail@none.com> - 2011-08-21 22:38 -0700
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem jeradl <jeradl.4yvis4@no.email.invalid> - 2011-08-21 20:22 -0500
    Re: HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem tahrey <caedfaa9ed1216d60ef78a6f660f5f85_13854@example.com> - 2019-01-23 13:14 +0000

Page 1 of 3  [1] 2 3  Next page →

#520 — HP/Compaq laptop battery and/or charger problem

My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat battery 
- or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new 
one a few years ago and they are now both the same.

The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:

The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row of 
LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.

The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical connector, 
which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the battery via 
circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the front of the 
laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and turns green when 
it is fully charged.

Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is this:

If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for the 
whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery immediately 
after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge indicator LEDs 
light when the test button is pressed.

Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop if 
mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains power 
is removed, it stops dead.

If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp flashes 
amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).

I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days, and 
then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.

Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:

How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I 
will have wasted my money.

I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I 
can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to 
have its own built-in UPS!

TIA.
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom 
checked.

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#521

Roger Mills wrote:
> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I 
> will have wasted my money.
> 
> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I 
> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to 
> have its own built-in UPS!
> 
> TIA.
I'm 99% certain that the batteries have died due to old age. The 
behaviour of the charging LED suggests that the charging circuitry is 
okay. Most Lithium based batteries I've had in laptops have died after 
no more than four years. I killed one in a few months by just leaving 
the laptop plugged in permanently.

Two simple ways to make certain, test the battery in another machine,and 
try a working battery in yours. Of course, this does have the 
disadvantage of needing access to a machine that is known to be good.
-- 
Tciao for Now!

John.

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#522

John Williamson wrote:

> Most Lithium based batteries I've had in laptops have died after
> no more than four years. I killed one in a few months by just leaving
> the laptop plugged in permanently.

A recently purchased IdeaPad has an option to keep the battery charged 
to 50% rather than 100%.  This is intended in cases where the laptop is 
usually left connected to the charger, which hurts the battery 
longevity, you can untick the setting when you know you will want the 
full 5+ hours battery capacity ...

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#523

On 14/08/2011 22:06, John Williamson wrote:
> Roger Mills wrote:
>> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the
>> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I
>> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I
>> will have wasted my money.
>>
>> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I
>> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to
>> have its own built-in UPS!
>>
>> TIA.
> I'm 99% certain that the batteries have died due to old age. The
> behaviour of the charging LED suggests that the charging circuitry is
> okay. Most Lithium based batteries I've had in laptops have died after
> no more than four years. I killed one in a few months by just leaving
> the laptop plugged in permanently.
>
Thanks. What would the charging LED do if the charger was duff?


> Two simple ways to make certain, test the battery in another machine,and
> try a working battery in yours. Of course, this does have the
> disadvantage of needing access to a machine that is known to be good.

Not an option, unfortunately. I don't have access to another machine 
which uses the same type of battery - and the only way of getting a 
working battery is to *buy* one - which is what I'm seeking to avoid 
until I'm sure that the charger is ok!
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom 
checked.

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#525

Roger Mills wrote:
> On 14/08/2011 22:06, John Williamson wrote:
>> Roger Mills wrote:
>>> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the
>>> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I
>>> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I
>>> will have wasted my money.
>>>
>>> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I
>>> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to
>>> have its own built-in UPS!
>>>
>>> TIA.
>> I'm 99% certain that the batteries have died due to old age. The
>> behaviour of the charging LED suggests that the charging circuitry is
>> okay. Most Lithium based batteries I've had in laptops have died after
>> no more than four years. I killed one in a few months by just leaving
>> the laptop plugged in permanently.
>>
> Thanks. What would the charging LED do if the charger was duff?
> 
Stay off, IME. Which model of laptop is it?

-- 
Tciao for Now!

John.

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#528

On 15/08/2011 07:23, John Williamson wrote:
> Roger Mills wrote:

>>>
>> Thanks. What would the charging LED do if the charger was duff?
>>
> Stay off, IME. Which model of laptop is it?
>

As per my original post, it's an HP/Compaq nx9005 with an F4809 battery.
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom 
checked.

