Related
Hi,
I have a very recently purchased XDA II.
I was under the impression that the battery time was considerably improved.
Although I have turned down the backlight brightness when on battery power, it still starts to loose power when I receive or send a SMS for example.
Is this normal or do I have a duff battery ?
Steve
try turning off bluetooth when you dont use it
it's suppose to be a batt hog
Yup,
done that. I only have BT on when I am actually using my headset.
Any other idea's
Steve
when does it auto turn off ?
when does the backlight turn off ?
are there any SD cards connected seem to recall that they eat batt aswell
I've had mine a week, have the same power drain problem. After charging it all last night I managed to use it as a PDA for a total of 40 mins over a 6 hour period today before the battery drained. No phone calls were made, Bluetooth disconnected (I do have a 256 MB card installed, but I don't know if this has anything to do with it), furthermore the backlight is set to the default setting and the auto power off set to 1 min. In any case I would expect to get more than 40 mins use of the PDA, the specification states upto 15 hours.
I took the unit back to the store, they say that this is a rare problem (yeah right :roll: ), they gave me a new battery which I am now recharging, hopefully this will work.
mmmm, it's very strange.
I am doing a test now. I have a imate with the official imate upgrade. I have a gps sysonchip bt. One and half hours ago i connected the imate with the gps and i started a demo of 500 km. Now the battery is at 75%.....Maybe de last upgrade solved this problem.... :shock:
You should get far better performance than this.
Three things that can drain the power:
Communications/Peripherals - IR, bluetooth, SDIO wireless LAN etc. Disable all of them unless you're actually using them.
Processor hungry programs - check if you have anything running in the background that could prevent the device switching to full sleep mode.
Lack of radio signal - if you're out of contact with a base station, the device tries to connect at full power every 30s - a big battery drain, so if you know you're out of contact, turn off the radio.
However, even with everything running, I'd expect a running time way above 40mins, so it sounds like you have a hardware problem with your device. I easily get 3h full brightness, full processing (ie watching a movie or playing a game) with radio on.
Turn IR off?
Is there anyway to actually turn the IR off on the XDA II?
Just the Start-Settings-Connections-Beam-Receive all incoming beams checkbox.
tried the new battery today, same procedure as yesterday (no bluetooth etc), had a slightly better performance today from the new battery, managed to get roughly an hours actual use out of the PDA (games etc) over a period of... 10 hours, ooh atleast it lasted the working day so must be better... however still no way near the 15 hours PDA work time as stated on the box!
However something I have noticed is that every now and then (after switching off the unit and just leaving it on the desk) the screen comes to life displaying a running program, (just how do you turn off the media player? I now realise it isnt with the "X"). Anyway why does it "power" back up? I wonder if this has anything to do with my power problem, that perhaps it has switched back on whilst in my pocket (BTW I have set the buttons so that they do not switch the PDA on accidently)
So, I'm recharging again, (I think I might take the MMC card out see if tht makes a difference). I expect something better for my EUR 500, what is the point of being able to go online anywhere if you have to be plugged into the mains! If I can't get the damn thing to work satisfactoraily by next week then it is going back to the shop, despite it being a Gucci shiny piece of kit!
@MoistVelvet: Actually, it;s not so much the device itself but the operating systems that is the cause of a few quirks. Luckily, a lot has been written on this forum and other forums on websites such as www.ppcw.net. A lot can been improved by limiting the number of programs that can be found in the \windows\startup folder of the XDA II. I'd suggest you have a look around in the various topics. I ended up honing my XDA II to a point where I am actually very very satisfied with it's performance ...
Can someone repost the items in the windows start up folder than can be deleted and what they do on the XDA II.
I was surprised at the amount of apps in there, but dont know what I can safely delete.
Steve
Wiz,
thanks for the tip, I'll have a look around.
Well the batery did last longer yesterday, managed to get through a whole workig day before it ran out, so the jury is still out!
