Thinkpads Forum

Well, I've finally got a new one. I've posted a thread whereby I can get info on how to charge and set parameters and NOT MESS IT UP.

Can anyone help me with that? Thread is in main T6x section.
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=91215
Thanks

bill bolton wrote:I use 80% (lower) and 95% (upper) as the threshold limits on my ThinkPad batteries (and I don't use docking stations often), and maybe use them for about 33% of the overall usage on battery power.

Aloha Bill! This is getting extremely interesting. So when you go to battery power you are actually starting from a battery that is at 95% charge. Could you estimate approximately how long it takes for your system to get to your 80% threshold setting. I realize it depends upon what task(s) you are doing. Please forgive me. Is it possible for you to give a few scenarios or more details on approx. how much time it takes to go from 95% to 80%?

Thank you very much Bill !

bill bolton wrote:I use 80% (lower) and 95% (upper) as the threshold limits on my ThinkPad batteries (and I don't use docking stations often), and maybe use them for about 33%

Aloha Bill! After taking TTY's suggestion on just plain testing it, I can see where these settings are fairly brilliant. I was messin around with it on battery including viewing a movie for awhile and it actually took quite a while to run from 94% to around 90% then I let it go down to 88% (it still showed over 5.5 hrs left) and shut it down. When I hooked it back up I mistakenly thought it was going to immediately start charging again. But it just sat there @ 88% and I realized that it would not charge because I had set it as per your threshold which means it wouldn't start charging again until it went BELOW 80%. I can see where that might lessen the wear and tear of the battery not having to charge all the time...

You are correct, it all boils down to how you use it and how you set the charging thresholds.

Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!

I have a T60p widescreen 8741-4VU and the Battery is SANYO 92P1131 which is part of the recall

I have downloaded and install the Lenovo Battery Diagnostic test and when I run it .... after a while it shows "Unknown error" and then it close.

it does not open the default web browser to order a replacement battery if my battery qualifies for a replacement.

Lenovo Battery recall for SANYO 9-cell Battery FRU# 92P1131

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... ATT-LENOVO

I re-install the Lenovo Battery diagnostic program and it check the battery if it need replacement.

It says " the battery code format is not recognized "........

Battery Diagnostic problem resolved !!!!

I updated my old BIOS to the latest version from Lenovo's Support page.

I re-install the Lenovo Battery Diagnostic on my laptop and run the test .... it confirmed my battery needs replacement as it display the battery code and a new webpage confirming my machine type and serial # where I input all the infos where they can send the replacement battery by mail in 4 weeks time.

TOMSrolla wrote:Battery Diagnostic problem resolved !!!!

I updated my old BIOS to the latest version from Lenovo's Support page.

I re-install the Lenovo Battery Diagnostic on my laptop and run the test .... it confirmed my battery needs replacement as it display the battery code and a new webpage confirming my machine type and serial # where I input all the infos where they can send the replacement battery by mail in 4 weeks time.

Great News !!!

My new replacement 9-cell battery SANYO FRU#42T4511 arrives today from the USA by UPS Express after 5 days from sending my shipping address info at the Lenovo website.

Did you need to send them your old (faulty) battery?

frankiepankie wrote:Did you need to send them your old (faulty) battery?

Nope .... no need to send the old one back as there are no instruction to ship it back to lenovo

the old one has 2Hrs load of continous use and still re-charge to 97% as I have set it to charge after 80% and stopped at 97% on AC.

craigmontHunter wrote:One thing to remember is that if the battery is stored at ~40% capacity and kept cool, it will last longer without degrading. It is also possible that the batteries started degrading sooner after they started being used.

Sorry i didn't respond to this earlier craigmont! I was wondering if you could provide any documentation on that ~40% capacity figure? There are so many ideas on how to keep these batteries from degrading too fast and from so many people it boggles the mind.

Another reason i ask - and this also refers to some of the statements by Bill and others about not expecting the life of these batteries to exceed much over 2 years etc... - We have received an older Kodak digital camera approx circa 2004 (dx6490) and it had the original battery which is a Kodak Li-ion and is kept installed in the camera which is kept in a charger/holder that keeps the charge @ what appears to be 100% (as all the charging lights are lit). Now this battery is ALMOST FIVE YEARS OLD and is still working fantastic. We all thought that the first thing we would need to do is replace that battery but we didn't need to. How can this be given the information that i see posted here concerning these types of batteries? The original owner just kept the camera in this special holder/charger and never needed to worry about the battery being charged. Now we are doing the same thing with the very same battery!

Now given the amount of $ for a replacement Kodak Easyshare KLIC-500x compared to the much larger $ amount for a Lenovo branded laptop battery it really doesn't sit right that they don't last this long. Of course, again there may be profound differences in the manufacturing process and also the Lenovo battery is much larger capacity etceteras. But it seems to us we are being fleeced in some ways with these batteries. Given the fact that this Li-ion camera battery lasted this long how can we think otherwise?!

Again, i would really like to see your source for this and/or whether it is your own experience. If it was the latter could you let us know which battery it (or they) were (6 or 9 cell, Lenovo branded or not) and the manufacturer(s)?

Thanks!

EAkamai wrote:Another reason i ask - and this also refers to some of the statements by Bill and others about not expecting the life of these batteries to exceed much over 2 years etc...

If it's a Sanyo - you shouldn't. For a Panasonic you can get even 4 years with very respectable battery life.

EAkamai wrote:How can this be given the information that i see posted here concerning these types of batteries?

Digital camera batteries use a different Lithium battery technology, with lower energy density, than laptop batteries. If you wanted to power a Laptop from the sort of Lithium battery technology used in digital cameras, you'd have a battery pack the same size as the laptop.

Cheers,

Bill B.

bill bolton wrote:Digital camera batteries use a different Lithium battery technology,

Thank you Bill for that information. I suspected that must be the case.