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#533

Roger Mills wrote:
> On 15/08/2011 07:23, John Williamson wrote:
>> Roger Mills wrote:
> 
>>>>
>>> Thanks. What would the charging LED do if the charger was duff?
>>>
>> Stay off, IME. Which model of laptop is it?
>>
> 
> As per my original post, it's an HP/Compaq nx9005 with an F4809 battery.

I should have re-read the original post, but I'm stuck on a netbook with 
a tiny screen and it's *way* up there^.

Unfortunately, I don't have one, or one which uses the same battery,so I 
can't offer a spare unit type check.

-- 
Tciao for Now!

John.

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#526

"Roger Mills" <watt.tyler@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:9aqqm1Fa1cU1@mid.individual.net...
> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat battery - 
> or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new one a 
> few years ago and they are now both the same.
>
> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
>
> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row of 
> LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
>
> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical connector, 
> which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the battery via 
> circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the front of the 
> laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and turns green when 
> it is fully charged.
>
> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is this:
>
> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for the 
> whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery immediately 
> after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge indicator LEDs 
> light when the test button is pressed.
>
> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop if 
> mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains power is 
> removed, it stops dead.
>
> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp flashes 
> amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
>
> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days, and 
> then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.
>
> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
>
> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I will 
> have wasted my money.
>
> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I can't 
> make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to have its 
> own built-in UPS!


After eight years the batteries are well beyond their design life. Indeed 
the machine is as well. You might consider cutting your losses and buy a new 
machine.

Regards from Peter Crosland 

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#529

On 15/08/2011 07:38, Peter Crosland wrote:

>
>
> After eight years the batteries are well beyond their design life. Indeed
> the machine is as well. You might consider cutting your losses and buy a new
> machine.
>

The two batteries have been used serially - so that's only 4 years each, 
but even that may be beyond their expected life!

The laptop has already been pretty much retired, and is mainly only used 
as a standby machine. It had to be pressed into service recently when my 
wife's computer picked up a virus - and she was able to use the laptop 
whilst I sorted her main computer.
-- 
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom 
checked.

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#531

In news:VNGdnSNKo_1BI9XTnZ2dnUVZ7t6dnZ2d@brightview.co.uk,
Peter Crosland wrote:
> After eight years the batteries are well beyond their design life.
> Indeed the machine is as well. You might consider cutting your losses
> and buy a new machine.
>
> Regards from Peter Crosland

I don't know... I don't think the same way about older laptops as you do 
about them. For example I have 10 laptops from 2006 alone.

3 Gateway MX6124
6 Gateway M465
1 Alienware M9700 with two Nvidia 7900 GPU connected in SLI mode

And I have no interest whatsoever in any newer machines, except my four 
netbooks from 2008. And my fascination with 2006 models is that they are 
at the crossroads between XP, Vista, and Windows 7. And anything newer 
it is hard to find XP drivers if they exist at all. And newer machines 
don't have Cardbus slots anymore.

The Gateway M465 laptops are very versatile as well. They support 
docking stations, 2 hard drives, 2 batteries, floppy drive and a wide 
range of CPUs work in these things. Thus they can run either 32 bit or 
64 bit OS. And because of the docking station, you don't have to worry 
whether the DC jack works or not. And they came out with either matte or 
glossy, wide or non-wide screens.

I see 2006 as a great year for computers including laptops. And IMHO 
newer machines just are not as versatile. Heck does any newer laptops 
even support docking stations anymore? Or are they gone too?