Realised perhaps one of the reasons why the unit would switch itself on, whilst at work I have a very low signal, so every minute or two the signal strength would go up and switch the screen on. I have set to auto switch off after 1 min, but I wonder if there is there a way to stop it from switching on?
Hm, my experience is quite different. I use it throughout the day with around 15 phone calls, at least 2 GPRS synchronisations, some other usage of contacts, calendar and email and when I get home it's still around 60 percent - the most drain appears to happen on the way back home when I use the BT headset...
When your uses so much more power you may like to check what kind of programs you use. First idea is to have a critical look at fancy today plugins... my worst experience was with Battery Pack, the best way to empty your battery :lol:
Maybe you like to use UpTime plugin (http://ae.inc.ru/uptime_t.html) which really tells you how much you actually use the PocketPC and which doesn't do anythings while it's switched off...
MoistVelvet said:
Wiz,
Realised perhaps one of the reasons why the unit would switch itself on, whilst at work I have a very low signal, so every minute or two the signal strength would go up and switch the screen on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, the reason it periodically switches on is the O2 Homezone application. Whenever your phone changes to a new base station (which can happen even if you don't move), the stupid Homezone app turns the phone on. This is a known issue, and the only known remedy is to disable the app completely (remove from Autostart folder, soft reset phone).
Cheers
Daniel
Hi
I have an xdaII, which i load loads and loads of things onto. I did find that the battery was draining quite quickly. eg. charge it all night, just leaving it running in the day with hardly any use would drain the battery by about 90 percent! Bluetooth was off etc.
One time, the thing drained completely, and it needed a hardboot. Im going to send it back shortly for investigation/repairs.
However, since it hardbooted, i have not installed a thing. And i am finding that the battery is lasting a lot longer. I managed to go 3 days, of average usage, (few incoming/outgoing calls), without charging the battery!
This makes me think some apps must cause the battery to drain. I had battery app installed (that runs in today screen). I had fonix voicedial installed. I had quite a few games installed.
I think some software was causing the battery consumption,.. possibly battery pack.
re
I have previously had problems with battery drain, due to apps running in the background.
I also found specific apps like the battery pack, LAN sdio, bluetooth and the camera app, would drain the battery quickly.
Although you can manage closing apps down through settings/system/memory/running programmes I found the app Gigatask http://gigatask.com/ a simpler way to manage tasks.
There are others, but I found this suitable for my needs.
Now when I close an app I know it's closed and not running in the background draining the battery.
I still charge daily, habit now when I get home from work, but I have no worries about battery drain, and it rarely goes lower than 65% for a normal days use.
Cheers, Shire
turning infrared beam recieve off will help a little
:wink:
MAtes, I have a question regarding this nice tool. In the latest version it switches Bluetooth automatically off after 30 seconds of inactivity which causes some problems for me. On http://bluetooth.i-networx.de/index_e.html it says:
Bluetooth is switched on automatically on incoming calls. However it take some seconds until the connection to the headset/car kit is established. If you leave Bluetooth always on there is no delay.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So how do I leave Bluetooth always on then?
Hello farnold,
Hey nice tool, I've never heard of it! Thanks for sharing the tip!
In return maybe I can help you with your problem....
In order to disable the 30 second timer you can either click on the white clock on the today screen (it must turn gray to show a disabled state) or simply disable that today item (Start/Settings/Today/Items and uncheck Bluetooth Tools) that way the power saving feature will not work, but the rest of the suite will...
I hope this resolves your problem.
Best regards,
Rayan
Thanks, mate, the trick was clicking on the clock symbol I used it today in "standard" mode where Bluetooth switches itself off after 30 seconds... still answer calls wasn't such a problem - just took a second longer I would say
I have downloaded and installed this program. I am impressed with the added abilities included in it - in particular the "step down the road" of voice dialing with a BT headset, in that the phone now actually responds to a button press from the headset, though voice-dialing is not yet possible.
