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United States January 2, 2003
Maintenance & Service Guide
Presario 1600 Series Portable Computers
Notice | Preface | Home | Product Description | Troubleshooting | Illustrated Parts Catalog
Removal & Replacement Procedures | Specifications | Connector Pin Assignments | Battery Pack
Battery Pack
This section covers the following information concerning battery pack
operating time:
■ Increasing Battery Pack Operating Time
■ Minimizing the Energy Required
■ Maximizing the Energy Stored
■ Conditioning a Battery Pack
■ Battery Charge Time By Model
■ Disposal of a Used Battery Pack
Increasing Battery Pack Operating Time
Battery pack operating time differs depending on several variables. To avoid
unnecessary replacement, consider the following variables when determining
how long a charged battery pack should last:
■ Power management settings
■ Hardware configuration
■ Software applications
■ Installed options
■ Display brightness
■ Hard drive usage
■ Changes in operating temperature
■ Type and number of installed PC Cards
NOTE:
The power consumption requirements for PC Cards vary widely. Some cards drain the
battery pack very rapidly.
Battery pack operating time can be increased by as much as 50 percent by
controlling the energy required by the computer and the energy stored in the
battery pack.
Minimizing the Energy Required
To minimize the energy required by the computer, follow these steps:
■ Set the power conservation levels in the Power Management utility to Maximum.
■ Customize the timeout value to work more efficiently with the applications. The amount of
battery life depends on the values selected.
Maximizing the Energy Stored
To maximize the energy stored in the battery pack, follow these guidelines:
■ Condition the battery pack at least every 30 days to improve overall battery performance.
■ Keep a battery pack in the computer when using it with AC power to supply the battery
pack with a constant trickle charge.
■ Store the battery pack in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Conditioning a Battery Pack
CAUTION: To avoid a loss of data, ensure that all data is saved before discharging
a battery pack.
To condition a battery pack, complete the following steps:
1. Plug in the AC adapter and allow the battery to charge until the fast charge
arrow on the display disappears. Your battery gauge may read 100 percent
for a period of time before the arrow disappears. Do not unplug the AC
adapter until the arrow disappears.
Select Disabled in the Power menu of the BIOS Setup. The system will
hibernate after one hour of being in suspend. By selecting Disabled, the
system will not timeout and enter suspend.
2. Unplug the AC adapter and allow the battery to drain until the computer
reaches hibernation and turns itself off. Do not plug in the AC adapter
during this process or you will need to restart with Step No. 1. You
may use the computer while the battery is draining.
3. Your battery is re-conditioned.
4. Plug in the AC adapter and begin using the computer.
This table shows battery pack charge times by model.
Battery Charge Time By Model
Computer On Line Off Line
Model 1/NiMH Battery Pack 4.0 hours premature
termination
2:00 hr
Model 2/Li ion Battery Pack 4.5 hours premature
termination
2:50 hr
Disposal of a Used Battery Pack
In the interest of safeguarding our environment. Compaq Computer
Corporation recommends that nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li
ion) battery packs be recycled. Handle battery packs in accordance with
country, state, province, or local regulations.
CAUTION: Never attempt to open or service a battery pack. Opening a battery
pack not only damages the pack and makes it unusable, but also exposes potentially
harmful battery components.
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