So how long can I use these 2006 laptops? I am not sure. Frankly I am 
surprised they can still keep up with the latest software. Back in 2006, 
I thought 2011 was when I had to give them up and to move on. But 2011 
is here and I might still be using them in 2016. ;-)

-- 
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 

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#581

On Aug 15, 11:18 am, "BillW50" <Bill...@aol.kom> wrote:
> Innews:VNGdnSNKo_1BI9XTnZ2dnUVZ7t6dnZ2d@brightview.co.uk,
>
> Peter Crosland wrote:
> > After eight years the batteries are well beyond their design life.
> > Indeed the machine is as well. You might consider cutting your losses
> > and buy a new machine.
>
> > Regards from Peter Crosland
>
> I don't know... I don't think the same way about older laptops as you do
> about them. For example I have 10 laptops from 2006 alone.
>
> 3 Gateway MX6124
> 6 Gateway M465
> 1 Alienware M9700 with two Nvidia 7900 GPU connected in SLI mode
>
> And I have no interest whatsoever in any newer machines, except my four
> netbooks from 2008. And my fascination with 2006 models is that they are
> at the crossroads between XP, Vista, and Windows 7. And anything newer
> it is hard to find XP drivers if they exist at all. And newer machines
> don't have Cardbus slots anymore.
>
> The Gateway M465 laptops are very versatile as well. They support
> docking stations, 2 hard drives, 2 batteries, floppy drive and a wide
> range of CPUs work in these things. Thus they can run either 32 bit or
> 64 bit OS. And because of the docking station, you don't have to worry
> whether the DC jack works or not. And they came out with either matte or
> glossy, wide or non-wide screens.
>
> I see 2006 as a great year for computers including laptops. And IMHO
> newer machines just are not as versatile. Heck does any newer laptops
> even support docking stations anymore? Or are they gone too?
>
> So how long can I use these 2006 laptops? I am not sure. Frankly I am
> surprised they can still keep up with the latest software. Back in 2006,
> I thought 2011 was when I had to give them up and to move on. But 2011
> is here and I might still be using them in 2016. ;-)

It should be perfectly able to manage 10 years and more, what usually
makes old machines unusable is people putting ill suited OSes and apps
on them. Linux Antix or Puppy should run very well on such machines.


NT

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#589

On 8/19/2011 5:33 PM, NT wrote:
> On Aug 15, 11:18 am, "BillW50"<Bill...@aol.kom>  wrote:
>> Innews:VNGdnSNKo_1BI9XTnZ2dnUVZ7t6dnZ2d@brightview.co.uk,
>>
>> Peter Crosland wrote:
>>> After eight years the batteries are well beyond their design life.
>>> Indeed the machine is as well. You might consider cutting your losses
>>> and buy a new machine.
>>
>>> Regards from Peter Crosland
>>
>> I don't know... I don't think the same way about older laptops as you do
>> about them. For example I have 10 laptops from 2006 alone.
>>
>> 3 Gateway MX6124
>> 6 Gateway M465
>> 1 Alienware M9700 with two Nvidia 7900 GPU connected in SLI mode
>>
>> And I have no interest whatsoever in any newer machines, except my four
>> netbooks from 2008. And my fascination with 2006 models is that they are
>> at the crossroads between XP, Vista, and Windows 7. And anything newer
>> it is hard to find XP drivers if they exist at all. And newer machines
>> don't have Cardbus slots anymore.
>>
>> The Gateway M465 laptops are very versatile as well. They support
>> docking stations, 2 hard drives, 2 batteries, floppy drive and a wide
>> range of CPUs work in these things. Thus they can run either 32 bit or
>> 64 bit OS. And because of the docking station, you don't have to worry
>> whether the DC jack works or not. And they came out with either matte or
>> glossy, wide or non-wide screens.
>>
>> I see 2006 as a great year for computers including laptops. And IMHO
>> newer machines just are not as versatile. Heck does any newer laptops
>> even support docking stations anymore? Or are they gone too?
>>
>> So how long can I use these 2006 laptops? I am not sure. Frankly I am
>> surprised they can still keep up with the latest software. Back in 2006,
>> I thought 2011 was when I had to give them up and to move on. But 2011
>> is here and I might still be using them in 2016. ;-)
>
> It should be perfectly able to manage 10 years and more, what usually
> makes old machines unusable is people putting ill suited OSes and apps
> on them. Linux Antix or Puppy should run very well on such machines.
>
> NT

Much thanks NT. ;-)


-- 
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - Thunderbird v3.0
Centrino Core2 Duo 2GHz - 1.5GB - Windows 7

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#527

Well, if this situation has been going on for a while, the batteries will 
almost certainly be dead now in any case. They prefer to be left in a semi 
charged state, or they then fail to charge at all when you try to charge 
them after a long period.
 So, it really depends on whether the machine is worth getting fixed if the 
charger is dodgy.
 You would need a new battery  in any case I'd think.