I am however very concerned by the huge increase in battery drain - my i-mate drained from 100% to 0% overnight last night. Before installing this program it would rarely drain below 65% overnight. This was with the BT on all the time . . . but I always left BT on all of the time before as well. This issue would need to be addresses (obviously) before this program would be a viable option.
why dont your pda sleep in it's cradle ?
It could have last night . . . but I wnated to make sure everything was normal - I noticed a quicker power drain after installing it and wanted to do a longer test.
Also, I am about to travel to Ukraine for the next 10 days, and there will be long periods (like 9+ hour airplane ride) where charging will not be possible. A rapid drain of my MP3 player, eBook reader and game console (I love the i-mate! ) would make me a very unhappy traveller.
@BRosenow,
So why don't you use the Bluetooth 60 second auto power off instead?
That way you will save some juice and Bluetooth will still work when you get a call.
Regards,
Rayan
I installed this program and left my cradle around 15:00 today. It's now 21:15 and the battery displays 90% left. I have sent and received several SMS'es, so I don't feel that there are any extra drain on my system.
Regards
Michael
As I am now seeing, people in other forums are posting experiences similar to mine. See http://www.ppcsg.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=32049&sid=b07cb63386a7323151a0a87d2b2e8081 for this discussion. They indicate (as I noticed when I had auto power-off enabled) that this had no effect of the quick power drain.
Strange, I am still at 86% power some 8 hours after leaving the charger. I have rebounded my GPS and used bluetooth briefly after installing the latest pocket bluetooth tools. Possible you have a conflict with some app I am not running..
Regards
Michael
Hm, really strange. I also did not see any change in power consumption using this tool. I always take mine off the cradle around 8am in the morning and use it throught the day until about 7pm in the evening. Bluetooth w/o that tool only in the car - now more or less always, but with Auto Sleep Mode... the power drain is about the same for me...
I have the same power drain problem. My device didn't power off automatically whichever profile (on the Today plugin) I used. It works only when I switch on the bluetooth timer, but I want to have it on always.
Mine, I got different issue... after installing this new version I'm having problem to connect to my Bluetooth headset sometimes it works sometime it doesn't. Also if it doesn't connect to my bluetooth headset I can't even use the phone itself, the other party can hear me but I can't hear the person on the other line. Also the Headset icon is missing when you're using BT headset. I installed it twice and end-up the same problem so I uninstall it and used the previous version.
BUT I really like the feature that you can dial the last number you call thru the BT Headset.
Anyone having the same problem? I am using the latest ROM of T-Mobile by the way!
Hey Superperry,
some problem this end non bt headset bubble when you are using the bluetooth headset.
When you make a call it does not connect automatically to the headset you have to press the button on the headset.
Sometime it connects sometimes it does not need more improvement in the latest version.
Regards
Gigi
After installing the new version i got the following problem.
When i am dialing using the phone itself with bluetooth off the
BT turns on and the bluelight is bliking and it turns off after 60sec.
This drains the battery quicker than before
gigino said:
Hey Superperry,
some problem this end non bt headset bubble when you are using the bluetooth headset.
When you make a call it does not connect automatically to the headset you have to press the button on the headset.
Sometime it connects sometimes it does not need more improvement in the latest version.
Regards
Gigi
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Gigi,
Thanks for the input. Atleast now I know not only me having those problem.
And Yes, it still need some improvement on this latest version.
power drain and another weird problem
Yeah .... I've had the pwerdrain problem. Was fishing and even though I'd switched the device off, each time I checked it it had drastically lost juice. Was worried it was going to go completely flat before I got home. .... and I didn't make or receive a single call.
Also had another wierd problem - sometimes after switching unit off. it wouldn't switch on again until I did a soft reset.
Power drain..seems afflict me too,but I don't use any BtTools and take BT off..!
I charge my XDA2 twice a day..hmm..this lets me think that it is a application conflict!
Also seems my xda runs very slow..
and I have noticed when i connect my xda with active sync it sometimes doesnt sync but still waiting: Connecting (for ever) and uses 90% of my cpu,amazing!
Now will try to find the prob.
I also experienced power leak from my I-Mate. It ran out in half of the day even I was trying to charge it via USB. I had to uninstall app after loosing bunch of my business call this day
blue tooth toolkit causing serious problems (I think)
OK several days of using it, this is what I think is happening.
1. Without BTTK power drain on XDA2 very acceptable. With BT switched on permanently then drains about twice as quickly but still acceptable.
2. With BTTK installed and in BT timer mode, then drain is very good ie as per not having BT switched on at all. UNTIL Blue tooth is fist used for either an incoming or outgoing call. After that - even if it's theortically in the sleep mode - the drain is disastrous - lost 70% of the juice overnight with everything switched off.
3. If battery charge is below about 45 to 50% then powering off and on again by the on/off button doesn't work. After a power-off I have to do a soft reset.
...... of course mine might be a sepcial case, and BTTK might be interacting with something else, but it looks like I'll have to go the ROM upgrade route.
Mike
My 8125 is suddenly running out of batteries very fast. I suspect this is because of some activity running - if I turn the unit off, and leave it on my desk overnight, it is exhausted by morning (I, on the other hand, am exhausted by morning only if I am turned on. Sorry.)
I have checked for:
alarms and notifcations that are set to go off - there seem to be none
mail and other internet access items - there seem to be none
programs (like SPB Weather) updating themselves too frequently - there seem to be none
My energy settings are normal; sleep in one minute, backlight down, etc.
Is there anything I'm missing? Any suggestions?
wifi, bluetooth. make sure they are turned off.
That's exactly, WiFi and BT even when active in standby really drain the battery quickly.
thanks so much, but.... Wifi and Bluetooth are off - I never turn Wifi on, and I almost always keep Bluetooth off (though I wish there was a way to quickly - or even automatically - turn it on or off, ie, whenever I use it in phone mode, BT would turn on, and when I hang up, it turns off.)
any other thoughts?
Battery Gone Bad
Hey I think your battery is gone bad.
BT Off
Wifi Off
Backlight Down
Sounds to me battery is ready to go to the recycle bin lol
Also check your MSN Msnger Is not onn all the time.
Bernie
maybe it is the battery. the unit is less than a month old, but I just bought a spare battery. I'll compare run-down times on both.
a related question: why would WiFi and Bluetooth consume battery power if the unit is asleep?
-thanks-
I started getting horrible life out of my battery as of last month, but then I upgraded the ROM on it and have been getting FANTASTIC battery life. Better than when I first got the device.
which Rom did you upgrade to?
Summter <sp?> 2.3 for Cingular
soulbarn said:
My 8125 is suddenly running out of batteries very fast. I suspect this is because of some activity running - if I turn the unit off, and leave it on my desk overnight, it is exhausted by morning (I, on the other hand, am exhausted by morning only if I am turned on. Sorry.)
I have checked for:
alarms and notifcations that are set to go off - there seem to be none
mail and other internet access items - there seem to be none
programs (like SPB Weather) updating themselves too frequently - there seem to be none
My energy settings are normal; sleep in one minute, backlight down, etc.
Is there anything I'm missing? Any suggestions?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you solve your battery problme?
when i am out in the country, where i might rarely get a signal, my battery drains real fast, prob to do with the constant searching for a signal to connect to.
I came upon this thread after my 8125 began having problems with the battery life last week. I'm wondering what kind of battery life people are getting and which settings they have.
For instance, before last week, I was getting little battery drainage during a 9 hour shift at work. Then this week, I was getting close to 55% battery drainage over the same duration. Just a few moments ago, I checked my battery settings and I found out that for some reason, my phone wasn't shut off after 2 minutes of idle time as it was originally set at. Okay, I'll test my battery usage tomorrow at work, but I suspect that was the problem.