Brian

-- 
Brian Gaff - briang1@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Roger Mills" <watt.tyler@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:9aqqm1Fa1cU1@mid.individual.net...
> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat battery - 
> or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new one a 
> few years ago and they are now both the same.
>
> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
>
> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row of 
> LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
>
> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical connector, 
> which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the battery via 
> circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the front of the 
> laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and turns green when 
> it is fully charged.
>
> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is this:
>
> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for the 
> whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery immediately 
> after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge indicator LEDs 
> light when the test button is pressed.
>
> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop if 
> mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains power is 
> removed, it stops dead.
>
> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp flashes 
> amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
>
> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days, and 
> then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.
>
> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
>
> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I will 
> have wasted my money.
>
> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I can't 
> make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to have its 
> own built-in UPS!
>
> TIA.
> -- 
> Cheers,
> Roger
> ____________
> Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom 
> checked. 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#530

On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:49:59 +0100
Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> wrote:

> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat
> battery 
> - or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new 
> one a few years ago and they are now both the same.
> 
> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
> 
> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row
> of LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
> 
> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical
> connector, which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the
> battery via circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the
> front of the laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and
> turns green when it is fully charged.
> 
> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is
> this:
> 
> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for
> the whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery
> immediately after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge
> indicator LEDs light when the test button is pressed.
> 
> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop
> if mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains
> power is removed, it stops dead.
> 
> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp
> flashes amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
> 
> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days,
> and then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.
> 
> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
> 
> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I 
> will have wasted my money.
> 
> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I 
> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to 
> have its own built-in UPS!
> 
> TIA.

I have a similar situation to you. My laptop is an nx9010, and I bought
a new replacement battery just over a year and a half ago. Now it
behaves exactly as you describe, in every detail, and I also have
wondered whether it's the battery or the charging system. I shall be
interested in the conclusion, if any, although I have bought a new
laptop, which far outstrips the abilities of the Compaq.
-- 
Davey.

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#534

Davey wrote:
> On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:49:59 +0100
> Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat
>> battery 
>> - or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new 
>> one a few years ago and they are now both the same.
>>
>> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
>>
>> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row
>> of LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
>>
>> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical
>> connector, which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the
>> battery via circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the
>> front of the laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and
>> turns green when it is fully charged.
>>
>> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is
>> this:
>>
>> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for
>> the whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery
>> immediately after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge
>> indicator LEDs light when the test button is pressed.
>>
>> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop
>> if mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains
>> power is removed, it stops dead.
>>
>> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp
>> flashes amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
>>
>> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days,
>> and then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.
>>
>> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
>>
>> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the 
>> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I 
>> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I 
>> will have wasted my money.
>>
>> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I 
>> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to 
>> have its own built-in UPS!
>>
>> TIA.
> 
> I have a similar situation to you. My laptop is an nx9010, and I bought
> a new replacement battery just over a year and a half ago. Now it
> behaves exactly as you describe, in every detail, and I also have
> wondered whether it's the battery or the charging system. I shall be
> interested in the conclusion, if any, although I have bought a new
> laptop, which far outstrips the abilities of the Compaq.

Something I have noticed on my Armada is that aftermarket batteries are 
very variable in quality. I bought a pair, so I could put one in the CD 
drive slot, and one in the normal slot, one lasted a year or two, the 
other failed totally within weeks.

The both gave symptoms as described when they failed, with the bonus 
that one generated a BIOS error message saying the battery was faulty.

-- 
Tciao for Now!

John.

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#535

On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:21:45 +0100
John Williamson <johnwilliamson@btinternet.com> wrote:

> Davey wrote:
> > On Sun, 14 Aug 2011 21:49:59 +0100
> > Roger Mills <watt.tyler@gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> >> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat
> >> battery 
> >> - or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a
> >> new one a few years ago and they are now both the same.
> >>
> >> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
> >>
> >> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a
> >> row of LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
> >>
> >> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical
> >> connector, which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the
> >> battery via circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on
> >> the front of the laptop which is amber when the battery is
> >> charging, and turns green when it is fully charged.
> >>
> >> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens
> >> is this:
> >>
> >> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for
> >> the whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery
> >> immediately after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the
> >> charge indicator LEDs light when the test button is pressed.
> >>
> >> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the
> >> laptop if mains power is not present. If when the laptop is
> >> running, mains power is removed, it stops dead.
> >>
> >> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp
> >> flashes amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
> >>
> >> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2
> >> days, and then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no
> >> avail.
> >>
> >> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
> >>
> >> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with
> >> the internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written
> >> above? I don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger
> >> is duff, I will have wasted my money.
> >>
> >> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if
> >> I can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a
> >> laptop to have its own built-in UPS!
> >>
> >> TIA.
> > 
> > I have a similar situation to you. My laptop is an nx9010, and I
> > bought a new replacement battery just over a year and a half ago.
> > Now it behaves exactly as you describe, in every detail, and I also
> > have wondered whether it's the battery or the charging system. I
> > shall be interested in the conclusion, if any, although I have
> > bought a new laptop, which far outstrips the abilities of the
> > Compaq.
> 
> Something I have noticed on my Armada is that aftermarket batteries
> are very variable in quality. I bought a pair, so I could put one in
> the CD drive slot, and one in the normal slot, one lasted a year or
> two, the other failed totally within weeks.
> 
> The both gave symptoms as described when they failed, with the bonus 
> that one generated a BIOS error message saying the battery was faulty.
> 

All I got was the information that it was almost fully charged, but it
wasn't.
The fact that the LED is alight does tend to indicate that the charging
system is functioning, rather than the battery. But is could also be
that the system is overcharging the battery, leading to its early
demise.
-- 
Davey.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#536

On Aug 14, 9:49 pm, Roger Mills <watt.ty...@gmail.com> wrote:
> My 8-year-old HP/Compaq nx9005 laptop has got a completely flat battery
> - or, rather, *two* completely flat batteries, because I bought a new
> one a few years ago and they are now both the same.
>
> The power arrangements for this laptop are as follows:
>
> The battery is lithium-ion, 14.8v, 4400mAH (type F4809). It has a row of
> LEDs on the side to indicate the state of charge.
>
> The mains power supply delivers 18.5vDC through a cylindrical connector,
> which powers the laptop when on mains, and charges the battery via
> circuitry built into the laptop. There is a light on the front of the
> laptop which is amber when the battery is charging, and turns green when
> it is fully charged.
>
> Well, that's what's *supposed* to happen. What *actually* happens is this:
>
> If I 'charge' the battery for (say) 24 hours, the lamp is amber for the
> whole time and never turns green. If I remove the battery immediately
> after 'charging', it is stone cold and none of the charge indicator LEDs
> light when the test button is pressed.
>
> Even after a long charging period, the battery won't start the laptop if
> mains power is not present. If when the laptop is running, mains power
> is removed, it stops dead.
>
> If I run the laptop without a battery present, the charge lamp flashes
> amber (but is solid amber if a battery is present).
>
> I have tried putting one of the batteries in the freezer for 2 days, and
> then thawing it and attempting to charge it - all to no avail.
>
> Sorry for the long pre-amble! My question is this:
>
> How can I tell whether the problem lies with the battery or with the
> internal charger? Are there any clues in what I have written above? I
> don't mind buying another new battery but, if the charger is duff, I
> will have wasted my money.
>
> I usually run it on mains anyway, so it's not a total disaster if I
> can't make the battery work - but one does tend to expect a laptop to
> have its own built-in UPS!
>
> TIA.
> --
> Cheers,
> Roger
> ____________
> Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
> checked.

Can you still get a genuine OEM battery? I would be wary of a cheap
"replacement".

If regularly used on mains, take the battery out, as they don't like
the heat.