Then it got me wondering how long other people have for battery life. With Bluetooth on, wifi off, lowest brightness setting and my auto shut off set at 2 minutes, I was able to last an entire 9 hour shift on standby with only about 4 - 5% drop in battery life. Hopefully, that is what I'll have tomorrow when I test it again with the auto shut off setting in place. What are others getting for battery life (please specify your settings).
I've forgotten to charge my phone at night before, and have had no problems making it through the second day of usage, though I'll usually get a low battery warning.
I keep Bluetooth and data connection on constantly. Don't use Wi-Fi unless I need something really quickly. Backlight is at the lowest active setting. I would say I use it moderately throughout the day. I use it to take important notes and make reminders for myself, along with surfing the internet without worry.
hi
Please check out activesync which drains the max battery..
make sure that activesync is not running in backround. once after disconnecting your mini-usb cable connectivity from PC please check for the activesync status.. if running turn it off.
--tux
When i first received my MDA VarioII, 637, the battery lasted forever. Now, with barely using the phone (not bt, beaming off etc), it is a stretch to get 24hrs out of it??
I have installed in micro sd 1 GB card, and was wondering if this could be causing the drainage? I have uninstalled Phone Alarm et: I now have the following installed:
vodafone skin
Tital Commander
Tomtom 6, no today screen icon
My company flash messenger
MultiIE
Pocket mechanic
MS Voice command
Rarlab
Skype + skype today plug in
Ilium wallet
fit4cat
I do NOT use 3G conection at all unless needed and turn it off after connecting.
Any ideas what would cause this change?
Wifi?
Probably not your problem but mine drains very fast not when connected to wifi so much as when its struggling to find a connection. For example If I forget to turn Wifi off and then go for a walk. I find it gets quite warm with the effort of trying to establish a connection.
Mike
mikechannon said:
Probably not your problem but mine drains very fast not when connected to wifi so much as when its struggling to find a connection. For example If I forget to turn Wifi off and then go for a walk. I find it gets quite warm with the effort of trying to establish a connection.
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have now set mine to "auto torn off wlan if not connected for 5 mins"
Hi, if I don't do a lot of browsing or downloading then battery life is pretty decent...I could imagine it going for 24hrs, I usually hit up a few sites when I wake up, and its automatically down to 90-80 percent, I don't really remember much difference from when I didn't have a card in it, but one thing I do notice is if I let the battery drop below say 30%..it doesn seem to last as long during the next few uses/charges, I just usually try to plug it in midday before it drops to 50 and top it back to 100, a couple nights I passed out and it dropped low or shut itself off, and that made the battery seem very crappy for a few days..It could just be me thinkin this...but that's the way it seems.
I can only use gprs..no 3g here yet.
i had a very strange thing happen the other day, i had my vario ii on charge until 2pm when i took it off, then it was sat on my belt in its holder until 6pm, i had recieved no phone calls, no bluetooth nothing, and the battery died about 6:15pm......charged it up again and then it lasted 2 days straight with lots of phone calls! Weird eh! Seems to be back to normal again now though.
I've had well over a year and a half of happy usage of my 8525 with the latest official WM6 ROM.
This week, though, my bluetooth seems to be on the fritz.
If the phone loses all of the battery life without recharging, it will turn off the wifi, bluetooth and phone just prior to powering all the way down.
Once it's recharged, the wifi and phone will re-enable without a hitch from the Comm Manager, but the bluetooth feature will not re-enable no matter how many times I try, or how many soft resets I do.
At first I thought the BT transmitter/receiver may be on the way out, but when I did a hard reset, the feature worked fine again.
What that seems to indicate is that if the phone powers down to dead battery, something is happening that's preventing the BT from re-enabling upon restart/recharge.
Other than "don't your phone battery die", has anyone experienced this or knows of any tricks/tips/hacks to get an unresponsive BT to come back to life without having to hard reset and reinstall apps and reconfigure phone?
Thanks.