MBQ

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#538

On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:36:29 -0700 (PDT), "Man at B&Q"
<manatbandq@hotmail.com> wrote:

>Can you still get a genuine OEM battery? I would be wary of a cheap
>"replacement".

One of the problems with the modern Lithium based batteries is that
they start deteriorating the minute they're manufactured and continue
to do so throughout their lifetime whether they are used or not.

So when replacing the battery on an old laptop the problem is to find
a new battery that was not manufactured 2 years ago (or longer) and
has been sitting on the shelf ever since waiting to be sold. This
battery can be sold as new, and comes in a new unopened package, but
electrically it won't be new.

For that reason IMO you are better off to go to a high volume battery
store and get a remanufactured battery with *fresh cells*...

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#558

In news:0mli475q9pctauktjt3tujr03fhdopjlea@4ax.com,
AJL wrote:
> On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:36:29 -0700 (PDT), "Man at B&Q"
> <manatbandq@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Can you still get a genuine OEM battery? I would be wary of a cheap
>> "replacement".
>
> One of the problems with the modern Lithium based batteries is that
> they start deteriorating the minute they're manufactured and continue
> to do so throughout their lifetime whether they are used or not.
>
> So when replacing the battery on an old laptop the problem is to find
> a new battery that was not manufactured 2 years ago (or longer) and
> has been sitting on the shelf ever since waiting to be sold. This
> battery can be sold as new, and comes in a new unopened package, but
> electrically it won't be new.
>
> For that reason IMO you are better off to go to a high volume battery
> store and get a remanufactured battery with *fresh cells*...

That is all true of course. But I get 10 years out of mine by sitting on 
the shelf. While Barry Watzman got 12 years out of his. You should check 
them every year or two and charge them if the voltage has dropped too 
low. As once they hit something like 3.4 volts per cell, the safety 
circuit might refuse to charge them anymore. As once the cells hit 2.8 
volts per cell, they like to burst into flames if you try to charge 
them.

So the way I look at it... say a battery was manufactured four to five 
years ago. Anything older probably lost too much of its charge and the 
safety circuits will refuse to charge it. And even being this old and 
treated right, it should last about another 5 to 7 years.

So I don't know about you, But freshly manufactured laptop Li-Ion 
batteries usually cost like 200 bucks. While Li-Ion batteries which are 
older can be had for about 40 bucks. Remember the sellers are trying to 
get rid of them before they will refuse to charge. As once they get to 
this state, they can't even give them away. So spend 200 bucks and get 
about 10 to 12 years out of it. Or spend about 40 bucks and get 5 to 7 
years out of those. I dunno, I rather go for the older Li-Ion batteries 
if you ask me. ;-)

-- 
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo 1.83G - 2GB - Windows XP SP3 

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#559

On Tue, 16 Aug 2011 07:49:58 -0500, "BillW50" <BillW50@aol.kom> wrote:

>In news:0mli475q9pctauktjt3tujr03fhdopjlea@4ax.com,
>AJL wrote:
>> On Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:36:29 -0700 (PDT), "Man at B&Q"
>> <manatbandq@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Can you still get a genuine OEM battery? I would be wary of a cheap
>>> "replacement".

>>IMO you are better off to go to a high volume battery
>> store and get a remanufactured battery with *fresh cells*...
>
>That is all true of course. But I get 10 years out of mine by sitting on 
>the shelf. While Barry Watzman got 12 years out of his. 

Yes I do remember those 'who has the oldest battery' campfire stories
from times past here. Kinda like the mine is bigger than yours?   8-O

>But freshly manufactured laptop Li-Ion 
>batteries usually cost like 200 bucks. 

Just checked several sites and found batteries for my 4 year old Acer
laptop (4315) ranging from about US$50 to $100.

>While Li-Ion batteries which are older can be had for about 40 bucks. 

Cheap is not always better in batteries (though it could be). Problem
is how do you tell? I would likely go with a branded dealer like
Duracell.com and pay the price.

>So spend 200 bucks and get about 10 to 12 years out of it. 
>Or spend about 40 bucks and get 5 to 7 years out of those. 

Other than bragging rights why would you need a 12 year old battery?

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